The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-25

the chaplains appear TO De the oDJect OF tnelr
bitterest scOrn.
The above is very fair summary of a
class of work that is occupying the pro-
found attention of some of the worlds
eminent criminOlOgists. The matter is in
keeping with good deal that has appeared
of late years in the discussion from scien-
tiic standpoint of criminals and the cause
of them. The subject is known as ''crimi-
nal anthropology." which Professor Hamil-
ton d. Wey says involves studies in zool-
ogy, human and comparative anatomy,
physiology. normal and morbid, or Patio.
logical psychology; likewise review of the
social customs of man from the earliest
historic period down to the present time"
So we see that it is very searching study
of the human being; study worthy the
attention of the greatest analysts of the day.
At the same time it is study which may.
if pursued too exclusively, lead the student
into that condition of mind in which the
astronomer described in ''Rasselas" was
found by Imlac and whose mental defects
lead Imlac to reflect that I'm time, some
particular train of ideas fixes the attention;
all other intellectual qualifications are re-
jected; the mind, in WEAKNESS or leisure,
recurs constantly to the favOrite conception.
By degrees the reign of fancy is
confirmed; she grows first imperious, and
in time despotic. The fctions begin to op.
crate as realities. false opinions fasten upon
the mind, and life passes in dreams of rapt
ure or anguish" The anguish. we fancy,
comes when some irrefragable truth OBJ
trudes itself in the way of their peculiar
train of thought. We believe that this is
the condition of mind under which Prof.
LombrOso is labOring. The matter quoted
at the beginning is of the nature of all that
we have seen from his pen. He seems to
be wholly imbued with the notion that the
criminal is sort of missing link between
man and orang Outang, but the professor
has lost sight of his relation to the former
in trying to discover his relation to the lat
ter. His eyes are ever on the search for
the vicious In men. He goes about clawing
over the refuse heaps and dragging the
sewers of prisons to find evidence confirm.
ing his theory that the criminal is wholly
depraved-a constituencies being. An ut.
terly depraved criminal is the apple of his
eye, and when he can find him dead he de-
lights in tearing his carcass into shreds in
searching for that mysterious something
that made him criminal. Men of his am
bition become so infatuated with their
theories that they will actually 60 out of
their way to avoid finding that which would
spoil the symmetry of their mental struct-
ures. In studying the criminal they come to
look only for his faults; they measure him
by himself and not. as they should. by
mankind in general. They will not recog-
niZe the fact that many of the evil char
acteristics of the convicted criminal are the
common inheritance of the human race.
We have not searched the garbage heaps OF
the prison so cannot say anything of the
nature of the thoughts recorded by GRIM
inals on 'bts of stray paper and potsherds
and broken dishes, etc." in fact we do not
remember having ever seen anything writ.
ten on pieces of dishes and potsherds
scattered about the prison. Perhaps that
is custom peculiar to the Italian criminal.
His assertion that 1.-THE criminal assumes
that his judges and the police and lawyers
are worse than himself" etc., is not gener
ally true of American criminals LAS q
rule" says the professor, The has but one
hOpe-that of release, in order to avenge
himself on society by further raids" Al
one who has been criminal among Grim
inals for years. we deny that the majority
Of criminals think they have any grievance
against society to be avenged when they
are free. 1t may be so with Prof. LON
broso's criminal cOuntrymen. And we ma!
assert the same of the statement that
''Next to the judges and police the chap
lains appear to be the object of their bitter
est scorn." 1t seems to us that we reat
somewhere statement by this same emf