Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-11-27

tendance at the medical congress was
rather incidental, as his prime object was
to pursue his study OF degeneracy in Q
wider field. DR.. Talbot said to Chicago
Record man:
scientifically my trip was all that
could be expected of it. had the prisons
Of these countries open to me in the most
unreserved manner, and the thing which
most surprised me was the treatment &C.
corded conyicts in Russian prisons.
{ Mr.. KEENAN, was not fair in his treat
ment of this subject Things which might
seem to US to be barbarous would not be
80 regarded in less civilized nation. Az
. fair proposition, l say that the treatment
Of the convicts of q nation should be COM
pared to that nations treatment Of its
army. In Russia its convicts have the
same food, the same bedding and even in
confinement have the same barrack room
privileges that the Russian soldiers have.
Here we put man in cell; there he has
the freedom Of large room and the COM
panionship Of his conditions
(which are better for both his physical
and his moral natures.
Again, In transportation to Siberia the
Russian criminal has an advantage. II
he Is man Of family, he may have his
family go with him, il the members so
elect. As to chains, we find the ball and
chain on the legs Of even petty offenders
In several Of our own states.
"As to Russia's treatment of Juvenile
offenders, she sets an example that should
shame u.s. Here we thrust one of these be-
ginners in crime into cell with hardened
mol 1,afr, no hoe Al
for his alleged offense; in Moscow the first
offender does not SEQ prison until he
has been found guilty in . magistrates
court.
"Inside a wall 16 feet in height arc two
great buildings. One is simply place Of
detention, which does not smack Of pris.
on, and only after preliminary trial is
the offender removed to the prison itself.
Even the prison does not appear to be
such. To the visitor it has the appearance
Of great workshop of the various trades,
with no bars and no places Of solitary con-
flnement. The outside wall Is the only
safeguard against escape.
Most Of the offenders in this prison r.
formatory are boys, and their principal
crime is theft. They are hard looking
lot OF boys and very little Is accomplished
toward their reformation. They are de-
generates In large measure, and as COM
pared with degenerates here they show less
deformity in the jaws"
is the Russian type Of degenerate
farther removed from the Russian normal
type than is the English degenerate from
the English type?" was asked.
There is no degenerate type" replied
tho doctor. Whatever deviation from the
normal may occur In the Russian occurs
in like manner in any other race. The
signs Of degeneracy are found in arrested
development Of portions Of the body or in
excess OF animal tissue. In the Russian
there are fewer deviations in the Jaws.
Most Of the jaws are normal, and the
stigmata Of degeneracy are found in the
ear, nose and other facial, cranial and
bodily deformities.
Here lie specimen nearest approach
Ing . degenerate type, said the Doctor,
displaying photograph. ut is known a.
the Mongoloid, because Of the Chinese fea.
lures It is facial type which is found
among all nations, no matter what the
typical facial outlines Of the race may b.
This picture Is that Of Russian, but a.
easily it might be French, 6recian or Eng.
'lish.
is'.Hcre ID o photograph OF a pretty good
booking criminal" the doctor continued
II took 1t not 90 much because of theface
but because It shows the dress Of these
boys. AL are dressed alike The soles OF
the heavy boots are of sheepskin. with the
wool side down. making . soft, warm
cushion for the feet There are no marks
indicating that the dress is that Of Q felon,
e. the intent Is not to humiliate the wear.
g and the necessity Of stripes is not war.
ranted By the very slim chances for escape
from the school"
As compared with the Russian Hrpst.
,hent OF criminals Dr. Talbot has brought
some phOt0gra: $ Illustrating the methods
Of treating bfigl is in Greece and Tur.
key. The ghastly heads adjoining the wallis
OF the Smyrna prisons show to the student
Of degeneracy all the marks of the beast. "
These awful examples Of the resuits Of
crime are displayed to the curious popu.
lace irrespective Of age or condition Of the
spectators.
DR.. Talbot Is one Of the pathAnderu in
the study of degeneracy. His observations
with regard to deformities Of the jaws
have become standard guides in this coun-
Try and In Europe. His pursuit Of the
subject Il prompted By hope that the
time b coming when the stigmata Of de-
senefacy will be recognized, and when,
instead Of executing these irresponsible
creatures sitter wanton crime has been
committed, the state will take them in
charge and seek to correct evil tendencies
or to conf1ne the creatures beyond the
possibility Of their menace to society q
large.