Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-09-05
PSYCHOLOGY AND COURTS

washington. Sept. 5.--The psychol-
oeist, with his uncsnny knowiedge
OF human completes. may soon be ex-
pcctcd TO play an important part IN
our courts OF justice.
In almost every trial there are
battling points in the testimony. was
the witness telling the truth wnen ne
said that he saw the prisoner at
o'clock on the evening OF the crime.
wearing a brown suit and a green
necktieY Could another witness be be-
lieyeh when he insisted that the shot
WINS fired by the man directly in front
OF him and not by any person DOCK
Of him?
some problems Ike these are lett
for almost every jury TO face after
the possibilities Of legal strategy nave
been exhausted. Yet the jury is ez-
nectea 70 weigh all this evidence and
arrive at a conclusion.
With legal psychologist In court
Justice CAM be melted out with more
exactness. 80 the psychologists tnem-
selves tell us. Tho witness VINO was
az emphatic about the clothes worn BY
the man he met might have his story
shot to atoms by psychological ex-
PLANTATION that colors cannot De dis-
| tinguished at twilight. II is a TACT tina,
the brain has no mechanism for dis
ltinguishing colors at dusk. One and al
they are seen as shades OF gray.
AS for the shot fired in front OF the
witness. psychologists have proved
that a shot fred directly behind per-
son cannot be distinguished from ono
fired directly in front In such circum'
stances an individual is not capable
OF saying from which direction tn'
sound came.
These examples indicate the sort o.
assistance that the psychologist Wnt
specializes in legal and crinina
branches OF his subject might be called
upon 70 give 10 the courts. Al presen
such experts are aware Of the service
they can render, but the legal pro
lfession is wary OF what might be re
garded as new-fangled theories.
Bench and Bar skeptical.
Bench and bar are inclined 10 lool
upon psychology as a science still II
the experimental stage. Although
psychologist may have Doctors De
gree from a first class university an
string Of discoveries TO his credit
he is likely TO be told that his meth
DDS and tests are not yet 100 per cen
, reliable, and that therefore his evi
dence cannot be accepted as exper
testimony.
!, Psychologists are naturally some
!, what sad over this sign Of reactionar
tendencies on the part Of the legal pre-
. fession, but they are not discoura gel
|, History Is merely repeating itsel
:, They recall that identification o
. finger prints was once regarded
bunk by fool proof detectives. II too
:. time TO convince the world that a
exact science could be based on u
formation Of skin at the finger tips
!. II will take time 70 prove that eac
= human mind is not a law unto itsel
u but ia constructed and can be analyi
ed Ike any other we'll ordered ar
paratus. Completes there are. ;nnun
. cradle and difficult to account for. bu
the psychologist now has back OF hin
= carefully tested principles that er
;. able him to analyze his subjects wit
"a reasonable exactness.
= One hundred per cent accuracy
hardly to be expected. Medicine hs
IL been practised thousands Of year
l. the psychologist points out. but 1t
" rot an absolutely accurate scieuc
x Doctors today fatty contradict accep
ID ed theories Of 10 years ago. What
/ -
Yet the testimony OF a physician
re an alienist is given careful consider
r ton by the courts.
The use OF expert advice OF vario'
o, sorts in legal cases has been grown
u steadily. When civilization moved
slower pace and courts had le
crowded dockets, a trial might dr.
along with less serious consequence
Evidence might be gone over time a.
- again until some slip was noted
). until il was clear that the jury wou
n simply have 10 guess at the truth.
> But the trial and error method
"a presenting testimony has more a.
n more given place 20 research met
DDS. The scientific detective Of Z
= fiction magazines is a reality. r.
lawyers and detectives are the vers
tile authorities on all manner OF su
u. jects that the story book hero aIwa
a. is, but they do know when and whe
ID to get expert opinion. and the resu
he are often Astonishing.
r Value of the Microscope.
Hans Gross, the we'll known cril
inologis,., has pointed out how Z
microscope in the hands of an G
pert can reveal important facts =
ootainable by other means. A nonc
script bit OF hair takes on personal.
under microscope lens. It is possil
Professor Gross says. to tell UP
what part of the body the hair h
grown, and whether It is the hair
a man or woman. The condition
the hair may also be studied. 7
fact that IL showed signs of dye or
ponade. for instance. might prove
be significant clue.
II the roots Of the hair are availa
the age OF a person can also be det
mined to a certain extent. Dipped
a solution OF caustic potash the ro
will dissolve. and the younger the D
son the more rapidly tho proc
takes place. Such tests are often U:
In criminal Investigations.
Dust 10 another interesting hind