Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-10
THE INHERITANCE OF CRIME.

A few weeks ago we published a brief
article concerning woman born in one
of the counties in New York. on the Up
per Hudson, known by the name of MAR
greet" also called 1.-The mother of crimi-
nails" A late number of the New York
Times speaks further of this remarkable
case asfollows:
One of the most striking passages in the
valuable report of Miss Schuyler, Presi-
dent of the State Charities Aid Society.
read at lis recent annual meeting, was
that in which the case Of Margaret, "the
mother of criminals" was considered.
New facts are continually coming to light
in regard to this remarkable Inheritance
of crime, and when, finally, they are all
grouped and carefully determined. they
will form the most instructive instance
than ever offered in criminal history of
the importance of preventive measures
among the young.
Thus it appears that the last generation
we believe the sixth-in the unhappy
line from the outcast child, has just been
born in Ulster County. The mother of
the babe was only fourteen, and the father
was the uncle of the mother. In the same
generation of the young mother, there are
six young boys and girls who are all in
the House of Refuge. The sister of the
original Margaret is known in the medi-
cal history OF the county during the time
of the Revolution as having been on of the
most dissolute persons ever known in the
region. The long train of diseases, weak
ness, bad habits, corrupt and morbid pas
sions, physical and moral degeneracy. and
open crimes, which those two pauper
children left behind them, can never be
measured by human eye. The female
children of the line became mothers in
their teens of illegitimate children; the
boys were thieves and Migrants, as by a |
law of nature, as soon as they could exert
any activity. As the girls grew up, they |
and their babes returned continually to
the county poor house as their natural
home. The children grew up in these
nurseries of crime, and became, of course
paupers or worse. The stronger and
holder lived by thieving, or committed
robbery, burglary, and murder. Crime
and indulgence gradually caused the de-
generacv of some, and they became cpl,
lep,ics, lunatics, and idiots. Now and
then some Of the unfortunate race were
preserved by being early confined in
institution. In one instance,
one wild girl of the stock married man
of decent character, and somewhat i'm
proved the race. 1t should be remem
bered by all students OF such objects that
the tendency of inheritance is kind of
arithmetical reduplcation of characters
tics. 1t is this scientific fact which ex-
plains the degeneracy arising from the
marriage of near relatives. Weaknesses,
aud |
are reproduced Possibly moth
ing else is the cause of the insan-
ity or idiocy arising from the marriage of
children of drunkards married, their off
spring would probably be lunatics or idi-
OTIS In this race of criminals the stock
was preserved by in,ermarriage with some
fresh and vigorous families of rutlians.
Some of the members OF the miserable
breed reached the age of ninety years.
and some OF the females had at least twen-
" children, the final total number, as we
have before stated, of the race being some
seven hundred, mainly paupers, beggars,
prostitutes, and criminals.
Now, every town and village has some
unhappy margaret wandering about
among its streets and lanes. Among the
eighteen hundred pauper children of the
State, We. in alms-houses. is many
.mother of criminals" being carefully
trained for crime and pauperism How
many ragged little girl, rowing about
our City streets with her begging basket.
utterly friendless and neglected, is grow.
ing up to transmit her long progeny OF
raffians and criminals. 1t is true that
crime is so much more intense In the city
than the country, and the conditions are
30 much more unhealthy, that in all prob
ability the criminal child will leave no
progeny, and viii herself be laid early in
the pauper's grave. Still she may live