Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-04
TRAITS or CRIMINALS.
Natural .PecaIIsritses. OF Earepcan Murder
ess and Thieves.
fNaur WINK Taisnraml

efs and Thieves.
New York Teiegram.l
Recently in France considerable At
tention has been paid to an examination
Of the criminal class with reference TO
its physical and associated character
istics. NJ. Lacsssague has drawn atten-
ton TO the frequency Of tattooing among
criminals and the violent nature OF the
scenes depicted by them in this volan-
tary mutilation. The same writer has
pointed out that criminals, as 8 class,
are tall. Thus in 800 subjects exam
ined by him G23 were taller by six
centimeters than the average, and some
exceed the normal height by ten and
twenty centimeters. These obserya-
tons were corroborated by NJ. Ferri, in
Italy.
In 1882 DR.. Manouvrier remarked
that among criminals, VIGOROUSLY with
murderers, the jaw is moro developed
than is usual; and that while the
aDio-mandibnlar index normally va
lies between 1878 and Is, among the
convicts it attains the remarkable mum
Der Of AL. NM. Hager and Dale
magne, in comparative study Of the
skulls Of asssssins and ordinary per-
sons, have confirmed the statement that
the forward projection of the skull is
greater among the former. They have
also shown that criminals have larger
facial index and smaller vertical index
than the peaceable citizens, but no diff
ference is observed in the cephalic
index. Nj. Hager has affirmed the larger
capacity of the criminal skull over that
of the usual type, the relative proper
tons being as l,53S is to |, 400. This,
however, has been contradicted by a
number Of observers who claim the re-
verse, but it is suggested that it may
be explained by supposing that the
former examined the crania of MUIR
derers only, while in the latter studies
those of all classes were included,
among which the incendiaries are said
to have small heads. NJ. Flesch has
said that affections of the heart exist
among criminals to the exten Of 90 per
cent. the persistence Of Botal's ORR
fee, 10 per cent. contradiction Of the
vascular system, SIS per cent. But
his researches upon cerebral LESSONS are
much more important.
He has demonstrated certain atay-
ism in the cerebral CONCLUSIONS, al.
ready indicated by Benedict. as, for
instance, the medium lobe of the brain
being shaped as among the mammals,
the separation Of the eulcarian assure
from the occipital, the opening Of the
fissure of Sylvius. and the formation of
sn operculum Of the occipital lobe.
Histology has also detected certain
anomalies in the brains of those
criminals whose autopsy has been
made. Thus Spika has found the pig
mentation of the nucleum Of the tenth,
seventh, and tfih pairs in a murderer S
brain; also, Golgi and march, have de-
tected the fermentation of the nervous
cells in the brain of convict. The
school of criminal anthropology in Italy
has also made important contributions
to this list Of facts.
NJ. Mano has examined the hands oil
criminals, and he has discovered among
individuals convicted for murder, among
those guilty Of inAicting wounds, d
great preponderance Of large and short
hands, while with thieves the frequency
Of long and narrow hands is less con-
siderable. AS to the question of tat
tooing, he finds that the larger number
Of tattooed persons is among the assas-
sins and assailants.
NJ. Lombraso, together with NJ.
Mano, has studied criminality among
infants. They examined $50 infants,
and especially 100 from the houses of
refuge. They found that the criminal
type could be recognized at that age,
associated with bad tendencies, in the
proportion Of IA per cent. The loss
Of moral sense was recognized in Al
per cent, and a vcritable propensity to
crime in 10 per cent. Out of 90 in
fants they have observed the disap-
pearance of the criminal tendencies
partly through non-inheritance, partly
under the beneficial influence of their
surroundings, and partly because their
criminal passions, existing at a certain
period, disappear in maturity.
The typical criminal physiogomy has
been recognized among murderers in
Germany In the proportion Of SO per
cent. among thieves to that Of % per
cent. among insolyents, and in persons
convicted of bigamy to the extent of 8
per cent. Among females this type
was found in % per cent. With ordi-
nary men and women this type was
only found fourteen times among SIS
individuals, eight of whom were doubt
full. Tomasira, Bono, and Depaoli
have asserted the great capacity of the
orbits or eye-sockets and prevalent
daltonism. NJ. Bono also insists upon
the swiftness of vision among crimi-
nails. But perhaps the most curious
observations were made upon the diff
ferent strenpth of the two hands.