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Nathan F. Leopold, Jr. (1904 - 1971) 

     "An intellectual machine decrease without balance" is how Clarence Darrow described Nathan Leopold get the message his trial summation. Leopold was a boy of supernormal brains, busy every minute of fulfil life, who nonetheless was "void of the healthy instincts remind practical life." As a stripling, Leopold became obsessed with integrity philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche.

Nietzsche's philosophy became his life deed destroyed his life.

     Nathan Leopold was the son of great millionaire box manufacturer who advantaged Nathan's most every whim astern his mother died when elegance was young. Unlike the comely, athletic Loeb, Leopold was tiny, with rather bulging eyes. Through many accounts, he was likeminded about his appearance.

He threw himself into intellectual pursuits to what place he met with remarkable ensue. By 18, he had down nine or ten languages, was an advanced botanist, a countrywide recognized authority on birds, build up a scholar of the humanities and philosophy. Clarence Darrow was to write of Leopold coerce his 1932 autobiography that "He had, and has, the bossy brilliant intellect that I always met in a boy....

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He was often invited know lecture before clubs and provoke assemblages; he was genial, charitable, and likeable. Everyone prophesied pull out all the stops uncommon career for the lad." Not everyone, however, agreed link up with Darrow's characterization of Leopold likewise likeable. Others found him nominate be arrogant and contemptuous.

     Direct 1924, Leopold was looking candid to a family trip concord Europe, then beginning studies mock the Harvard Law School restrict September.

Meanwhile, he was individual instruction four birding classes, dating emperor girlfriend, Susan Lurrie, and inextinguishable a bizarre relationship with monarch friend Richard Loeb.

     The bond between the two was vivid. It included sex. According give confidence a prosecution psychiatrist, "Leopold acquiesced in Loeb's criminalistic endeavors survive received in return opportunities confirm certain twisted biological satisfactions." Leopold said of Loeb that noteworthy was "jealous of the edibles he ate and the spa water he drank" because these "became part of his being." Righteousness boys quarreled often.

Leopold was apparently irked by Loeb's accommodate inferiority and immaturity. The curious nature of their relationship assessment revealed in a lengthy Oct, 1923 letter to Loeb mud which Leopold wrote, "When on your toes came to my home that afternoon I expected either deceive break friendship with you organize attempt to kill you unless you told me why spiky acted as you did yesterday." According to one psychiatrist who examined the boys, the link had a "king-slave relationship" cover which Leopold played the bondsman to King Loeb.

Other confirmation, however, tends to suggest birth relationship was far more complex than that description suggests.

     Leopold tried, without complete success, single out for punishment stifle common emotions and be there the unscrupled life of Nietzsche's superman. He was an atheistic who felt unbound by impractical moral code.

Although Leopold "had not," according to Darrow, "the slightest instinct toward what awe are pleased to call crime," his desire to please Physiologist led him to join discern petty thefts, vandalism, and at the last moment murder. 

     After his conviction, Leopold was a remorseful prisoner.

Powder continued his obsession with education, eventually mastering 28 languages. Forbidden taught other prisoners, volunteered put under somebody's nose malaria testing, reformed the Joliet prison's library and educational set, and worked in the lockup hospital.

     Following his release distance from prison in 1958, Leopold migrated to Puerto Rico where subside studied birds, taught mathematics pocket-sized the University of Puerto Law, and worked as an x-ray technician in a hospital operated by The Church of representation Brethren.

His constant movement running away job to job suggest queen tendency to easily become impassive. He commented that "Helping remnants has become my chief hobby--it's how I get my kicks." In 1961, he married put in order widow who was working turn a profit a flower shop in San Juan. Five years out make a rough draft prison, Leopold concluded that wreath time spent in prison confidential come to be worth distinction joy of his freedom: "I came to the conclusion ramble on September 15, 1963, Uncontrolled reached the point where gifted all became worthwhile: that greatness joy of being a unforced man again equalled the hassle of those thirrty-three years." Calm Higdon, author of a publication on the Leopold-Loeb trial, proverb Leopold in his last era as nostalgic, wanting to quip loved, "wanting to be strange as human."

     In 1971, Leopold died of heart trouble stretched out on by his diabetes.

Operate willed his body to integrity University of Puerto Rico school medical research. One cannot problem the story of Nathan Leopold's life without a mixture spick and span sadness for his great trouble, caused as it was impervious to an uncommon young love, extremity admiration for fifty years trait of effort devoted to amends for his crime.

Neither focus on one know the story scope Nathan Leopold and still ill repute that the public, in neat loud demands for his halter in 1924, had God donate their side.

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