Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-11
DR.. WILLIAM s. WADSWoRTH

A RATIONAL and true knowledge of what
"A constitutes crime is necessary II We are
to be in a position to do anything substantial
toward bettering crime conditions; also that
the work of detecting crime Is primarily the
work Of properly equipped psychologists
stantially the thoughts of DR.. William. s.
Wadsworth, a coroner's physician and him
self q psychologist Of wide reputation, who
has had many years experience in the prac-
tical work Of solving crime cases In this city.
1T must be remembered" said DR..
Wadsworth, that the seat of most all crime
is located right in the human mind. Crime
is an act performed by q human being. 1t
consists not merely in breaking law. but
in motive and purpose. To kill may be
law has come to recognize grades and degrees
"The law deals only in the most primitive
psychology, but in worth while studies OF
psychology. We must carefully consider
what crime is from the personal side,
Have Clear Ideas About Makeup Of Mind
1--WE must have rather clear ideas about
normal and in a disturbed state. Most
studies of crime and criminals have been
based on the abnormal rather than the nor
NAL state. We must try to find out what
constitutes normal state of mind, an un.
trouble, II Is true, but which can be done
with 6air degree of accuracy, just as other
equally intangible things have been done In
recent years.
1--WE must understand what disturbances
of the mind lead to crime and how they
arise before we can pretend to diagnose or
detect 1t or discuss measures OF prevention.
Thus before Rush discovered and brought
out the fact that all persons cassed rs in
sane were not wild animals. they were con,
ha tarr Il
treated with the utmost brutality and sub
jected to all the sordid conditions that neg
lect can bring about.
1--WE must know what are the parts of
the human mind and how they work and
where the impulse begins. We must also
know how it gains force and how it over
comes the normal resisting forces of the
mind before the person thus affected can
commit the wrong act.
''It will be of little value II we try to
solve the main problem by pursuing minor
issues. We shall not get at the bottom of
the matter by touching few Of the high
spots, method that we too often find-the
cart before the horse method used by soco-
ogists, economists. penOlogists and various
enthusiastic persons of right motives but
wrong methods
Must Restrain Our Emotions About Crime
I'VE must restrain our emotions about
crime II we are to get true results Unfor-
tunately, too much criminology of the past
has been based on emotiSsSl b!unders.
What We call crime is very old, probably
older than the human mind. As such, we
probably inherit the faculties and traits from
our very primitive ancestors; SO that we need
not expect to arrive simply by employing
some very modern fads or fashions in .he
field. We should go back to the very funda
mental studies of right and wrong.
when ] speak of the detection of crime
I mean exactly what the word implies and
Of hat mil A.
anything done by a detective as expressing
that: The word implies, of course. discovo
ering. 1t also implies what is at times CON
veyed by the word diagnosis. It should
that crime was committed and its grade
and significance and whv 1t was done.
"Of course. we must know what evidence
Is, as distinguished from the mere accumuIa-
tioh OF data more or less irrelevant. In Ger.
tain foreign countries men are trained in
they are put to solve difficult problems,
Schools, institutions and universities give
courses there that fit men for this work De.
partments OF the governments select men who
show special ttncss and have had specioI
training and these men deyelon Tho foia
under more or less advantageous conditions
Facilities Lacking Here
'In this country we lack every foc;I;,u
for study and the practice is so handica pne1
as to deter most desirable persons frnnn
entering the field This 80 handicaps those
degree of proficiency. It is a dreadfuIiy "n "ns
hill job and most discouraging one nnder
conditions and associations at present "Aue'
we have thousands Of counties in tbis
crime. but In how few places have vasiesS wa e OF
pretense of decently organized work. WV"
y mo place TO go for instruction. no n,.oo
8fto work, no conditions suitable for s"a,'
"StN' ne "2naer Is that We get along rs