The San Francisco call., 1896-04-25
CRIME AND CRIMINALS,
DR.. Hirschfelder Speaks of Both
at Cooper Medical
College.
The Lecturer Gives Some Instances
of Hereditary Tendency to
Evil.

Though the subject has a gruesome
sound, and though the evening was cold,
DIR. Hirchfelder found large and appreci-
ative audience awaiting him as he as
cended the rostrum of the Cooper Medical
College to deliver his mastery lecture on
'Crime and Criminals"
'Of late we have come to understand
that there are individuals who seem to be
unable to conform to the general rules of
society as we understand it," commenced
the lecturer. 1.-THE criminal whom we
wish to deal with is not the insane, but the
depraved type. Yet it is hard to mark
the line between insanity and depravity.
l recollect the case of boy whose father
was insane and who in moment of i'll
feeling broke his sisters skull with a ham
mer. This was case of one on the bor-
der-land betwixt insanity and crime.
ITO the normal mind criminal tempta-
tions are merely passing thoughts. But
there are other forms of minds which
dwell upon such thoughts. Little by little
the man or woman goes on and on until
at last point is reached when crime be-
comes natural. The great mass of human
beings may be divided into three categories:
First, those who could never become crimi-
nails; second, those who are, SO to speak,
born criminals; and lastly, those who may
| or NAV not develop into criminals.
''The heredity of criminality is proved
| beyond all possibility of doubt. A GER
| tain great criminal in New York has given
to the country over 700 descendants. most
of whom are thoroughgoing criminals.
| AS rule the heads of criminals are either
| pointed. or sugar-loaf shaped, or fattened;
| the cheek bones high and the chin thrust
forward. Generally speaking, there is a
E. l.
| mails OF all classes. In the practice of tat
| tooing, many criminals seem to rejoice.
| Sometimes the designs tattooed on the
bodies of criminals are religious in charac-
| ter, though they are often immoral in
| their nature.
"Inability TO blush has always been
| thought an Indication of criminality,
Lambroso, by scientific investigation,
| found that the most powerful emotional
| disturbances in criminals were caused by
| cowardice and vanity, not by shame.
| Sometimes cruelty is favorite amuse-
ment of criminals. Lam broso relates that
a man killed his own father in order to
| gain possession of the family funds; and
not finding them, he roasted his mothers
| feet over hot Goals in order to oblige her to
acknowledge where the money was con-
cealed.
.sIn London we find that Jonathan
Wilde displayed great administrative and
executive aD1llIys he QdQ 6InlSSarleS IN
court, in church and at the country fairs.
Among criminals the perpetrators of great
crimes are regarded as aristocrats, so to
speak, and as objects deserving of emula-
ton. This fact is plainly evinced by
criminal statistics in all countries. Also
the love of cards and drink is frequently
noted among these depraved specimens of
the human race.
Superstition and religion are often met
with among criminals. The murderer will
sometimes make the sign OF the cross with
a hand yet moist with his victims blood
But these fanatical practices are not to be
confounded with the reasonable and we'll
ordered devotional exercises of law-abiding
religionists, since the former use prayer
and fasting as a sort of fetish worship,
while the latter make use OF them as
means of refreshing their profound relig-
ious sentiment.
''Geograp phically speaking, it is curious
to note that theft is more common in
wealthy countries than in poor ones.
England, France and Scotland are the
richest nations, per capita, in Europe; yet
in Spain we find one-fourth the thievlng
that there is in Scotland.h
Facts and figures were cited in great
profusion to prove that the criminal is
born rather than made, and that it is bet
ter to cure him if possible than to punish
him.