Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-29

bov sloucbes over the table. broken rudely
patched with dirty plaster and one hand swoheh 10
the size of has told the Judge that ne passed
the eighth grade before stopping school, wni0n Is a
strong argument against there being anything the mat
ter with his brain Mrs. Hickson leans over the table
and pats the swollen hand
you oughtn't TO get fresh with cop. kidf" she
SAYS sympatheticaly but without making too ncI Oh
his injuries weeping them, which would eGnoar
rass him because he could not understand NOW ten
me on the level did quit school? You know
I'm your friend. and I want to know Il stopped via
de third grade" says the boy shamefacedly Whether
he He'd to the Judge from shame out OF that sus-
pcion which the outlaw lie to authority without
reason is hard to say rate, he is telling the
truth now and will do his best on the tests
The tests used are the Binet-St1non scale and sim
which based the performances OF large
groups children Of different ages ana tnus
standardized If test is passed by most nine-year-
olds and by eightyear-ods, its passing Is
taken indication Of mental development equai
70 normal are of at least years. OF course II
feebe-mnded subject of thirty scales only nine years
old ON the tests IT does not indicate
Iltely only equivalent of nine-year-od child
He may have acquired worldly wisdom and sharp
ness some knowledge of trick and subterfuge beaten
in by life on the fundamentally, his brain
is the brain af a nine-year-old. The tests go deep
they strike at fundamentals Utterly uneducated ne
groes FROM the cottoned who had led the simplest
stimulating of lives have passed me binet
scale with flying color simply because the tests arc
finding out If the normal brain IL there or
not.
Tests such as those determine only whsthsr
the subject is feeble-rninded not. In Of the
presence form of mental trouble DR.. Hickaon
determines by Of other and tech
nical methods In fact finds that pure feeble
mindednees only the less frequent brain trou
that associated with crime form OF unbal-
anced mentality named "dementia pacecox" by Kraep
elm the scientist who the first 20 reoos-
nize It is commoner and this malady grated on
feebIe-nnindedness in criminals who have
come under Dr. observation that he calls
criminal psychosis excellence" It 10 oharao
terzed by a Toss anectvity'-that is subject
is untounched and unmoved by sensations and
tons that the normal man; by splitting Of
thought processes-he thinks disJontedly and nlos-
cay; sudden character changes. Hitherto Ghis
it is easy the acts which individual who
suffers from may commit, especially when his brain
is sub-normal in addition.
To describe adequately the work Of the psyche
patho laboratory a day OF Il, would take q
volume The and coma dipped from the
nexhaustible that flows endlessly into ma
is a life tragedy, and stands for other ifvoz on
the outside Swallowed and saddened. The laboratory
scales and results noted card. fnl
tailed and The presiding judge Is notned OF the
finding is element to be considered.
one more factor decision and sentence dim
and Dr. called to the stand TO testify and In
terpret expert witness in major criminal case.
where the whose shortcomings recorded
on that bit of paper has followed out his destiny.
The time may come however, when preventive
means will have this from
himself the laboratory Of the law sas
lyzed his case.
Some men are mean that they even refuse