The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-03
POINTS ABOUT HOLMES.
a PhrenoIogist Makes "A study of His
Head.

From the Philadelphia Press.
While Holmes. the alleged murderer Of
Pitezel and the Pitezel children sat in the
dock yesterday. watching the jury and
the witnesses, an old man with silvery
hair and venerable aspect sat close be-
side him. The venerable man was Or.
John L. Capen, the phrenologist. He had
gone to examine professionally the won
derful head of the wonderful Holmes.
Here is the doctors statement from his
own pen:
II. II. Holmes, as he appeared to me
as / sat at his right side and a little
to his back, has a nervous, bilious tenn
permanent of very good quality. Such
temperament gives him a very positive
mind and very intense desires In the di-
rection Of his stronger faculties He
cannot be said to have coarse nature
by any means but to be capable of fine
appreciation of refinement
his intellect Is scholarly and initiative.
lie has very ready perceptions, and, be-
ms Well directed, he could make attain
ments, but he has not so great a degree
OF originality nor so profound an appre-
citation OF ethics nor of philosophy. Tech
nicaily, his reflective brain is not very
great and his style Of reasoning will be
inductive, and he is liable to errors when
ever he ventures into a new sphere of
activity.
he has great power for criticism and
Sood ability for classification. His in
tellect IS such that he could excel at
clerical work, were he TO ind 1t for his
interest 10 apply himself That portion
OF the head commonly called moral does
not appear, to be deficient, and a tyro
might think II impossible that he could
ne guilty OF such deeds as he is charged
with. But before such an opinion is re-
hable, the bias of the head and the quail
Ivy Of the brain must be noted. He has
the mead for very jealous nature. 1t
Is very wide at the back and upper part
'cautiousness' being quite prominent,
Whlle the extreme upper part, at the
location Of self-csteem, though not really
deficient, is fiattened somewhat This
always indicates great distrust except
when there Is ample correction of beneV-
olence, which is only partially done in
his case. The head is high in 'fiFmness'
while everything indicates great watch
great degree Of faith in anything or trust
in anybody.
"a broad, general quality. that often
redeems very bad men, love of animated
nature, is deficient, and although the
other portions Of the domestic brain is
rather large, which may give him con-
siderable affection and even very strong
attachment In particular cases, he seems
capable OF strong revulsion, and Of be-
coming easily and deeply offended. That
combination Of conditions that gives a
love for business when IL is regular and
sometimes only moderately productive
IS dehclent Ihis is shown largely by
MS nervous temperament and by his
fiattened side head in the region that
gives him plodding patience He is like
~ 70 feel that he must make money
fast II engaged in business, and this Is
one of the most delusivc and dangerous
characters for a business or professional
man.
Love Of life is not very prominent
feature of his nature. but that does not
necessarily exclude a fear Of death, while
his great distrust and Jealous watca-
fulness tend in the other direction for
the time being or when he IS brought to
bay.
He has not the indications of great
planning ability in a broad and wise
sense, but for schemes and trifing eva
sions. for lodges and maneuvers his
active mind and large pereeptive develop
ments give him great power He has
a very busy mind He can think OF a
vast number Of little things and yet fail
to comprehend the extent of subjects
1t seems to me to be impossible for such
q man 10 enter deliberately upon any such
a course as he is accused OF having taken
and that the only way 10 make II posi-
bic is that he betrayed himself into some
crime which did not appear to him to be
brutal, and that self-preservation madel
further and more awful deeds necessary.
1.-THE intensity of his mind and his
great nrmness are such as to exclude ev-