The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-03

criminal statistics, without an or
ganized system by which crime can
be analyzed, and devoid of any
fountain head of information for
research, American prison dele
gates sat spellbound and heard
themselves shelled and shattered
with criticism last night by Eng
lands foremost criminologist, Sir
Evelyn Ruggles-Brise, X. C. B.,
chairman OF the English prison
commission.
Il am dismayed," he said with
crushing emphasis. And then he
stared at the audience and paused.
"The United States sounds the
note of progress" he resumed, 'but
is it not true that YOU have swung
too violently away from the classi-
cal traditions of punishment? Old
fashioned ideas die hard. In this
meeting the Old World comes to
meet the new and TO adjust the bal
ance of ideas and practice.
AGREES WITH PRESIDENT.
Sir Ruggles- Brise. who was addressing
the final meeting OF the American Prison
Association at the New Willard. said he
agreed with President Taft that there
should be middle course IN dealing with
The criminal between sentimentallty and
revenge.
There IS an impression" he continued.
''among loose thinkers that punishment
should all be reformstory. In Europe
We place the constituent elements OF
punishment in the following order: Re
trfbutory. deterrent. and reformatory.
Possibly in the United States this last
named method is placed first in impor-
tance.
''Foreigners who have studied the
criminal problems OF this country are dis
mayed and eonfounded by the ,ack of
criminal statistics. There is no national
bureau. no organized system by which
crime can be tabulated. and criminals
considered en- masse. Upon these alone
could you ind the measure of the success
or failure or the system which you IN
augurate in handling your criminals.
Another Vague Line.
''Then again the line between the petty
offender and the serious criminal is ar
bitrary and vaguely drawn. The petty
offender goes for a short term to your
county jail. and the man convicted of
serious crime TO the State penitentiaries.
where he is far better treated, and sub
jected 10 more enlightened methods than
the former. There Is no question that
the criminal is given good care in your
State jails. Now, IN England. the petty
offender is the very crux OF the criminal
problem. and 1t Is for him, largely, that
the science Of penology is required
America cannot help us In handling the
problem until she recognizes that the
petty offender is equally worthy Of the
care and treatment of the state"
Sir Evelyn emphatically expressed his
belief that there was no distinct body
OF men TO be termed criminal Glass;
He added that the prevailing scientific
habit Of ascertaining criminal tendencies
through deformities of the body or dis
fgurement OF the head was a fallacy.
Criminal Not Abnormal.
''The Italian conception that the Grim
inal Is altogether different and distinct
from the normal man is passing" he
said. ''There is no evidence TO confirm
the belief in the existence of a criminal
type"
Introduced as "the Nestor of modern
penology." z. r. Brockway. formerly gu-
perintendent OF the Elmira Reformatory.
made an able address. in which he at
tackled "superfeialism, falseness, and
failure TO recognize and work with the
mysterious underlying forces that make
for Righteousness.
''The demand of the hour" he contin-
ued, rs for more thorough and scien-
tifc reformatory administration of the
prisons. There should be established a
research station for the discovery of anti
social baeilli. There is still room for a
more complete realization of the true and
generally accepted ideal, both in criminal
Jurisprudence and prison management.
THE real sacrilege in the work Of re-
forming criminals consists OF unwarrant-
able ignorance. selfish indifference, and
false knowledge"
Other Speakers Heard.
Other speakers OF the evening were
Prof Charles R. Henderson, of Chicago.
president of the International Prison
Commission; Or. Guillaune, of Berne.
Switzerland. and Maj. r. w. McClaughry.
warden OF the United States peniten-
tiaTy at LeavenWorth, Kans
''The treatment of the criminal is an
unfailing test OF the civilization of any
country" said Maj, Meclaughry. 1T is
means by which we can gauge the en-
lghtenment of nation"
At the opening session OF the Inter-
national Prison Congress. held at the
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