Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-22
CRIMINAL ANTHROPOLOGY.
Interesting Paper Read by DIR. Fletcher
the Origin of Criminals.

Interesting Paper Read by DIR. Fletcher on
the Origin of Criminals.
Usually the meetings Of the Anthropologi-
cal Society are attended by limited number
of scientific men and the public generally
do not enjoy the advantages of having the
papers read and the discussions based upon
them. This is not due to any rule Of the So
ciety excluding all but members, for in fact the
meetings are public However, the attend
ance is generally limited. as has been said.
Perhaps it is for this reason that once q year
special invitations are sent out and public
meeting is held, the feature Of which is the adj
dress Of the retiring president of the society.
Such meeting was held last evening in the
lecture hall of the Columbian University and
a representative audience Of the scientific ele-
ment. especially of Washington society, came
together to listen to an address by DR.. Robert
Fletcher, the retiring president The scientists
were generally accompanied by the ladies Of
their families and the proportion Of ladies
who were interested listeners very large.
Among those seated on the platform were Col.
Garrick Mallery, DIR. John S. Billings. Weston
Flint. Prof. MCGEE, Prof. J. W. Powell and
Columbian University, the president of the
society, occupied the chair and without any
delay introduced DIR. Fletcher, whose address
was an extremely thoughtful and interesting
discussion of the subject Of the new school of
criminal anthropology.
RESULT OF PsYcHIcAL DEVELOPMENT.
He spoke of the treatment of criminals in
the past and the different conceptions that had
been entertained of their character and their
attitude toward society. The modern students
of this subject carefully examined the physical
features Of criminals as well rs the functions of
the mind. There were now seven periodicals
devoted to the anthropology of criminals. The
speaker referred at some length to the theory
Of inherited crime, and also to the influence Of
surroundings in producing criminals.
He spoke Of family which in the course of
seventy-fve years had some ], 200 descendants
nearly all of whom were criminals. The doc
trine OF the new school is that the criminal is
the result Of psychical developments moral de-
formity. He enumerated the different classes
to which criminals may be assigned, such ms
the criminals from birth, the instructive crimi-
mails, the passional criminals, criminals by
chance, insane criminals &c. In referring to
the class which is criminal by nature the speaker
Of their misdeeds, they spent their time in their
cells as the artist in his studio, absorbed in a
reverie of new masterpieces.
The weakness of the Jury system and the
failure of the machinery OF the law to accom-
plish the ends Of justice were referred to. In
this connection he spoke Of the sentimental
regard which juries and the public had for vio-
lators of the law. He said that a man sentenced
to be hanged was likely to elicit strong express
sions of public sympathy, while the case of a
man who lost his life at railroad crossing
would be allowed to pass unnoticed
WHAT Is NEEDED.
What was needed. he thought, was the en-
forcement of humane criminal laws rather than
sympathetic juries. In addition to timidity and
sentiment, which are the faults Of modern
juries. must be added their venality. The i'm
portance Of the question Of the suppression of
crime and the treatment of criminals was rec
ognized. The great majority of the people
were law-abiding and the measures adopted for
the prevention Of crime were the result of their
efforts to defend their property and their fam
lilies from the minority, who defied and set at
naught the regulations of civilized society.
At the close of the address, which was followed
with appreciative interest by the audience,
President yelling spoke Of the practical bear
ings which this subject had and the Importance
Of a proper conception of the character of
criminals and the adoption of the most effective
mode of treatment. The audience evinced their
appreciation Of the address which they had
listened to by rising vote of thanks and then
dispersed. At the close Of the exercises DR..
Fletcher was warmly congratulated.