The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-09
Regarding Crime
Reaching tie Ease
ola Bern Criminal.

Kornstadt. the degenerate now In the
county jail. caused much comment Her
bert Simpson. OF this city, has written
the Eagle the following along the same
line:
In last Sundays issue the Wichita EaSie
has done me the honor Of reporting sew
eral Of my statements regarding two GRIM
inals now in our county jail. and also OF
giving publicity TO my rendering OF the
views held by the modern positive school
of criminologists in Europe.
In this communication l shall give these
views at greater length and draw atten-
ton TO several radical defects in our ex-
isting law Of crimes and pun.shments and
criminal procedure.
The great difference between the old
school OF legal moralists and the modern
school OF criminologists Is that the for
mer classified crimes and devoted their at
tention TO the study of the nature and
degree OF crime. while the latter studies
the criminal and the conditions. indIvid-
ual and social. which give rise 10 his
crime. In other words. the study OF
crimlnology and the purpose Of the Grim
inal laws founded upon modern crime. Is
the consideration OF the criminal and the
protection OF society. In a modern form
Of criminal law we shall no longer have
different degrees OF murder or OF forgery.
but criminals OF a more or less dangerous
propensity. and there will be no punish
ment but an elimination. more or less alb
solute, OF the criminal
We can divide criminals into three
classes:
First-the occasional criminal. VITO Is.
driven to his offense by stress Of clrcum-
stances or by passion. His crime is a
purely personal one. like the avenging Of
an insult or redress OF wrong. or per-
haps an absolute want OF the requisites OF
life existence. These criminals never re-
lapse. except when. as II happens now.
they are ruined by their punishment.
Most enlightened European laws have en-
acted that IN the case OF a first offender,
judgment shall be stayed until the Of
Tense Is repeated. when the criminal shall
be considered an habitual criminal and
punished accordingly.
Second-The habitual criminal IL. OF
course. the hardened occasional criminal:
person with little strength of character.
and II Is only with him that punishments
will he Of any avail. Statistics show that
about ten per cent Of all crimes are COM
mitted by occasional criminals. and about
thirty per cent by habtual criminals.
Third-The born. or instructive, of con-
genial criminal. 1t Is with this class of
criminals that the modern science Of
criminology deals. The percentage OF
born criminals Is about 80 per cent-50 per
-
more than half Of all criminals.
All persons who have made criminals
their study. recognize a distinct crimI-
nal class Of beings. who mostly herd to-
gether in our larger cities in a thieves
quarter. giving themselves up TO intem-
perance riOtlng IN debauchery. without
regard 10 marriage ties or the bars OF
consanguinity. and propogatlng a crimi-
nal population Of degenerate beings. For
Il Is Furthermore a matter of observation
that this criminal class constitutes a de-
generate or morbid variety OF mankind.
marked by peculiar low physical and
mental characteristics. As a cl ass they
are OF mean and defective intellect
though excessively cunning. and not a few
Of them are weak minded and imbecile
This low type abound among tramps and
Migrants, partly from a restless dispose
ton and an inability 10 apply themselves
TO steady and systematic work. and part
ly because they do not easily find or keep
| employment. They are addicted TO petty
thefts, to acts OF wanton mischief. and.
much more so than the criminals that are
not of such plainly low organization. 20
| arson. TO sexual offences. and even 10
I
moral sense--they are true moral imbe-
| Giles. They ara incapable 10 adapt them
selves 10 the requirements OF society and
| live up TO a fixed moral standard. Their
| fate Is indeed a hard one. Congenital out
casts from the social organization by the
preordination OF the society that has pro-
| duced them. Il is nevertheless demanded
| OF them that they should confirm 20 the
| laws of a body OF which they are not a
| part. but from which they are apart: and
| they naturally fall back upon the inalien-
able right Of the individual 10 be: that
! right Of which 10 one can be deprived or
deprive h!mself-the right 10 live and pur-
| sue the means 10 live.
In addition 10 the perversion or entire
| absence Of moral sense we find other i'm
| p9rtant facts disclosed by he inveSt!ga-
| ton Of their family histories: some %
| them are ep:lept'c. or spring from fam
| lies IN which exists epilepsy. insanity or
other allied reurosLs.
What are We 70 do with this part ~ the
/ population With them our standard Of
| legal responsibility and private morality
! can not be applied. with them crime Il
not simple affair OF yielding 10 an eyH
impulse or a vicious passion. I; Is The
evidence Of an I1tractabIe organic NAL
I ady. WIKI them punisaneat - % no
| avail to produce a permanent reforrna-
| ton. true reformation would 30 the re-
| forming az the individual nature: and row
can that which has ben forming through
generations be reformed within the per-
! Tod II 4 single Hfe7
These criminals have 20 zeal sense o.!
! the Eickednese q taelr doirEs. fee no
true rsmorso are incapable ~ 10 genuine
| Tsenitsacc. Tier defective nature Eili not
| take the stamp Of virtue. Their lives
therefore are spent :. alterations % long
periods IN. and o. short periods. out q
| prison: FOR sfte- undergoing their pgasb-
| rleat for syrne onsnse or other they are
discharged az .he expiration Of their sen
ts7ces. and. Son committing crime aSa:a.
are SON convicted aEsln.
Here = whore ou- AVS are - gisr1-zly
/ defective What Is the uss 81 FURNISHING
| thee parsons WITH i1Ipris5nnsn: 81 l07r
/ or short duration? T1sy shouId -: Be
! pr. shsd. they sh7uld ~ eliminated Tor
| ever ron society. cT.nlaa, iarzfle
! asyiun. With s-rsnZerne1's for g-1.d
/ labor. - Death on a. unlimited Fzte E5u.a
/ - the INST rsasl-a De PI,y u - ia; -
/ berte- uss is mad = he.rE- a, -nsf-o--