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第33章

criminal psychology-第33章

小说: criminal psychology 字数: 每页4000字

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e to take quite another view of the whole case。 It is hence important not to be fooled about the effect; and that can be accomplished only through the observation of the witnesses' gestures; these being much more rarely deceptive than words。

Scorn manifests itself in certain nasal and oral movements。 The nose is contracted and shows creases。 In addition you may count the so…called sniffing; spitting; blowing as if to drive something away; folding the arms; and raising the shoulders。 The action seems to be related to the fact that among savage people; at least; the representation of a worthless; low and despicable person is brought into relation with the spread of a nasty odor: the Hindoo still says of a man he scorns; ‘‘He is malodorous。'' That our ancestors thought similarly; the movement of the nose; especially raising it and blowing and sniffing; makes evident。 In addition there is the raising of the shoulders as if one wanted to carry the whole body out of a disgusting atmospherethe conduct; here; is briefly the conduct of the proud。 If something of the sort is observable in the behavior of a witness it will; as a rule; imply something good about him: the accused denies thereby his identity with the criminal; or he has no other way of indicating the testimony of some damaging  witness as slander; or he marks the whole body of testimony; with this gesture; as a web of lies。

The case is similar when a witness so conducts himself and expresses scorn。 He will do the latter when the defendant or a false witness for the defense accuses him of slander; when indelicate motives are ascribed to him; or earlier complicity with the criminal; etc。 The situations which give a man opportunity to show that he despises anybody are generally such as are to the advantage of the scorner。 They are important legally because they not only show the scorner in a good light but also indicate that the scorn must be studied more closely。 It is; of course; naturally true that scorn is to a great degree simulated; and for that reason the gestures in question must be attentively observed。 Real scorn is to be distinguished from artificial scorn almost always by the fact that the latter is attended by unnecessary smiling。 It is popularly and correctly held that the smile is the weapon of the silent。 That kind of smile appears; however; only as defense against the less serious accusations; or perhaps even more serious ones; but obviously never when evil consequences attendant on serious accusations are involved。 If indubitable evil is in question; no really innocent person smiles; for he scorns the person he knows to be lying and manifests other gestures than the smile。 Even the most confused individual who is trying to conceal his stupidity behind a flat sort of laughter gives this up when he is so slandered that he is compelled to scorn the liar; only the simulator continues to smile。 If; however; anybody has practiced the manifestation of scorn he knows that he is not to smile; but then his pose becomes theatrical and betrays itself through its exaggeration。

Not far from scorn are defiance and spite。 They are characterized by baring the canine teeth and drawing together the face in a frown when turning toward the person upon whom the defiance or spite is directed。 I believe that this image has got to be variously filled out by the additional fact that the mouth is closed and the breath several times forced sharply through the nostrils。 This arises from the combination of resolution and scorn; these being the probable sources of defiance and spite。 As was explained in the discussion of resolution; the mouth is bound to close; spite and defiance are not thinkable with open mouth。 Scorn; moreover; demands; as we have shown; this blowing; and if the blowing is to be done while the mouth is closed it must be done through the nose。

Derision and depreciation show the same expressions as defiance  and spite; but in a lesser degree。 They all give the penologist a good deal to do; and those defendants who show defiance and spite are not unjustly counted as the most difficult we have to deal with。 They require; above all; conscientious care and patience; just indeed because not rarely there are innocents among them。 This is especially so when a person many times punished is accused another time; perhaps principally because of his record。 Then the bitterest defiance and almost childish spite takes possession of him against ‘‘persecuting'' mankind; particularly if; for the nonce; he is innocent。 Such persons turn their spite upon the judge as the representative of this injustice and believe they are doing their best by conducting themselves in an insulting manner and speaking only a few defiant words with the grimmest spite。 Under such circumstances it is not surprising that the inexperienced judge considers these expressions as the consequences of a guilty conscience; and that the spiteful person may blame himself for the results of his defiant conduct。 He therefore pays no more attention to the unfortunate。 How this situation may lead to an unjust sentence is obvious。 But whether the person in question is guilty or not guilty; it is the undeniable duty of the judge to make especial efforts with such persons; for defiance and spite are in most cases the result of embitterment; and this again comes from the disgusting treatment received at the hands of one's fellows。 And it is the judge's duty at least not to increase this guilt if he can not wipe it away。 The only; and apparently the simplest; way of dealing with such people is the patient and earnest discussion of the case; the demonstration that the judge is ready carefully to study all damaging facts; and even a tendency to refer to evidence of innocence in hand; and a not over…energetic discussion of the man's possible guilt。 In most cases this will not be useful at the beginning。 The man must have time to think the thing over; to conceive in the lonely night that it is not altogether the world's plan to ruin him。 Then when he begins to recognize that he will only hurt himself by his spiteful silence if he is again and again examined he will finally be amenable。 Once the ice is broken; even those accused who at the beginning showed only spite and defiance; show themselves the most tractable and honest。 The thing needful above all is patience。

Real rage; unfortunately; is frequent。 The body is carried erect or thrown forward; the limbs become stiff; mouth and teeth closely press together; the voice becomes very loud or dies away or grows hoarse; the forehead is wrinkled and the pupil of the eye contracted;  in addition one should count the change of color; the flush or deep pallor。 An opportunity to simulate real rage is rare; and anyway the characteristics are so significant that a mistake in recognition can hardly be made。 Darwin says that the conviction of one's own guilt is from time to time expressed through a sparkling of the eyes; and through an undefinable affectation。 The last is well known to every penologist and explicable in general psychological terms。 Whoever knows himself to be guiltless behaves according to his condition; naturally and without constraint: hence the notion that nave people are such as represent matters as they are。 They do not find anything suspicious in them because they do not know about suspicious matters。 But persons who know themselves guilty and try not to show it; must attain their end through artifice and imitation; and when this is not well done the affectation is obvious。

There is also something in the guilty sparkle of the eye。 The sparkle in the eyes of beauty; the glance of joy; of enthusiasm; of rapture; is not so poetical as it seems; inasmuch as it is no more than intensified secretion of tears。 The latter gets its increase through nervous excitation; so that the guilty sparkle should also be of the same nature。 This may be considered as in some degree a flow of tears in its first stages。

An important gesture is that of resignation; which expresses itself especially as folding the hands in one's lap。 This is one of the most obvious gestures; for ‘‘folding the hands in the lap'' is proverbial and means there is no more to be done。 

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