The morning times., 1896-11-27
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CRIMINAL 4 IN NDENCIES.
Entire Families Frequently Follow
Their Parents Example.
Neic York Herald

The hereditability OF crime has long been n
problem that has exercised the minds OF
sUSis.osists and criminolOgists of all coun-
tres. IL Is cOntended by some scientists
tias when a child develops criminal pTotIiv-
tiles the fact is due not, or ut least not so
much, 10 an inherently defective brain as To
the tainted atmosphere IN which it is
reared: that conscience, the moral sense. To
quote the words OF DE- Il 5. Williams in q
recent essay upon the subject. reflects the
individual environment during the period
OF plastigiIy, when conscience Is forming
that -. IN cuiiIuoui and a'IuIeScrucs.
DR.. Williams cunt ends that There are good
a. well Us bad tendencies in everybody.
and that IN the great maturity of cases
criminals have failed To better themselves
simply because they Were human and could
not rise superior 20 the surroundings amid
which they were barn and brought up.
There l. a good deal OF logic in this argu-
.rnf. which j. that adopted by many think
crs who have made a special study OF this
important question. But thereis equal logic
ln tac dSSeveratiuns oI utAers WHO claim
that hahtual criminality may be, and in
many notable cases is. form OF m oral de
gcnsracy. that Is Inherited like certain bod
iiy diseases and drunkenness.
This latter contention has Just received
striking confirmation from Prof. Pell-
mann. OF Houn University. Germany. Prof.
4
drunkenness. Us causes and effects With
infinitelahor aud perseverance he has taken
bud cases Of persons addicted to incbrietyin
different parts OF his country. and traced
The habit back through many generations,
uuril he has be"n able To prrse Mt rabulated
Biographies of hundreds descended from
some original drunSard.
Prof. Peilmann now comes forward with
the account of German Jane Cakehread,
III the person OF Frau Ada Jurke. who was
born in the year 1I40. and who it is to be
hoped, will forever hold her unenvia bic
record as the tranSmitter of depravity to
more than roo of her descendants.
Frau Ada Jurke was sixty years of age
when she paid her debt to nature" and
for the last forty years OF Ier inglorious
| life was drunkard, thief, and tramp
| Her descendants have numbered S3i, of
| whom T09 have been traced by Prof. PeIl-
| mann in local records from youth tu death.
OF the 1O9 he found that lO6 We're born
| out of wedlock There were 142 who were
| heggars and Ga more who lived from char
| ity OF the women, 1Sl lived disreputable
lives Seventy-siX members of the family
| were convicts, OF whom seven were SEN
tenccd for murder The remainder We're
more or less addicted to excessive tippling.
Altogether the German savant estimates
that Frau Ada Jurke and her descendants
have cost the State-ttat is, the taxpay-
| ers--no less than S125,o0O, 600 for main
tenance, etc
This monumental instance of inherent
depravity is certainly strong argument
| in favor OF those who assert that. how
| ever uneXceptionabIe the environment of
| child may be, and whatever advan-
/ tagcs of precept and example 1t may en-
| 10y. the taint CT vice transmitted to 1t
| through successive generations will in
! eyitably manifest itself at some period OF
| other Of its career.