The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1894-07-18
WEDNESDAY. JULY 18. 1894.
MADE HIMACRIMINAL
AN OPERATION THAT HAD AN UNFoR-
fUNATE EFFECT.

A Boys Bump of Acquisitiveness Grew Alb
normally After He Was Trephined-But
the Surgeon stood All the Blame and
Corrected the Error.
''Do you think criminality is dis
easel" asked the drummer of the hotel
clerk.
COURSE not, " said the clerk. ''It is
an acquired habit, and there wouldn't
be any criminals if children were train
ed right. F"
''That's what you think, but sit
down there where you will be comfort
able, and I'll tell you something"
1t was after midnight, and as the
clerk hadn't anything else to do he ac-
eepted the invitation and sat down.
mot great while ago, ;" went on
the drummer, 81 was in an eastern city,
and 1t happened that had package of
samples stolen by boy on the street.
caught him in the act, and a police
man being on the spot, for a 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 l
was met by physician, who told me
something which led me to leave the
case to him. When the boy was called,
the physician appeared with him and
desired to make a statement to the court
1t was granted, and he said:
May it please the court, want to
assume responsibility for this offense
and for q number of others of similar
character, which / understand the &C
cused has committed within the past
year.
"'Your honor, he said, until some
thing more than year ago this boy was
al correct boy as any ever knew. OF
good parentage and excellent training,
there is no reason why he should not
have been So Two years ago he sus-
tanned severe accident by being thrown
from a bicycle, in which his skull was
fractured directly on that spot which
phrenologists have designated as the
bump Of acquisitiveness. / was called
in TO treat the case, and upon examina-
,ltion discovered that the only thing to
be done was to remove q part of the
,sknn and trephine the fracture. This l
did, exposing considerable area Of the
brain. The trephining, however, was
quite successful and had the pleasure
in few weeks of seeing my patient
once more on his feet, and to all intents
and purposes as well as ever, or very
likely to be soon. At this time, and UNI
It'll several months later, nothing UNI
usual was noticed about the boy, but
after several months it was observed
that he began to purloin small things
about the house. He 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-
thaps IS years old. His parents We're
greatly grieved over this discovery and
,afterward kept close watch on him.
The habit, however, seemed to be grow
ing ON him, and all their efforts to
check it wero in vain. They even went
DO far as to have their pastor talk TO
him, but that did no good. One day
they were painfully shocked by his ar
rest for theft of trifiing character.
possible, and it was hoped that this
would be lesson to him. 1t made alb
solutely no difference, and the boy went
from bad to worse. What he has stolen
no one can tell, for he is as cunning as
n fox In his work, as a rule, nor is it
known what he does with his stealings
unless he has hidden them somewhere
Ten days ago the case came directly to
my notice by theft from my own
house. had heard, of course, of what
the boy had been doing, but it did not
occur to me to think had anything to
DO with ID.
.Tbe narents came to me when the
xheft occurred at INV house. and in the
aaIk about their boy the suggestion
.fvucL mo that perhaps / could offer an
nrnlanation. I said nothing to them,
Aut sent for the boy and made an exam
iustion Of the trephined fracture and
hiscoyered that while 1 had saved the
Aov,s life / had also given his bump of
saeouisitiyeness an opportunity to devel-
on abnormally. and that it was growing
greater every day. / did not reach this
conolusion definitely until a day or two
ago. and this is the first opportunity /
nave had to make AN explanation of
what, to those who knew the boy pre-
yiously. is q remarkable case of moral
setroQression. Having made this ex-
planation, / wish to assume the respon-
ability for the boys acts, and as the
prosecuting witness is willing not to
appear against my patient I would ask
to have him discharged. His parents
have agreed to let me perform another
operation on him, and l feel assured
that ! can render him service which
will make an honest man of him. As
he now Is he will continue to grow
worse, and there is nothing before him
except prison, for steal he VIII until
to the penitentiary. where his opportu-
mites may be minimized, but his desire