The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-07-21
MADE HIM A CRIMINAL.
An Operation That Had an Unfortunate
Eject.


800 you think criminality Is dis
ease?" remarked the drummer To the
hotel clerk.
"Course not, (" said the clerk; lit Is an
acquired habit. and there wouldn't be
any criminals II children were trained
right"
That's what you think, but sit down
there where you win be comfortable,
and I'll tell you something"
IL was after midnight, and as the
clerk hadn't anything To do, he ae-
cepted the invitation and sat down.
"Not n great while ago" went on the
drummer, II was in an eastern city,
and it happened that / had a package
OF samples stolen by boy on the
street i caught him in the act, and
policeman being on the spot, for
wonder, l turned the thief over to
him, and agreed To appear against
the boy, just To teach him lesson.
The next morning / was in the police
court on time, and there / was met by
a physician, who told me something
which led me 20 leave the case 20 him.
When the boy was called the physician
appeared with him and desired 20 make
statement 20 the court. IL was
granted, and he said:
MAY il please the court. | want To
assume responsibility for this offense,
and for number of others Of "A similar
character which understand the ac-
cused has committed within the past
year:
Naturally the Judge was surprised,
and, OF course, he wanted an explana-
ton, and the physician was ready and
willing 10 furnish 1t.
"'Your honor he said, until some
thing more than year ago, this boy
was as correct a boy as any ever
knew OF good parentage and excel
lent training, there is no reason why
he should not have been SO. Two years
ago he sustained severe accident by
being thrown from bicycle in which
his skull was fractured directly on that
spot which phrenologists have desig-
mated as the bump of acquisitiveness.
was called in TO treat the case, and
upon examination discovered that the
only thing Co be done was 10 remove
part of the skull and trephine the frac-
ture. This did, exposing a considera-
BILE area Of the brain. The trephining
however, wus quite successful, and |
had the pleasure in n few weeks OF
seeing my patient once more on his
feet, and to all intents and pur-
poses as well as ever, or very likely To
be very soon. At this time. and until
several months later, nothing unusual
was noticed about the boy, but after
several months il was observed that he
began 20 purloin small things about
the house lie was not suspected at
first, but one day his mother caught
him in the act. and he was punished. !
may add that at this time he was per-
haps thirteen years old His parents
were greatly gricvcd over this discov-
cry, and afterward kept close watch
on him. The habit, however, seemed
TO be growing on him, and all their eff
forts To check il were in vain. They
even went so far as TO have their pastor
talk 10 him. but that did no good. One
day they were painfully shocked by his
arrest for theft of trifling character
The matter was settled as quietly
as possible, and IL was hoped that
this would be lesson 90 him. II made
absolutely no difference, and the boy
went from bad TO worse. What he has
stolen no one can tell, for he is as cum
ming rs fox i'm his work, rs n rule, nor
is il known what he does with his steal
ings unless he has hidden them away
somewhere. Ten days ago the ease
came directly 70 my notice by theft
from my own house. ] had heard OF
.oursc. Of what the boy had been doing
lint II DID ~ To- tn hft.lr n
had anything 10 do with il. The par
ents came 10 me when the theft oc-
Cured az my house, and i'm the talk
about their boy the suggestion struck
me that perhaps | could offer an ex-
PLANTATION. | said nothing to them,
but sent for the boy and made
an examination Of the trephined
fracture, and discovered that while
| had saved the boys life, / had also
given his bump of acquistiveness an
opportunity TO develop abnormally,
and that IL was growing greater every
day. ] did not reach this conclusion
definitely until day or two ago, and
this Is the first opportunity have had
To make an explanation OF what, To
those who knew the boy previously, is
n remarkable case OF moral retrogres-
sion. Having made this explanation,
wish to assume the responsibility for
the boys acts, and as the prosecuting
witness is willing not to appear against
my patient, ! would ask To have him
discharged. His parents have agreed
Co Jet me perform another opera
alton on him, and | feel assured
that | can render him "A service which
will make an honest man Of hirsi. As
he now is, he viii continue 10 grow
worse, and there is nothing before him
except a prison, for steal he must and
steal hc will, until his offense becomes
such that he viii go 20 the penitcn-
tiary, where his opportunities may be
minimizcd, but his desire 10 steal will
continue 90 grow"
well concluded the drummer,
''thiS sort Of thing knocked out the