Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-26

tfilC.Nto, lI.l-, september 25-1hc
first duty of a psychopathic laboratory
Ia TO look like something else. The
psychopathic laboratory of the Chicago
Municipal Court * suite Of three
cheerful rooms looNing out from tho
eleventh story over an every day com
mon place tanglc Of roofs and Chin
ncys, with the roar OF the street tenn
Dered by distance TO a r"assurin, muir
muir. There is mono OF the atmosphere
Of the unusual or the mysterious tina;
an array OF strange scientific apparatus
gives to an office. because there is no
strange scientific apparatus present.
They measure minds here. and minds
are not measured with calipers In
order To BE- accurately measured, minds
must lie nj ease.
II Ia an expert Job 10 pat ~ mind
ut ease when it is the stuutcd mind II
4 child or mind dcranEcd and It's
owner has been arrested and faces the
prospect of appcnrine before "A Judge
ana nearing sentence passed upon him.
But the laboratory does the trick, and
this unconcerncd husincss-likc simpl:c-
iiy OF furnishing is an Important step
In the process
The psychopathic laboratory cannot
10 more than sample tho cases that
come before the various criminal
branch courts of the Muuicipai Cour.
There arc about l2,,0oo such cases in
u year, which have TO do with ofT"nSos
AGAINST city ordinances and state aws.
Those cases go TO the laboratory when
the offender seems to the judge to bc
abnormal. cr h.ic the nature. OF t..c
c.inc seems l. argue an aouormal
mind. In addition, a selection is made
which shall represent fairly the gen
"ral run OF q days work ir the courts.
| ana thus CIV" data OIL which conclu-
sions as 10 the whole may he based.
| No prisoner il examined against his
VIII.
The laboratory is in chnrgc OF Or.
William Htckson, an American physi-
| clan. who has studied In the EurOncan
| clinics. where The widespread relation
| of obscure mental disease and crime
was hrst recognized and intcnsivciy
| studied
y man in Or. Hickson's position needs
| = have many qualifications and 81 va
| ricd equipment OF scientific knowledge
| lie has to he "a skilled physician Of
| thc ordinary sort FOR a mere starter
;a nm astronomer needs 10 be skilled
! IN the principles OF surveying lie
mas TO be a nerve specialist on ton OF
Tint: psychologist vcrscd not only in
normal psychology, but moreover and
| especially In abnormal phycholory. ana
| an expert alienist as we'll criminal
| psychology az practiced TO-DAY is an
| ahstruse science in itself. and the work
| OF few men in Europe has turned it
upside down In tho las, decade. In a
| word. TO hold DIR. HiCkson'S job YOU
have 10 combine the training or a col
! lcgc professor OF psychology With that
| "I the head physician ~ an insane
| asylum. And all to mud ont why some
exceedingly griny ana ragged youth
Of uncurhed speech saw M 20 assault
| policeman.
believes World Ills Enemy.
Such u youth IS brought i'm bv tho
! hailiff, sullcn and hostile. He views
| the world rs his enemy; he has the
restless alcrtncSS OF the city streets
| but beneath II is a certain vacuouS Sto-
| lidity that tells why the judge thought
| the laboratory might we'll take n look
! At him For all that. he would nass
| any cursory examination as n boy OF
| ordinary Intelligence. AS such. he would
| be treated in most courts He IS about
| twenty years old
In the preliminary testing pr. Ilick-
| SONS VIII" tRkcs hand. Mrs Hick SON
| ~ something OF II specialist in these
| matters herself. with a European train
| ing. The laboratory employs two or
| tire" assistants for applying the sim
| pier tests. and each OF these assistants
has had special training for the work.
/ one or them Is Il physician. They put
! the subject through the moro elcmrn-
! tnry stages or the examination. and the
| doctor inspccts and intCrprcts the re-
| hnl'h. Cases with special and unusual
| features nrc continually arising that
|
| .r"hirat clinic in abnormal psychology
| In TIA" world. II draws on the abnor-
| mnla In II population OF 100000 people:
| 5000 policemen bring il raw material
IN ihoir daily work. There is for cx-
| ample certain very rare form OF
| nervous diaraso connected with criminal
| imrnlscr When the European clinics
chance on such u case. invitations are
schi To specialists all over Europe to
come ana study II. Before DR.. dickson
had hrrn In charge OF the Chicago labo-
iaiorY week. the first case of this
| sort was brought Ia him.
hattnH Fricnds with Wrecks.
In the meantime Mrs. dickson has
taken tho youth who wars on the
r"inu into the inncr room where tests
",n nn1o In quiet. She has a wonder
f"l knnck for making these human
Wrecth and insists feel that they arc
| IN the hands OF Il friend In giving
| ihe simple but significant mental tests
| ~ Ia cnncntinl Tint the subject be free
| frnin fear or sull"nncss or cmbarrass-
,"nni The hoy slouchcs over tho ta-
tin. with II broken nose rudrly patched
| WIN dirty pinstcr and one hand swD1
len 10 the size OF two IIc has told
| iin Judge that he passed the eighth
prnd" before stopping school. which is
| q strong argument against 'horc hr-
inn anything tho matter with his
hinih, Mrs. IiickAon leans over tho
| table ana pats tho swollrn baud
"Ymu oughtn't 10 got fresh with -
"op. Kid" she says syinpnihettoaIly,
hui without making too murh uf his
Injuries or weeping over i'trm, whlcl,
would embarrass him booaise In roui1
not understand. NOW t,I! mo on lie
know I'm your friend. nnd I wan, IA
| know" II sioppcd wild dr ihlr1
grade" says ID" boy shnmnfncnJiy
Whether he lied TO tho judge from