Evening star., 1901-09-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

SCIENCE OF PENOLOGY; the Defense of Society
against Crime. Collated and systematized by
lie charities and of the committee on lunacy
of the state of Pennsylvania, author Of "Pris-
MANS Sons.
The truth has been recognized at last
that crime is a social disease calling for
systematic study and cure; that it is more
less epidemic In character, having it's ORR
gin largely In hereditary causes and spread
ing rapidly a result Of evil associations;
that the cure, to be effective, must be di-
rected at the remote cause, and should not
stop at the mere punishment Of the crimi-
nal. These truths have been given practi-
cal Illustration through experiments in
prison reform and satisfactory missionary
work among the slums of the great cities.
where crime breeds most rapidly. Mr..
Boies has given deep study to penology, by
which name Is known the Science of the
protection of society from crime by the re-
preston, reformation and extirpation of
criminals" He advocates the systematic
observation Of the criminal when he has
been apprehended, to determine the causes
which led to his downfall. He urges that
the disclosure of facts thereby Is essential
to a reliable institution Of measures to
minimize the lawlessness of individuals and
classes. The principles deduced by him as
a result of his reading and direct observa-
tion and thought are summarized under
eighty-three heads. given as the laws of
the science. through the application of
which he contends crime may be dimin-
ished. The general laws are thus stated:
% The scope of penal legislation must
comprehend the whole criminal class, it's
origin, constituents, aetiology and its thera-
peuticS; (2) criminal codes must be de-
signed to reform the moral depravity of
culprits; () society must assume parental
functions over all children lacking proper
parental training. unless it can compel
their exercise by parents: 4) criminal ju-
risprudence must provide for the proper
separate care and training of neglected
and delinquent children and juvenile Of
tenders; 90 all willful violations of law are
crimes of some degree; 90 the proper OBJ
tect of legal penalties is to secure obedience
to the law; CD the cause of crime Is the
moral depravity of the criminal; (0 GRIM
inalfty Is q diseased condition Of human
character These laws and their special
variations preach the doctrine that punish
ment, to be most effective should not be
rigidly determined without regard for the
condition of the offender. A minimum
sentence of Imprisonment should be stated
In each case and the prisoner held under
restraint until the reformatory processes
have shown their benehcent effect In
other words. the author advocates the in
determinate sentence Transforming the
prisons from mere places of forcible de-
tention into institutions for the restora-
tion OF moral health, and in the case of
those afflicted with mere physical diseases.
such as drunkenness. of bodily health as
well The work Is carefully presented, and
throws light upon the purposes of the
workers In this science, who have already
in a few years, given to the movement for
the corrective treatment of Criminals a
marked headway.
THE SERIOUS wooING; Hearts History. Bv
John Oliver Hobbs. New York: Frederick A
Stokes Company. Washington: Woodward 4
Lothrop.
A disagreeable theme fairly well told
comprises the latest effort of Mrs. Craigie
1t exposes some of the corruption of Brit
ish society, depicts few phases of the
great socialistic movement headquartered
at London, gives a half dozen striking
character sketches and moves briskly to a
conclusion which suggests a long story Of
after-pain and retribution. Some imagina-
tion is occasionally necessary to unravel
the authors meaning In the text, where
she sometimes becomes ineoherently al
| lusery. young aristocrat Is married
at sixteen to an imbecile lord. who lam
guishes later in a private asylum. leav-
ing her free to complicate her ife without
| the privilege OF marriage. She encounters
and loves a strong young man of radical
views. and finally goes to I've with him.
The insane husband dies Just then, but the
fact Is kept from her until she IL lured
back to her home. Then begins q series
OF deceptfons, whereby the lovers are sep
arated until she is safely married to an
other man, believing that her soclaifstfr.