Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-10-21
HE FOUND THE
CAUSE Of CRIME
Lombroso, the e lous Italian
Alienist, Di 3 It Age
s,E
cLAssED WOMEN AS LIARS
MUS. He Declared. Was but Proof
of omcthing Queer in the Make
Decentralization of Spirit
ualism Attracted Wide
Attention.

Turin Oct 2o-Cesar I.ombroso. the
noted Italian criminologst and alienist,
died yesterday. He was born in Venice
in November. 1896. Professor Lombrosos
1eath was due to heart disease. The
members Of his family were present at
the time of his death. including his
son-in-law. Guglielmo Ferrero the his
torian.
In an attempt 20 formulate the belief
ard theory Of I.ombroso it may he said
that 1t lay in this wise:
That criminals are born not made.
That criminal instincts are not implanted
by surroundings and environment, but
nre caused by hereditary taint. And
tat there are certain unmistakable
rhysical evidences Of crminalty.
r.ombroso's first medical experience
as gained an army surgeon a post
a held for eight years. The foundation
- board and thorough training was
lo'd at the University Of Turin. where
lNer he became professor of psvchiatrv.
To learn how crime originates early
became the great study Of his life He
saned his first impetus in the direction
r hat study while still an army surgeon
During an insane fit OF anger n soldier
dcmned and executed. In performing the
autopsy Lomhroso found In that skull to
his amazemeut, an occiptal dmple
which IL q characteristic. as a rule only
Of the skull is Of monkeys.
TROUBLE LIES IN THE BRAIN.
The idea then occurred to him ont OF
which developed the theory Of crime
which lie was thereafter 10 elaborate into
Ta
of the brain. not criminal addiction. had
icd to the soldiers act. In the cranial
cuiarty noted he had found the key
'o new method OF recording variations
from the normal. From tho sucpestion
~ cn gained he never departed
I.omhroso's first academic post was
that Of lecturer on medico- psychology
'' tho University OF Pavia where he
Continued the researches into causes OF
lime. which later brought him his
fme.
Ia the wards Of the university's |
Fsylum he was Impressed with the
r'osA connection between lunacy and |
defective nutrition.
FollOwi0 : Up his researches into |
the relation Of malnutrition and mem |
tai deficiency for several wears he |
concentratod his studies on the caus- |
'''''' VI 'l'tiFl'TN. ne tHfn brought |
out his widely known, II not widely |
accepted, theories on association OF
the epneptic tendency with abnormal |
Developments. sometimes appearing |
in so-called genius" and In eccentri-
city OF character and in crime. Re-
searches 'n'o comparative cranio,o.v
added confrmatory evidence. and the
whole, eliminated IN his "J'omo Deli
ouente" the work OF fifteen years OF
observation and research
Then followed his 'Uomo di 2~nio"
translated into six European LAM
guages, the conclusions Of which |
found many edherents. not only in
Italy, but In Russia and in North and
South America. while accepted only
Professionally in Germany and Aus
tria.
Lombroso did not share the convic-
tOn Of Max Nordau that the human
race IS deeenerating. 10 the contrary.
not all his study OF criminal types
abated his unquenchahlc optimism.
"ro correct crime" he said. II
would urge manual, physical labor
Crowdng criminals into prison does
harm instead Of good, not only to the
prisoners themselves. but to society.
Criminals should be corrected. not
punished"
Some OF the Lombroso pronuncla-
lnents have provoked International
discussion. One of these was the as
sertion backed up with an impress
sive array of statistics. that woman
IS habitual liar Her brain and
heart were c ooy dissected for evil
dencs OF her expertness in hypocrisy
and untruth"
American mi IN, ya~
like analytical treatment few years |
ago. He belongs. in Lombrosos judg- |
ment among exaggerated types Of aver
nge man rather than among the excep- |
tional types of genius. Lack Of culture |
he thought one OF the strongest contrast |
between the American man Of millions |
and the man Of genius
A CONVERT TO SPIRITUALIsM.
IN recent years Professor Iombroso at
tracted much attention by his investiga-
lions of spiritualism. Before 1890 he wa |
an obstinate opponent Of any acceptance |
of such phenomena. refusing even to con- /
slider evidences,
Several cases which he observed in the |
practice of his profession, however, turn |
ed him to n study OF spiritualism as a |
possible explanation of symptoms which |
he did not understand From the atti- |
tude Of unbelef he was converted to that |
of partial acceptance largely by husapia |
Palladino of Naples, who has been under |
observation now for more than 20 years |
Professor Lombroso was a facie writer, |
contributing much to discussions Of ques- |
lions OF sociology, especially In relation |
to crime and of medicine. He wrote, in |
English, "rhe Man OF Genius" in 1891 |
his other work were nearly all In italian. |
I'm appearance Lombroso was most un- |
imposing, Diminutive. very stout, with a |
rtiT, pro jccting bit OF chinbeard, he |
h"d a very long waist and very short |
'eS5' This gave him. in walking, the ef- |
rect or pushing along over the ground. |
1ie took small STEPS and was always the |
Fhm" distracted far-away visionary |
thhNins OF something that had little or |
nothing TO do with the present.