question:  What was the intention of Higgins' lawyer by saying that Higgins had put "The Scorpion" on his gun barrel himself?
context: CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail! [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger. There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street. There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again. The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket. One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend." The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money. The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door. She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine. "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car. Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away." On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened." "It was four professional criminals, I thought you knew that. Stevenson followed Hastings' pointing finger, and saw again the crudely-lettered words, "The Scorpion" burned black into the paint of the trunk lid.
output:  To try to use an insanity defense for Higgins.
options:  To avoid a trial by admitting fault immediately and getting the job done quickly  In hopes of the judge and jury seeing the other vigilante acts of The Scorpion and cutting Higgins some slack.  In hopes of receiving mercy for the crimes.  To try to use an insanity defense for Higgins.