Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-26
THROWING A NEW LIGHT ON CRIME---ll
me OF the Days Best Cartoons.
ny FREDERIC j. uAs

shame. or out OF that suspicion which
makes the outlaw lie o authority with
out reason is hard 10 say. AT any rate.
he is telling the truth now ana VIII do
ms best on the tests
Tn" tests used are the Blnet- SImon
scale ana similar ones which are based
on the performances OF large grouus of
average children of different ages AMI
thuS standardized. If a test * passed
by most nine -ycar-olds ana failed by
most eight ycar-olds. It's passing 4.
taken as one indication Of Il mental de-
"e!opmcnt equal to a normal age of
al I"aSt nine years. OF Course IL a
l.cDl"-inindcd subject OF thirty scales
only nine years old on the tests IL
does not Indicate that he is absolu,elv
only the equivalent or a nine ycar.o old
| ehjid lie may hnvc acquired some
worldly wisdom and sharpness. some
knowledge or trick and s0btcrfuee
beaten in by lie on the streets But
Fundamentally. his brain is the brain
of "a nine ycar-o!d The tests 20 deep:
they strike at fundamentals. Utterly
uneducatcd negroes from the cotton
fields who had led the simplest and
least stimulating OF lires have passed
the i'inct seal" with dying coiors. sim
( ply because tn" tests are directed at
| tndlng out if the normal brain IS there
or not.
other Tests Also Used.
.
/ mine only whether the subject IL fee
I h!e-ns.ndcd or not. In case OF the pres.
cncc ~ some form OF mental trouble
/ i'r. dickson determines the fact by
Imcnns rf other and more technical
methods. In fact, he finds that pure
/ feeble uiuGcducss Is only one OF the
: less frequent brain troubles that are
lasSociaicd with crime. \ form OF un-
/ balanced mentality named "demcntia
+ praeroN' by Kraepclin. the German
scientist who WAS the first TO recog-
/ nizc II, IS even commoncr; and this
maiady grated on feeble mi ndedncss is
SO common in criminals who have come
under DIR. Iiicksons observation that
/ he calls u the criminal psychosis pin t
/ eNccllcnce." 1t is characterized by a
loss OF affcctivity"-tha IS. the sub
/ j"ct is untouched ana unmovcd by sen
sdtionS ana emotions that move the
normal man; by = splitting OF thought
Processes lie thinks disjointedly and
illogiCnlly. ana by sudden character
| changes. Hitherto this malady has not
| been recognized in its earlier stages;
! but IL Is easy 10 see tho acts which an
} individual VIII" suffers from II may
! commit. especially when his brain is
! sub normal in addition.
I TO describe adequately the work Of
the psychopathic laboratory, o: even n
DAY OF IL. would take a volume. Tho
cases come and come, dipped from tho
! inrNhaUStibic stream that flows endless
/ " into the criminal courts and every
! ono IS different, every ono is life
Z and tragedy, ana stands for other
/ livos on ~" outside shadowcd ana sad
/ Gcucd. Thc laboratory scales and tests ;
the results nrc noted on a card. initial.
ell and iilcG. The presiding Judge -
/ notified o. lac nndlng. and there IS
/ one more element TO be considered, one
more factn~ 20 make decision and SEN
/ tcncc more difficult. Some day the
] card may We dragged from the file and
/ DIR. dickson called to the stand TO tcs-
thy and interpret as expert witness
1 in major criminal case. where the
unfortunate whose shortcomings are
recorded on that hit OF paper has fol-
! lowed ont his destiny.
The time may come. however, when
preventive means will have been de-
vised 10 save this man from himself,
rs soon as ;he laboratory Of the law
hats aualyZed his case.