The Brookhaven leader., 1885-11-26
CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIMINALS.
Natural Peculiarities of European Muir
derers and Thieves.

derers and Thieves.
Recently in France considerable at
tention has been paid to an examination
of the criminal class with reference to
its physical and associated characteris
tics NJ Lacassague has drawn atten-
tion to the frequency of tattooing among
criminals and the violent nature of the
scenes depicted by them in this volun-
tary mutilation. The same writer has
pointed out that criminals, as a class,
are tall. Thus in 800 subjects exam
ined by him 623 were taller by six cent?
meters than the average, and some ex
ceeded the normal height by ten and
twenty centimeters. These observations
were corroborated by NJ. Ferri, in Italy.
In 1882 DR.. Manouvrier remarked
that among criminals, notOriously with
murderers, the jaw is more developed
than is usual; and that while the cranio-
mandibular index normally varies be-
tween 1873 and 13, among the convicts
it attains the remarkable number Of
14.7. NM. Hager and Dallemagne, in
comparative study of the skulls of assas'
sins and ordinary persons, have con-
firmed 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 peace
able citizens, but no difference 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
tions being as I ,53S is to 1,400. 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 murderers only,
while in the latter studies those of all
classes were included, among which the
| incendiaries are said to have small heads.
Mr.. Flesch has said that affections Of the
heart exist among criminals to the ex-
tent of 90 per cent; the persistence Of
| Botal's oriiice, 10 per cent; contra
dction of the vascular system, 5.5 per
cent. But his researches upon cerebral
lesions are much more important.
lie has demonstrated certain atav-
ism in the cerebral convulsions, already
indicated by Benedict, as, for instance,
the medium lobe of the brain being
shaped as among the mammals, the sep
aration OF the eulcarlan tissue Of Sylvius,
and the formation of an operulum of
the occipital lobe Histology has also
detected certain anomalies i'll the brains
of those criminals whose autopsy has
been made. Thus Spika has found the
augmentation of the nucleum of the
tenth, seventh, and fifth pairs in muir
derers brain; also Golgi and march,
Eave detected the fermentation Of the
nervous cells in the brain of convict.
N. Mano has examined the hands OF
criminals, and he has discovered among
individuals convicted for murder, among
those guilty of inficting wounds, a great
preponderance of large and short hands;
while with thieves the frequency of long
and narrow hands is less considerable,
AS to the question of tattoOing he finds
that the larger number of tattooed per-
sons is among the assassins and assail-
ants.
NJ. Lombraso, together with N. ManO,
has studied criminality among infants.
They examined $50 infants, and espe-
cially 100 from the houses of refuge.
They found that the criminal type could
be recognized at that age, asso-
ciated with bad tendencies, in the pro-
portion of IA per cent. The loss Of a
moral sense was recognized in 10 per
cent. Out of twenty-nine infants they
have observed the disappearance of the
criminal tendencies partly through nom
Inheritance, partly under the beneficial
influence of their surroundings, and
partly because their criminal passions,
existing at certain period, disappear
in maturity.
The typical criminal physiognomy has
been recognized among murdorers in
Germany in the proportion of SO per
cent, among thieves to that of "a per
cent, among insolvents, and in persons
convicted of bigamy to the extent of 6
per cent. Among females this type was
found in 2S per cent With ordinary
men and women this type was only
found fourteen times among sl5 indi-
viduals, eight of whom were doubtful
i New York Telegram.