Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-03
PSYCHIC ELEMENT In CRIME
Trend of Discussion in international Con-
greSs Of ~0riminaliStS.
NEED BETTER DEFINITION OF ATTEMPT
French Delegate Makes n Vigorous
Plea Against White Slave Trade
which sim Exists I'm
Some Places.

ST. PETERSBURG, Friday, Sept. 1s.-
Correspondence Of the Associated Press J.
The psychic element in crime appears to be
the peg upon which all the noteworthy ut
terances Of the ninth congress Of the Inter-
national Society Of Criminalists, now sit
ting in this city, are going to be hung.
This society was founded on the initiative
OF President Franz Won List OF Berlin.
whom many American students will recall
as the strenuous supporter OF the thesis
that the object OF the organs of justice Is
the protection of society and not the ex-
piation of crime, nor, by itself considered.
the reformation Of the criminal.
Prof. List is president Of the present
congress. There are about 300 foreign del
egates. largely from Germany. though
nearly every important country except the
United States is represented.
The Importance In penal law Of the
psychic elements of crime in comparison
with its material consequences" occupied
the position Of honor in the program.
Better Definition Needed.
Prof. Won Mayer of Germany offered the
following thesis:
/. The criminal law should contain q
definition OF an attempt.
2. such a definition must be emancipated
from the traditional, notion of the be-
g. An attempt is punishable only when
expressly determined by law.
4. The punishment Of attempts should be
In. principle the same as that of completed
crimes. with the reservation Of a limited
s. When penitence for an attempted crime
is shown, punishment is to be RENTED.
Another speaker put the case thus:
A child at play may start a confagra-
ton; the desperate plans of a crime-steeped
criminal may fail; shall we guillotine the
child and let the criminal still prey on
society until he succeeds In some villainy?
The congress-, by a large majority, adopted
the following conclusions, which we're
formulated by Profs. Won List and Van
Hamel Of Amsterdam:
1. Nobody is punishable for the conse-
quence OF his acts, except In so far as he
could have foreseen or prevented them.
2. AS to. the question of completely. the
between those who have participated in
the crime itself and confne itself to indicat-
ing the modes OF participation that 1t will
8. The question OF the attempt will re-
main on the order of the day OF the society.
Plea ARniust slave Trade.
A strong plea for effective action
against the white slave trade was made by
M. @. Fenilleley, advocate general OF the
court OF cessation at Paris. He demanded
the punishment OF those engaged In this
trafic, even when the object OF II Is of
age and when neither traflc nor constraint
can be proven. on the ground that the law
cannot recognize the validity Of voluntary
consent to the sale Of a human being. The
congress has not yet acted on this matter.
In welcoming the delegates Minister OF
Justice Muravieff made the following state
ment:
bo The Pq6 %Gi6s Of a nsw esIninol laT
Of the empire has recently received q
project for the complete reorganization OF
changes have been made in cur penitentiary
system. Sufice II to mention the abolition
OF deportation 66y iusgment OF COURT to
from the ministry Of the Interior to that
OF justice, the reform OF our prison system,
ment Of correctional institutions and the
preliminary work In the matter OF the
conditional sentences
Migration of Peasants.
The, annual migration Of Russian Polish
to Prussia is well known. Attention Is
called by the st. Petersburg Vedomisti TO
q similar movement on a larger scale
within the borders OF European Russia.
It is calculated that 2.137. 900 peasants, In
sufficiently provided with arabic lands,
leave their homes in the central and
northern province every year to seek work
in the south. Most OF them start with
only about a dollar in their pockets-bor-
rowed from a usurer generally-eIpecting
to hnd work. Owing to the great varia-
ton in the yield many arrive in famine
stricken districts. The writer proposes
the organization Of an information bureau
to communicate to the migrators the gov
eminent crop reports. The peasants still
largely form a separate world and few
know that such things as crop reports
exist.
The minister OF finances is about to In
crease the tAriff on foreign wines and
brandies TO about s7h cents per bottle for
still wines. sl.l7h for sparkling wines AMI
nearly $3.50 for brandies.
.n,snaea Are Nodded.