criminal psychology-第24章

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very　modest　flute…playing　was　praised；　a　poet　was　pleased　when　his　miserable　drawings　were　admired；　a　marshal　wanted　to　hear　no　praise　of　his　victories　but　much　of　his　very　doubtful　declamation。　The　case　is　the　same　among　lesser　men。　A　craftsman　wants　to　shine　with　some　foolishness　in　another　craft；　and　‘‘the　philistine　is　happiest　when　he　is　considered　a　devil　of　a　fellow。''　The　importance　of　this　fact　lies　in　the　possibility　of　error　in　conclusions　drawn　from　what　the　subject　himself　tries　to　present　about　his　knowledge　and　power。　With　regard　to　the　past　it　leads　even　fundamentally　honest　persons　to　deception　and　lying。

So　for　example　a　student　who　might　have　been　the　most　solid　and　harmless　in　his　class　later　makes　suggestions　that　he　was　the　wildest　sport；　the　artist　who　tried　to　make　his　way　during　his　cubhood　most　bravely　with　the　hard…earned　money　of　his　mother　is　glad　to　have　it　known　that　he　was　guilty　as　a　young　man　of　unmitigated　nonsense；　and　the　ancient　dame　who　was　once　the　most　modest　of　girls　is　tickled　with　the　flattery　of　a　story　concerning　her　magnificent　flirtations。　When　such　a　matter　is　important　for　us　it　must　be　received　with　great　caution。

To　this　class　of　people　who　want　to　appear　rather　more　interesting　than　they　are；　either　in　their　past　or　present；　belong　also　those　who　　declare　that　everything　is　possible　and　who　have　led　many　a　judge　into　vexatious　mistakes。　This　happens　especially　when　an　accused　person　tries　to　explain　away　the　suspicions　against　him　by　daring　statements　concerning　his　great　achievements　（e。　g。：　in　going　back　to　a　certain　place；　or　his　feats　of　strength；　etc。）；　and　when　witnesses　are　asked　if　these　are　conceivable。　One　gets　the　impression　in　these　cases　that　the　witnesses　under　consideration　suppose　that　they　belittle　themselves　and　their　point　of　view　if　they　think　anything　to　be　impossible。　They　are　easily　recognized。　They　belong　to　the　worst　class　of　promoters　and　inventors　or　their　relations。　If　a　man　is　studying　how　to　pay　the　national　debt　or　to　solve　the　social　question　or　to　irrigate　Sahara；　or　is　inclined　to　discover　a　dirigible　airship；　a　perpetual…motion　machine；　or　a　panacea；　or　if　he　shows　sympathy　for　people　so　inclined；　he　is　likely　to　consider　everything　possibleand　men　of　this　sort　are　surprisingly　numerous。　They　do　not；　as　a　rule；　carry　their　plans　about　in　public；　and　hence　have　the　status　of　prudent　persons；　but　they　betray　themselves　by　their　propensity　for　the　impossible　in　all　conceivable　directions。　If　a　man　is　suspected　to　be　one　of　them；　and　the　matter　is　important　enough；　he　may　be　brought　during　the　conversation　to　talk　about　some　project　or　invention。　He　will　then　show　how　his　class　begins　to　deal　with　it；　with　what　I　might　call　a　suspicious　warmth。　By　that　token　you　know　the　class。　They　belong　to　that　large　group　of　people　who；　without　being　abnormal；　still　have　passed　the　line　which　divides　the　perfectly　trustworthy　from　those　unreliable　persons　who；　with　the　best　inclination　to　tell　the　truth；　can　render　it　only　as　it　is　distorted　by　their　clouded　minds。

