The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-03-18
CRIME FROM a SCIENTIFIC STAND
POINT.
Summary of q Lecture by Mrs. Bella
French Swisher at the Trinity
nj f.. Church.


NJ T.. Church.
Last night Mrs. Bella French Swsher, wife
of Col. Swisher of Austin, and editor of the
"American Sketch Book" delivered lecture
on "Crime. conside ed from a scientific stand
point" in aid of the Ladies Aid Association.
The audience sang a hymn, and the Rev.
j. A.. Kerr, pastor, introduced the lecturer:
Mrs. Bella French Swisher said: In all
ages certain portion of the community have
drank the waters Of sin, communities erected
churches, reformers wrote books, stern law
givers and Justices gave several sentences, but
all failed to have any influence. Society turns
from the erring in scorn, but I would not do
so. Let me seek out the cause for this as
am one of those who do not believe that
certain number are born and must walk in
sin, or that all sinners should be Smtten more
especially as the punishment is not equally
meted, some by money and influence escap-
ing the penalty of their crimes, but l would
plead for these erring ones before public
jury. | would plead first for the weak por-
ton Of my sisters. Society deals more harsh
" with them than with the male sex, but
plead for all.
Once when a little girl, spent the greater
portion of the morning in one of our police
courts. A boy of about ten years old was
brought up and plead guilty, but said that he
had stolen the food for an aged granny" who
f,rc Got
tice who never knew what it was to be cold
or hungry, sent that poor boy to penitenti-
airy. A young girl was arrested for stealing a
breast pin. She did not know why she stole
| it, but she had craving for it that passed off
Immediately she got it. There are many
such cases on record, and of per-
sons having stolen things who were
able to buy them but have been controll-
ed by an irresistible desire to steal, such are
kleptomancs. l once met a girl who had
eloped with a married man, and who had re-
turned home covered with Scorn. l said !:
"Did you love him SO much that you felt you
could not live without him - She answered,
| "No; but she felt obliged to obey him" Yet
her friends prosecuted her for being led astray.
How often do we meet " .th such cases where
persons err from uncomfortable prompting
and are lead astray? Who then is to blame
for these crimes which sink our youth to deg
| relation, and cause our maidenS to fall
like soiled snow flakes in the gutter? Not
God; because lie has SO ordered all things
that they work we'll by natural laws, and we,
not comprehending them, lay the blame to a
suppose Gus cause.
If we are struck On the cheek it is followed
by an immediate pain, of which we know the
natural cauSe. II we violate laws of nature
we may not feel an immediate effect, and we
blame providence for what is really caused by
our own folly.
A mother once complained to me of her
sorrow in losing her only child, and thought
of her life. She spoke eloquent of form Of
the child, and incdently said that she had
taken especially pains to form that
shape, as her mother had for her. did not
add to the grieved ones sorrow by saying what
my mind prompted, which was, woman you
have murdered your child. You brought it
into the world with small and compressed
| lungs from consumption, the natural result OF
your folly, and yet you blame the Almighty
Evil may be traced from four causes
Ist. Imperfect organization.
I'd. Associations.
I'D. Circums stances.
4th. The power of the positive over the ne
gative.
That disease is communicated by the mother
| to her unborn babe is a fact that is admitted
| once heard man blame his parents for an
inordinate love of tobacco. Both his parents
before birth INDUCED extensively in the use Of
that weed. When he was born he was fretful
as if pining for something, until one day his
father in anger put tobacco in his mouth,
which satisfied the child of its craving, but
made its use an imperative necessity. Many
have inherited love and disposition for strange
things. A child may be seen crying for liquor,
| for which a taste has been created whilst I'M
born. The children of drinking parents are.
rs a rule, the most uncurable of drunkards,
and though man may drink moderately, his
daughters may be affected in degree. A
hereditary. Much murder, suicide insanity
bars.
There are circumstances which may check
| the evil implanted in our unborn nature, but it
is never wholly eradicated, and believe that
| God deals with us, not for what we actual
| ly do. but for what we could have have pre-
vented. AS of old-there were some who had
| one talent and some few-so it was now-all
intellects and capacity are not equal. Some
are fitted for statesmen, poets and orators, who
are lacking in moral capacity. AS man who
was lacking due appreciation of the attri-
butes and beauties of nature could not be
poet, SO there were people who lacked certain
moral attributes. There are people in all cir
i