Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-16
Crime and axes
CONVINCING A CITY
Isy Frederic ]. HaskIn

In thichRo jail Iof haVlnR cGiuhit"'"
murder in peculiarly revolving way.
His record was looked up in the city
courts and published in the newspapers.
1t showed that two years before he had
BEEN tried for n petty crime, had been
examined in the sychopathic laboratory
established in connection with bis Chicago
city courts, and had been identified rs n
case Of dementla praec0x with intelligence
defect
This is a form Of insanity which renders
a man almost certain to commit crimes Of
violence But the law would only allow
the court 10 sentence him for the petty
crime which had caused his arrest. So
after serving few months, ne was turned
loose a potential murderer who soon be
came an actual one.
Cases like this have convinced Chicago
that the prevention of crime Is scicntihc
problem Judge Olson's crime laboratory,
which was once ridiculed, IS now sup
ported by public opinion and the news
papcrs. has the corporation OF the police
and Of lawyers. A colony in which insane
criminals may be placed on intermediate
sentence, and which is the necessary com
plement Of the laboratory where they are
identified, will probably be established
before long. Chicago has taken the lead
in the solution of the crime problem, and
live cities everywhere are studying and
initiating the Chicago system Already
New York, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Clncin-
natl, San Francisco and Los Angeles have
established Tsychopathic laboratories SINH
lar to the one IN Chicago.
HERBS AN INSTANCE.
A few years ago n man named Mac
Intyre appeared on the streets of Chcago
clad IN sheet arrnOr. lie explained that
he had dangerous enemies and wanted TO
be prepared against them. lie cut
ridiculous figure, and police and public
laughed at him. He was n joke % the
moment Then one day no drew gun
and began shooting. After killing several
persons he took refuge IN a house where
he was besieged by the police. several q
them were killed by his accurate fire. lie
was finally dlslodged by dynamItlng the
house. after he had killed six men and
women
Macfntyre could have instantly been
identified by any competent psychiafrist
as a case Of acute paranOla with delusons
of persecution H. was inevitable that
sooner or later he should become violent.
But the police didn't know that then. II
another "Tuan in aFnor were 70 appear
in Chicago now, he would he hustled 70
the psychopathic laboratory m short
order For the Chicago police have learned
their lesson Of science. The che. tells
his men to "mnd what the doctor says, .
and one patrolman has even been heard
counsalllng another to have your gun
ready when you pinch ono Of these here
hebephrCnias
When 4 criminal who shows symptoms
of insanity Is given short sentence Tor
some minor crlne, because as yet there
Is neither an indeterminate sentence law
nor proper place for such confinement,
the r0llce often consult the doctor as 70
the nature Of the mans case, learn when
his sentence will expire, and watch hlm
cl0seFy a. soon as he IS at large.
THE LAW THE BIG OBSTACLE.
The law with its vast self-assurance and
It's ml!sty theories Of punishment, presents
the chief obstacle to the progress Of
scientific treatmc nj Of crime. In the early
DAYS of the psychopathic laboratory, some
Of The Prosecuting attorneys refused 10
read the reports which the psychlatrlst
made to the judges, showing the actual
phvsical and mental condition OF the
criminals The LAWYERS SAID these reports
weakened their arguments They could
not elooucntly plead for the hanging Of
man when they knew that ne had only
the intelligence Of an S-year-old and was
driven TO crime by an hereditary defect
oil his brain
But this attitude OF the bar has changed
Not only do prosecuting attorneys mind
what the doctor SAYS. but CONSCIENTIOUS
LAWYERS often bring their clients, and even
some Of their witnesses, 10 the laboratory
for examination.
\ Judge III Chicago often lacks the
majestic assurance which tradltlonally be-
longs 20 the bench Ii man is convicted
before hlm of crime, instead OF I'M
portantly pronounclng a sentence OF years
| of imprisonment or placing him on pro
| baton as the law provides, the Judge Is
| apt 70 do some careful thinking. tie may
| even worry a little For the doctor may
| have pronounced the man u ease Of
psvchopathic constitution, which means
! that he will almost surely commit crime
again when he gets out OF prison. II the
| Judge places him on probation, he is
taking the heavy responsibility OF letting
| loose a criminal upon society 30 he wall
probably consult the doctor at some
| length. and the man will perhaps be com
mitted for a minimum term, or 10 any
asylum, which Is not the right place for
| him. but is the best make-Shift that the
| law can devise under present clrcum-
stances.
CHICAGO LEARNS ITS LESSON.