New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-05
MEETING TO STUDY MAN.
AN METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS.
PRINCE BosApARrE WELCOMED AS DELEGATE

PRINCE BoSAPARTE WELCOMED AS DELEGATE
PAPER on CRIMINALS.
-Four or five years ago some of the scientinc
men in and around this city who are Interested
in anthropology formed the New York Academy OF
Anthropoogy. Several months ago from this
nucleus grew the International Congress OF An
thropology and its first meeting was held yes
terday in Columbia College. The attendance was
small, but included some scientific men OF note
The Congress will hold morning and afternoon
sessions until Thursday evening. Although 1T Is
a young organization it has among It's members
many of the most distinguished scientific men IN
this country and Europe.
The work Of the Congress will be in the di-
rection of investigating man, discussion OF his
place in the scheme of nature, an examination
into the underlying laws of his mental growth
and description of the varieties of the species,
their characteristics and relationships. These
topics will up in the sections of anthropology
cthnology and ethnogTiphy The section of pre-
historic archaeology will take up the study ana
discussion Of the relics of human activity which
have been preserved Under the history Of cult
ure, a discussion will come on the moral IN
tellectual, social, political and economical de-
velopment of nations of antiquity, OF the middle
ages and of modern times.
DR.. Edward G. Mann, president of The New
York Academy of Anthropology, occupied the
chair yesterday. Among those present were Dr.
Hobiooll, Dr. Cyrus s. Mann c. Rowan Helper,
Prince Roland Bonaparte, of Paris; DIR. william
j. Mann \. Crlstadore, Frank w: lh0rp, OF johns
Hopkins University, and Alfred Allen. DR., Mann
opened the session, instead OF DE-. barnard' VINO
was i'll. The secretary, Dr. H. ). Dlaytqn I 4ftl
read letters from Professor Huxley SIR tltz
Gustave Rctzius DIR. George I. Black, Professor
James Stephen, Sir John LubbociS, Professor
Mierzcjowsi and eth rs rcgretiing their inability
Ia
Matthew Arnold had also sent regrets, and his
letter was read. Dr.. Irving then welcomed fflhce
BoGapartc, saying:
In behalf OF the Council OF the NewYorlc Academy.
hearty greetings the ilustri. us guest whse
presence eraces the opening Of this congress We wei
MIN not only representative Of f1mly not 49,
ou1 in Conspclousness in tie history Of European clya-
ton and citizen OK the French Republic, in whose
prosperity America has lively interest but also
associate In the study Of that imperial science which sehol
OF every and nation are pursuing with IN
creaslng interest and inspiring success
In his reply Prince Bonaparte regretted his lack
Of knowledge Of the English language, put salI
that he was glad to be with people who loved
liberty. lie will read paper to-day On his own
worlls on ADthrOpolCgy.
Dr. Mann made the opening address, reading an
exhaustive historical sketch OF the progress OF
anthropology in the last twenty-five years That
concluded the morning session, and in the alte:-
noon paper was read, contributed by the we'll
known scientist, DR.. Henry Mnudsley, of London
/
and Sociology; Note on Crime and Criminals
Ii was by far the ablest and most Interesting PAPER
of the day Here axe some extracts from it:
There is growing disposition In quarters to look
on every criminal as an unsound person. having special
neuross ard discover distinct evidence Of the
criminal nature In the conformation Of the head and face
and in defective Of the brain 1t is tendency
against which a timely protest may well be made IT, as
the theory posulas all criminals OF defective dis
mental organization, must acknowledge that few
II any persons are wellnomed sound mentally Every
Commandments that he has the potentay of com
hitting the crimes forbidden by them. Time and occasion
| account much for production OF crime
There are two distinct classes Of crlmlnals-he oc-
casona or accidental criminal and the natural essen
ta criminal The occasional criminal will not present in
FORM cerebral structure anything TO distinguish
him from persons who have not committed crimes.
The essential criminal is what he is by of de-
ocive Intellect IL is not true that lack Of intellect and
of moral feeling 90 together defective mental organza
tons In some instances The defect TO be mainly
| moral Those Of this class are either born OF criminal
parents or sprung from families in which insanity, cpl
epsy or nearly allied homeopathy has existed 1t Is
only OF this that pretend to say that they
have special criminal neuroSis. third very distinct
group is that of those who break the willie laborng
under positive disease. The socalled crime Is then the
accdcn The conclusions that there is
general criminal constitution pIelsposng crime and that
no theories of criminal anthrOpoogy well grounded
to Justify their Introduction into revised criminal law.
The right aim the scientific study OF criminal anthrop
ogy would seem to be the close investigation AID exact
definition first Of crimes that done by persOa5
suffering from positive disease such insanity and cpl
lcpsy and secondly Of from defective mental
ganizadon.