Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIMINALS.
Natural PecuIiarItfes of Il uropean
Muroerer's and Thieves.
New York Telegram.

hSCCuI1y III u IduCS COuSlOSfdOlS aL>
tention has been paid to an examina-
ten of the criminal class with refer
ence 20 its physical and associated
characteristics. M. Lacassague has
drawn attention to the frequency of
tattooing among criminals and the
violent nature OF the scenes depicted
by them in this voluntary mutilation.
The same writer has pointed out that
criminals, as class, are tall. Thus
in eight hundred subjects examined
by him 623 were taller by six cent?
meters then the average, and some
exceed the normal height by ten and
twenty centimeters. These observa-
tons were corroborated by Id. Ferri !;
in Italy.
Ia 1882 DR.. Manouvrier remarked
that among criminals, VIGOROUSLY
with murderers, the jaw is more de-
veloped than is usual; and that while
the cranio mandibular index normally
varies between 1913 and Is, among
the convicts it attalns the remarkable
number of 14.7. MN. Hager and Dali
magne, in comparative study of the
skulls of assassians 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 a larger facial index and small
er vertical index than the peaceable
citizens, but no difference is observed
in the cephalic index. M. Hager has
affirmed the larger capacity of the
criminal skull over that of the usual
type, the relative proportions being
as 1, 536 is to 1,490. This however,
has been contradicted by a number
Of observers who claim the reverse,
but it is suggested that it may be ex-
planned by supposing that the former
examined the crania of murderers
only, while in the latter studies those
Of all classes were included, among the
incendiaries are said to have small
heads. Mr.. Flesch has said that affec,
tons of the heart exists among crim>
inals to the extent of twenty per cent;
the persistence of Botal's orifce, ten
per cent; contradiction of the vascu-
lar system, 5.5 per cent But his re
searches upon cerebal LESSONS are much
more important.
He has demonstrated a certain alta
vism in the cerebal commissions 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
assure of Sylvius, and the formation
of an operculum of the occipital lobe.
Histology has also detected certain
anomalies in the brain OF those crlm>
inals whose autopsy has been made.
Thus Spika has found the pigmenta-
ton of the nucleum of the tenth, sew
enth, and fifth pairs in murderer's
brain; also Golgi and march, have
detected the augmentation of the ners
vous cells in..the brain of a convic. t The
school of criminal authropology in
Italy has also made important contri-
buttons to this list of facts.
M. Mano has examined the hands
of criminals, and he has discovered
among individuals convicted for mur>
der. among those guilty of infictlng
wounds, g. great preponderance of
large and short hands; while with
thieves the frequency of long and mar
row hands is less considerable As to
the question of tattooing he finds that
the larger number of tattooed persons
is among the assassins and the as
sailants.
M. Lombraso together with M. Mas
no. has studied crimlnality am ong ms
fants. They examined $50 infants,
and especially 100 from the houses of
refuge. They found that the Grimm
al type could be recognized at that age
associated with bad tendencies, in the
proportion of T. percent. The loss of
moral sense was recognized in Al per
cent. and a veritable propensity to
crime IN 10 ger cent. Out of 90 in
fants they have observed the dlsap>
pearance of the criminal tendencies
partly through non inheritance, partly
under the beneficial influence of their
surroundings, and partly because their
passions, existing at GER
tain period, disappear IN maturity.
The typical criminal physiognomy
has been recognized among murderers
in Germany in the proportion of sc
per cent. among thiaves to that of Is
per cent. among insolvents, and in
persons convicted of bigamy to the
extent of per cent. Among females |
this type was found in % per cent.
With ordinary men and women this
type was only found IA times among
SIS individuals, s 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 up
on the swiftness of vision among
criminals. But perhaps the most
curious observations were made upon
the different strength of the two hands. |