The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-05
Up to Date Criminals Change Their Faces

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naturally write themselves upon the
lneaments, unless the personality is
absolutely colorless, which is rarely
the case with the resourceful criminal,
Elasticity being the basis of his art It
is therefore matter of reasonable
the facial architecture can withstand
the powers of nature to tear away it's
DISCUSSES and reveal the naked SOUL
This. however, the experts point out
must be matter of months, even of
years: besides which, the deeper psy-
chologist is rara avis and recogni-
ton is bound to be slow. In the in
terval, the chances of the evildoer to
escape detection are greater than at
the beginning of his career, his native
resources being augmented by the eau
ton that experience has taught him.
There is, on the other hand another
side to the picture. The specialist
holds that the transformation carries
with it it's own penalty-in other
words that no one can wholly escape
the influence of change for the bet
ter, no matter how obtained, in added
self respect and in a direction of the
impulse.
Surgery Often a Cure for Crime.
The doctrine of science that a surgi-
iC roiy of
ten. cure for crime. is, of course.
we'll known. 1t has been tried in isolat-
ed cases, and the encouraging result
has given color to the argument that
some pressure on the brain once re-
moved and the swing of the pendulum
is restored to the normal; that GRIM
inal instincts in fact often a de-
fOrmity of the bony structure, a defect
in the secretions, tangle of nerves
rather than predisposition to wrong
doing. Once the physical error is cor
rected the mental concomitant must
likewise disappear. Experiment with
defective children has brought about
the cure of truancy by surgery as we'll
as the elevation of the scholarship
average, and more than one moral de-
linquent has been given conscience
by the aid of a knife.
In the face specialists work the
carving of character rarely goes so
deep. A crushed nose brought back to
equilibrium introduces more air into
the lungs and gives the owner a saner
view of existence. A sagging lip pulled
into a firm line may supply an incen-
tive toward resolution. But as a rule
the efforts that straighten out the
features are not calculated to fix the
fine balance of a soul, but are rather
surface erasureS and substtutions.
Nevertheless, the surgeon whose daily
task it is to retrieve the countenance
from the consequences of a misdirected
temperament insists that the mere
knowledge Of improvement in the
worlds eyes, the added grace of the
reflection in the looking glass is d
compelling force toward regeneration.
He declares that the eradication of
like an obsession, stronger or weaker
in accordance with the character in
volved.
Pride Factor in Regeneration.
In plain phrase. if you don't wanr
to reform, to follow the line of his arg
ument, you must leave your physical
ugliness untouched. Danish it, and
pride, if not virtue, will set in and es-
tablish new element in the PERSONAL
ity antagonistic to it's baser prompt
ings.
The discovery that he was remodel
ling criminals came to the face special
conscious that he had numbered among
his patients men and women notable
in police records until one day he had
case of more than ordinary difficult
ty. The man who applied was we'll
but quietly dressed, so quietly indeed,
that it was puzzling to remember at
terward just what he wore. His man.
ners were as inconspicuous as his
clothes. He might have been a we'll
TODD business man from small town
whose life was swallowed up in his
small interests.
In the briefest of consultations he
insisted only on the utmost rapidity,
and made no objection to the high fee. |
He was given an appointment for the
next day and was leaving the room
with a celebrity of movement which at
the same time had no suggestion of
hurry, when he brushed against an
other caller. The man entering looked |
1T the other sharply for moment as
he passed in. Later he asked the doc
tor who his visitor was. Referring to
his books. the doctor said he came
from a city upstate. His questioner
smiled. He is a known second
story man." he said, land his picture
is in the Rogues' Gallery
Investigation proved this to be true.
But the doctor detached the hook nose,
filled out the retreating chin and re-