The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-12-12
GAMES OF CRIMINALS.
Cow Those Doomed to Confinement ne
hind the Bars Anuse Themselves

hind the Bars Amuse Themselves.
Mario Carara, a disciple of Cesare
Lambroso, the Italian expert IN crlhi-
NAL anthropology, has made speciai
study of the sports that criminals en-
gage in. The innocent games OF child
hood, in the case of criminals, are
tinctured with cruelty, and sometimes
accompanied by homicide. Criminals
skip the rope, but part OF the game Is 10
rip up the jumper and let him 1all
heavily upon the stone pavement Crlm.
mails play leap-frog, but the OBJECT Oh
the game is that he who makes the
ebacll" shall rise suddenly and Violent
| y lust as the frog mounts and throw
him to the ground.
The criminals play blind mans bun,
but the man with the bandaged eyes
carries handkerchief bearing in one
corner jagged stone, piece OF hard,
,harpened wood, or bit of iron. With
this weapon he strikes those whom he
pursues. Another remarkable form or
| this game is fer the blinded one to be
| struck by one or other of his compan-
ions if he fails to name the one that
touches him. The penalty is not the
innocent one of the ehildren's game.
but a blow so severe that a physician
has often to be called in after the game
is over, and occasionally the sufferer
is disabled for some time.
1t has been found in those Italian re-
| formatories where prisoners are not
kept in solitary confinement that pris-
oners' games are often accompanied
with bloodshed. and that it is almost i'm
possible to prevent cruelties. This is
especially true where prisoners work
together. for they secrete tools and use
them as weapons in brutal sportg.
In one of these games the player has
in each hand a stick. having fixed in
the end keen metallic point. He in
terweaves his arms, revolving the sticks
with rapidity, and the game is for an
other prisoner to thrust his head be-
tween the arms and endeavor to follow
the revolutions of the sticks without be-
ing wounded. L usually happens that
he receives Is or 16 wounds and comes
out with a bleeding head, while now
and then mortal wounds are received,
The victim in another game has his
eyes bandaged and places his palm upon
n table, with fingers spread fanlize.
Another criminal repeatedly strikes be-
tween the fingers with pointed instru
ment. If he wounds finger then the
two change places, and woe to the man
who refuses the exchange. The game
is dangerous, although the criminals
assert that the wounds to the fingers
are not deep or severe. because. as they
say, the metallic points are short and
do not penetrate far-a grim form Of
philosophy.
The sport of criminals is accompanied
by characteristic craft. This is special
ly shown in the methods in which the
newcomer is initiated into prison life.
The novice is conducted into an impro-
yised court chamber, where the judges
are his fellow-prisoners. He is placed
upon stand and gravely tried on pre-
tended charge, and he has barely been
condemned when the stand is suddenly
drawn away, 50 that he is thrown vio-
lently upon the earth.
Many games necessarily imply re-
sistanee to pain as an absolute condi-
ton of success. For example, there is
the game of needles" One of the play
ers places his closed fist upon the table,
holding steadily two needles, one in
each hand, the points being slightly ex-
posed. 1t is the game then for a com
panion to strike with his own fists those
of the other, and it becomes question
of endurance between the one pricl1ed
with the needles and the one whose fists
are beaten by the others knuckles.
There are contests in which the fingers
and hands are wounded, and the sears
are an honorable distinction.
The characteristic feature of all these
games, which are the recreation ex-
clusively of criminals in prison, is the
love of combat. IT, as is held by the
experts, sports are the means of work
ing off the superfluous activity of life,
it is evident that superfuous activity, in
he case of prisoners, is especially power
full. 1t has been noted in the case of
| prisoners that there is prevalence of
great agility and litheness, which Prof
Lombroso considers a negative evidence
of mental weakness. since it testifies
to greater development of the motorial
centers at the expense of the other
cerebral centers. But usually This ply
steal energy is not properly used in
the ordinary life of the criminal, and
finds outlet and enjoyment in sport.
Another Characteristic of the game
of criminals is the admiration shown
for physical force, manifested in the
docility with which the vanquished in
such sports submit to the brutality of
the victors-a thing observed among
savages.
Finally, the insensibility to pain ex-
hibited in the sports of criminals proves
that such men are less acute in their
physical senses as well as less sensitive
TO the pains of others, since what seems
to others uselessly cruel is only the
usual thing with criminals. As the
| drunkard, his taste hardened by alco-
hol, has need of stimulant constantly
stronger, so in the case of the criminal
the nervous system demands stimulus
SO strong that to the ordinary, steady
going individual it would be actually
painful.-Philadelphia Press.
Priests and the Bicycle.
Hard upon the order from Cardinal
Richard, archbishop of Paris, forbid
ding the clergy of his diocese to ride the