Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30
CRIMINAL ANrHRoroLoer.
New Brasch Of Science That WIN Preducs
Great Results.


Great Results.
TT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED By MR.. THos
Il Wilson Of the Smithsonian Institution that II
the exhibit at the Chicago fair relating TO an
thropology the criminal should have Q show
In tho Paris exposition Of 1889 this interesting
development Of humanity was given conspicu
Gus place. The criminal at present is receivins
greater attention at the hands Of philosopher.
than has ever been accorded to the type, which
may be said 10 represent IN enemy in the very
body Of society, and therefore we'll worthy Of
notice, just ss a dangerous tumor-for. like the
tumor, the criminal is . morbid growth-would
deserve interested and even anxious study.
A NEW SCIENCE.
"Criminology" is the approved word for thi,
new science. Although the latter has sprung
90 recently into being il already embraces two
schools with very opposite opinions, the ques
ton at issue being whether criminals are borr
or made. The Italian philosophers are the
principal advocates Of the theory tina,
these unfortunates came into the world
with an equipment of potential and in
stinctive wickedness handed down from
the parents According to their view the infan,
Dad by heredity is unable to control his or her
impulse to do wrong; he or she falls naturally
and uncontrollably into evil doing. and thus
the prisons are gorged with persons whose mis-
chieNous performances are not TO be referred
SO mach to their own fault as to the naughti-
ness OF their ancestors. According to this no
ton vice and error propagate their kind in the
world, and the doctrine of original sin finds a
certain sort of illustration.
THE FRENCH SCHOOL
On the other hand, the French school argues
that there is nothing in heredity which the in
dividual is not able to CONTROL that IL is his
duty to control 1t and in his power; further
more, that his criminal tendency lie mainly the
result OF education or surrounding Influences
from infancy upward.
The distinguished Prof Lombroeo Of Italy
states his proposition thus:
AS the anatomist will find in the human
body traces OF organs that are useless or dan
gerous. SO the anthropologist or the psycholo-
gist finds in the social body an instinct which
belongs to and was received from his ancestor.
. man born SO and was from his infancy with
out moral sense"
Possibly the future viii develop school tina,
Will try to combine the two theories above
described into working method.
THE PARIS
exhibit referred to included numerous models
and casts of criminals skulls and brains. some
in wax and others in plaster. Some represented
their faces before and after execution. Also
there were casts Of the hands of MANY in
dividuals. One series began with the hand OF
the giant Kalmuck and ended with that Of Gen.
Tom Thumb. NJ. yinson presented q large
series OF casts Of the ear. One taking q cursory
examination would easily believe that ali
human ears were different, except those tina,
belong to the same head.
WHAT MIGHT RESULT
Such was likewise shown to be the case with
other features, which in the future may afford
to the student Of such matters illustrations Of
character upon which reckonings may be based
with an accuracy now undreamed Of. Men and
women may select their mates for marriage
with infinitely more assurance of satisfaction
than is at present possible, and bank presi-
dents Will have no difficulty in distinguishing
beneath the cashiers Sunday school demeanor
an appetite for the depositors cash. The pro-
spective father-in-law will learn by tweaking the
aural appendage Of the candidate for his
daughters hand how much the girl and not her
money is desired; the chaperon will ascertain
by the cock of her charges nose how far she il
to be trusted; the youth in his turn will est
mate the temper Of his bride that is to be, and
the first baby can be clapped into Jail as soon
as weaned If its chubby countenancs betrays
leaning toward crime. In short. through the
development Of this anthropological science
everybody will live in glass houses and the
restraining influence Of public opinion will
keep every one good.