The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-12-17
Criminal AnthrOpOlOgy.

Anyone Observant of the move of SOciO-
logical events is aware of the increasing
attention devoted to the scientific study of
reduce everything to scientific basis. and.
if possible. to erect new and substantial
structure on the foundation. This effort is
so full of apparent promises to the scientist
that. once on his work of construction.
there is no let or hndrance to his architect
ural fancies. and he erects away in design,
forming Gothic archway here, COrin.
THAN pillar there, or fashiOning his cornices
in curves of rounding beauty. adding many
an undulating ogee or scotia ere he tops the
'edifice with tower of gilt. from which
runs up straight pole bearing the flag of
achievement. And when it is done, when
he has put the finishing touch to his fan
cies. how often does it happen that it's
foundations quake and it topples all in a
heap of debrS
Many of these architectural fancies are
still standing, sooner or later to give place
to others; some are building to share only
the same fate, and as l have watched the
tendency of events arising out of criminal
science, and noted the superstructure that
is being raised by criminal anthrOpOlOgists
fear that it has been based on a SUBJ
stratum of sand, and the first strong blast
of reality will cause it to fall, and great
will be it's fall.
Nay, already there are signs of direct Op
position between this anthrOpolOgst. and
that one, and the wonder is that so much
of what is foolish wisdom should be con-
.ceived by "men of authority" There is no
need for disquisitiOn when we have solid
bases of fact on which to plant our feet; but
the trouble is. much that is assured to be
fact in the premises is altogether fallacy.
Everything is simple in this world, and if we
only knew it, simplicity would point it out
to us. but we must needs labor and perspire
in order to sustain our reputation as sage,
OR as imam of conviction"
What is criminal anthrOpology? It is the
study of the criminal-the convicted GRIM
inal, not the gambling speculator. or the
fifty percent discOunter-on cosmical, So
cial, and individual lines. that is to infer,
the criminal is discussed from climatical,
or cosmical standpoint. where the weather,
and other meteorological matters are taken
into considerations from social standpoint.
where the criminal is considered in his re-
latiOns to society: and from his status as an
individual.
Space precludes a detailed development
of the subject; but it narrows down to the
question. Is the criminal, so called. of alb
normal development that is. Does he show
characteristics differing from the ordinary
citizen?
The criminal anthropologist takes into
consideration the height of the criminal in
his comparisons. The Ordinary" English
citizen is credited with height of 67.9 in.
(which is the writer's exact height; the
SOudan criminals avnr9p0 haiOht iS INIT
-64.7O. in. The ordinary Scotchman is
67.3O in. tall; the criminal ScOtchman is but
Sc. 95. and thus. says our anthropologist, a
characteristic of criminals is a dwarfed
stature. The deduction is. from a statist-
ical point of view, plausible; but the restric-
tions under which anyone is placed in form
ing such comparison, and the overlooking
of such important considerations as locality
OF abode. poverty and Its generating evils,