These　people　are　not　to　be　confused　with　those　specific　men　of　power　who；　in　the　attempt　to　show　what　they　can　do；　go　further　than　in　truth　they　should。　There　are　indeed　persons　of　talent　who　are　efficient；　and　know　it；　whether　for　good　or　evil；　and　they　happen　to　belong　both　to　the　class　of　the　accused　and　of　the　witness。　The　former　show　this　quality　in　confessing　to　more　than　they　are　guilty　of；　or　tell　their　story　in　such　a　way　as　to　more　clearly　demonstrate　both　their　power　and　their　conceit。　So　that　it　may　happen　that　a　man　takes　upon　himself　a　crime　that　he　shares　with　three　accomplices　or　that　he　describes　a　simple　larceny　as　one　in　which　force　had　to　be　used　with　regard　to　its　object　and　even　with　regard　to　the　object's　owner；　or　perhaps　he　describes　his　flight　or　his　opponents'　as　much　more　troublesome　than　these　actually　were　or　need　have　been。　The　witness　behaves　in　a　similar　fashion　and　shows　his　defense　　against　an　attack　for　example；　or　his　skill　in　discovery　of　his　goods；　or　his　detection　of　the　criminal　in　a　much　brighter　light　than　really　belongs　to　it；　he　even　may　describe　situations　that　were　superfluous　in　order　to　show　what　he　can　do。　In　this　way　the　simplest　fact　is　often　distorted。　As　suspects　such　people　are　particularly　difficult　to　deal　with。　Aside　from　the　fact　that　they　do　more　and　actually　have　done　more　than　was　necessary；　they　become　unmanageable　and　hard…mouthed　through　unjust　accusations。　Concerning　these　people　the　statement　made　a　hundred　years　ago　by　Ben　David＇1＇　still　holds：　‘‘Persecution　turns　wise　people　raw　and　foolish；　and　kindly　and　well　disposed　ones　cruel　and　evil…intentioned。''　There　are　often　well　disposed　natures　who；　after　troubles；　express　themselves　in　the　manner　described。　It　very　frequently　happens　that　suspects；　especially　those　under　arrest；　alter　completely　in　the　course　of　time；　become　sullen；　coarse；　passionate；　ill…natured；　show　themselves　defiant　and　resentful　to　even　the　best…willed　approach；　and　exhibit　even　a　kind　of　courage　in　not　offering　any　defense　and　in　keeping　silent。　Such　phenomena　require　the　most　obvious　caution；　for　one　is　now　dealing　apparently　with　powerful　fellows　who　have　received　injustice。　Whether　they　are　quite　guiltless；　whether　they　are　being　improperly　dealt　with；　or　for　whatever　reason　the　proper　approach　has　not　been　made；　we　must　go　back；　to　proceed　in　another　fashion；　and　absolutely　keep　in　mind　the　possibility　of　their　being　innocent　in　spite　of　serious　evidence　against　them。

These　people　are　mainly　recognizable　by　their　mode　of　life；　their　habitual　appearance；　and　its　expression。　Once　that　is　known　their　conduct　in　court　is　known。　In　the　matter　of　individual　features　of　character；　the　form　of　life；　the　way　of　doing　things　is　especially　to　be　observed。　Many　an　effort；　many　a　quality　can　be　explained　in　no　other　way。　The　simple　declaration　of　Volkmar；　‘‘There　are　some　things　that　we　want　only　because　we　had　them　once；''　explains　to　the　criminalist　long　series　of　phenomena　that　might　otherwise　have　remained　unintelligible。　Many　a　larceny；　robbery；　possibly　murder；　many　a　crime　springing　from　jealousy；　many　sexual　offenses　become　intelligible　when　one　learns　that　the　criminal　had　at　one　time　possessed　the　object　for　the　sake　of　which　he　committed　the　crime；　and　having　lost　it　had　tried　with　irresistible　vigor　to　regain　it。　What　is　extraordinary　in　the　matter　is　the　fact　that　considerable　time　passes　between　the　loss　and　the　desire　for　recovery。　It　seems　as　if　the　isolated　moments　of　desire　sum　themselves　up　in　the　course

＇1＇　Etwas　zur　Charakterisierung　der　Juden。　1793。

　of　time　and　then　break　out　as　the　crime。　In　such　cases　the　explaining　motive　of　the　deed　is　never　to　be　found　except　in　the　criminal's　past。

The　same　relationship　exists　in　the　cases　of　countless　criminals　whose　crimes　seem　at　bottom　due　to　apparently　inconceivable　brutality。　In　all　such　cases；　especially　when　the　facts　do　not　otherwise　make　apparent　the　possible　guilt　of　the　suspect；　the　story　of　the　crime's　development　has　to　be　studied。　Gustav　Strave　asserts　that　it　is　demonstrable　that　young　men　become　surgeons　out　of　pure　cruelty；　out　of　desire　to　see　people　suffer　pain　and　to　cause　pain。　A　student　of　pharmacy　became　a　hangman　for　the　same　reason　and　a　rich　Dutchman　paid　the　butchers　for　allowing　him　to　kill　oxen。　If；　then；　one　is　dealing　with　a　crime　which　points　to　_*extraordinary_　cruelty；　how　can　one　be　certain　about　its　motive　and　history　without　knowing　the　history　of　the　criminal？

This　is　the　more　necessary　inasmuch　as　we　may　be　easily　deceived　through　apparent　motives。　‘‘Inasmuch　as　in　most　capital　crimes　two　or　more　motives　work　together；　an　ostensible　and　a　concealed　one；''　says　Kraus；＇1＇　‘‘each　criminal　has　at　his　command　apparent　motives　which　encourage　the　crime。''　We　know　well　enough　how　frequently　the　thief　excuses　himself　on　the　ground　of　his　need；　how　the　criminal　wants　to　appear　as　merely　acting　in　self…defense　during　robberies；　and　how　often　the　sensualist；　even　when　he　has　misbehaved　with　a　little　child；　still　asserts　that　the　child　had　seduced　_*him_。　In　murder　cases　even；　when　the　murder