Evening star., 1931-12-17
R1[EY'S CONVICTED
OF. TORTlR|NC CHILD
Justice Let's Defers Sen
= .tence After Declaring
-
Couple Guilty.
Continued From First Page.)

NSOIlIAIlueO TIOul ElloV dkCJ
normal condition." the specialist tes-
titled.
. ~He said the alleged four-year con-
= finement in a dark closet in the Riley
home could and probably cid do a
great deal toward producing her phys1-
cal and mental condition.
- Mrs. Elmore previously had teStlhed
the child had shown on intelligence
tests mentality OF only 6-year-old.
Defense Attorney Stephenson sought
from Dr. Gilbert's testimony to show
that if the child had been confined
continuously in closet, as alleged by
the prosecution she would be unable
to either see or walk.
IF a child we're kept in a closet
without light. without ventilation, with
out the proper food-sometimeS without
any food at all-and without water,
would you say. Dr. Gilbert, that such
child would be able to live?" Stephen
son asked.
If you are speaking of this child"
responded Gilbert, she must have hao
suficient light. air. food and water to
live, else she would be dead
How long would you say child
could be kept in a dark closet and
still be able to see?'
'10QeIlnlLeIS.
What do you mean by indefinitely
doctor?"
over a period of years.
Mrs. Elmore, daughter OF Justice
George sutherland of the United States
Supreme Court. testified that in intelli-
gence tests the child showed a mental
age of 6 years and months.
Her intelligent quotient at the time
examined her was 49," said Mrs. e.
more This is the ratio Of the age level
represented by the score to the actual
age of the individual.
Thus if Edith Riley is 13 years on
and the intelligence test shows that
she has precisely the intelligence of a
e-year old child, the intelligence quo
tient is 6 divided by l3.
Effects of Confinement.
Asked By Assistant United States At
torney William H. Collins whether the
child's condition could have been caused
by confinement over a period Of eight
years, four of which were spent in a
dark. unventilated closet Mrs. Elmore
replied:
The confinement would cause a
mental retardation."
When 1 first examined her she could
not count four pennies. Later, on the
second examination, she counted l3
pennies rapidly and without any diff
Guilty. On the first examination she
couldn't draw square, but on the sec
ond. she drew a rough one"
Stephenson. cross questioning the
witness, asked if continuous confine-
ment in a closet for four years would
not permanently retard the childs
mentality"
Not necessarily" answered Mrs. Ell
more.
Effect Upon Reason.
But would not such confinement
over four-year period in a dark, I'm.
ventilated closet have a great effect
: upon her reasoning power?" Stephenson
asked.
Yes, to some extent"
. ITO what extent, could you say?"
q "None, too definitely"
: !, How would it affect the average
ehid?".
8 THAT would depend upon the origi.
nal mental endowment"
a Stephenson then asked If other chill.
dren examined by Mrs. Elmore had not
shown the same backward tendency tC
respond as had Edith.
never saw another child fail to re-
. spond as sile did" the witness replied
The tests given by Mrs. Elmore were
the Stanford Revision of the Binet
Scale, including ages to Is, she said.
Stephenson attempted to gain from
: the witness an admission that Edith S
condition may have been the result of
basic deficiency" but Mrs. Elmore
termed it functional retardation."
From your own personal knowledge,
, then, you know nothing OF the basic
condition of this child do you, Mrs
Elmore?" the defense attorney asked.
I am not physician" she re-
sponded.
: She declared. however she could not
state whether basic deficiency might
not be responsible for the childs condi-
tlon, rather than the effects of the
alleged confinement.
Then you say a child may be abso-
. lutely normal up to certain point and
then its development may be arrested?"
stephenson asked.
Appearance of Normality.
"a child may appear to be absolutely
normal in early development, even hid
Ing the defect from psychologists"
Mrs Elmore disclosed that Edith had
passed all tests in the Binet Scale up to
the year three, except repeating a
sentence such as Il have little dog y
She also knows the days of the week
and the months of the year up to June,
Mrs. Elmore said
- Mrs. Elmore admitted in answer to
a question by Stephenson, that naming
the months could not be expected of a
child of the mental age of six and a
half years
On redirect examination the witness
stated that if a child develops normal
intelligence we can be reasonably sure
there was no basic deficiency, but if the
child does not develop normal intelli-
gence then We may never know whether
the condition is a result Of basic def
cheney or functional deficiency"
With respect to the Riley child she
said:
IF she develops normal intelligence,
then there is no basic deficiency, for
no child with basic deficiency can de-
velop normal intelligence"
She admitted on recross- questioning
that she had never had under observa-
ton a case paralleling that of Edith