The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01
CANES OF CRIMINA Is.
How Thoae Doomed to Ceannsnent Behind
tho Bare Amuse Themselves.

How Thoae Doomed to Cennnsneat Behind
tho Bare Anuse Themselves.
From tie PhaadeipAta Presa
Mario Carara, o disciple of Cesaro Lombfoso.
tho italian expert In criminal anthropology.
has made a special study of the sports that
criminals engage in. The innocent games OF
childhood. in the case Of criminals, are tinct-
ured with cruelty, and sometimes accompanied
By homicide. Criminals skip the rope, but part
OF the game IL to trip up the jumper and let
him fall heavily upon tho stone pavement.
Criminals play leap-frog. but the object of the
game Is that he who makes tho hack" shall
riAe suddenly and violently Just as tho frog
mounts and throw him to the ground.
The criminals play blindman's bun. but the
man with tho bandaGed eyes carries n handker-
chief bearing in one corner q Jagged stone, .
piece of hard. shRrponed wood or bit of iron-
With this weapon he strikes those whom he pur-
sues. Another remarkable form of this game 10
for the blinded one to DO struck By one or AN
other Of his companions II ho fails to name the
one that touches him. The penalty is not the
innocent one of the ohildren's game. but q blow
SO severe that a physician has often TO DO called
In after the game Is over and occasionally the
sufferer Is disabled for some time.
II has been found in those italian reforma-
tories whore prisoners are not kept In solitary
confinement that prisoners games arc often &C.
companied with bloodshed, and that 1t 10 almost
impossible to prevent cruelties. This 10 es-
poclally true where prisoners work together. for
they secrete tools and use them a. weapons In
In one OF these games the player has In each
hand . stick. having n1ed In the end q keen
metallic point He interweayes his arms, re-
yolying the sticks with rapidity. and the gano
Is for another prisoner TO thrust his head be-
revolutions OF the sticks Without being wounded.
y usually happens that he receives nfteen or
sixteen wounds and comes out with q bleeding
head. while now and then mortal wounds ara
The victim In another game has his eyes band
aged and places his palm upon . table, with
fingers spread fan like. Another criminal re-
peatsdly strikes between the fingers with q
the two change places. and woe TO the man who
refuses the exchange. The game is dangerous
to s,' ts !" fnI sss e 81. n6t a. sss or severe sTss be SseS wHsna as
they say. the metallic points are short and do
not nsnetrAte isr-a grim form OF philosophy,
the methods IN which the newcomer 10 inflated
are his fellow prisoners. He Is placed upon q
and Se s hs. ff nsrsly ' been On eondsmnsd when U%a' H.
stand 10 suddenly drawn away. 80 that no Is
thrown violently upon the earth; ..,u
palm as an absolute condition OF success; For
example; there Is the game OF nssdles.' one
table, holding steadily two needles. one IN Saeh
hand. the points being slightly exposed. III
the game then for q companion TO strike Win
his own fats those OF the other, and II becomes
= quention OF endurance between the ono prlcked
with the needles and the one whose nSts are
beaten by the others knucklen. There are con-
tests In which the fingers and hands are wound
cd. and the soArs are an honorable Distinction,
Tho characteristic feature OF all these gAinea,
which are tho recreation exclusively OF. crimi-
mails In prison. 10 the love of combat. IL. IA 10
neid BY experts, sports are the means OF WORK
Ing on the superfuoun activity Of life. II 10 owl
Dent that superfuous activity. IN the Gaze or
prihoners, is especially powerful. IL has been
noted In tho case OF prisoners that there Is o
prevalence OF great AGILITY and ltheness, which
PTof. Lon broso considers a negative evidence
or mental weakness, since IL ~testiteS 10 = greater
development OF the notoriAl centres NJ the ex-
pense OF the other cerebral centerH. Bnt usu-
ally this physical energy 10 not properly used
In the ordinary life of tho criminal. and nndS
outlet and enjoyment In sport,
Another characteristic OF tho games or cr'mi-
nalS j. the admiration shown for physlcal force,
manifested in the dociiity with which the y;an-
quiahed Ia such sports submit Ia tho brutality
OF he yictorh-Rt thing observed among sAvaEes.
Finally. the inSeB6ibility to pain exhibited In
thesports OF criminals proves that such men arc
less acute In their physical senses a. well as less
sensitive 10 the pSins OF others. since what seems
10 others useleSslY cruel 10 only the usual thing
with criminals. A the druhkard, his taste
hardened by alcohol, has need or . sumuiAnt
constantly stronger, 81 in the case OF the orimi-
nal. the nervous System demands stimuli 30
strong that 10 the ordinary steAdy-gotug indt-
viduA II would b actually PAINFUL