pathology of lying-第43章

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for　the　crime　of　incest　with　her。　　At　a　preliminary　hearing　the　judge　had　felt　that　the　remarkable　statements　of　the　little　girl　savored　of　untruth；　and　that　the　character　sustained　by　the　brother；　in　particular；　was　quite　out　of　keeping　with　the　grave　accusations　against　him。　　The　girl's　charges；　so　clearly　detailed；　together　with　her　local　ailment；　had　proved　thoroughly　convincing　to　a　group　of　women　who　had　become　interested　in　her。　　Bessie　was　evidently　quite　normal　mentally　and　apparently　affectionately　regarded　her　only　near　relativesthis　father　and　brother。　　Her　story　appeared　thus　entirely　credible。　　The　judge　stated　that　he　had　been　approached　outside　of　court　by　these　women；　who　in　their　righteous　indignation　were　insistent　upon　the　need　of　dire　punishment　of　the　outrageous　conduct　of　Bessie's　natural　protectors。

We　found　a　rather　poorly　developed　little　girl。　　Weight　64　lbs。；　height　4　ft。　4　in。　　Bright；　pleasant；　vivacious　expression。　　Attitude　normal。　　High；　prominent；　narrow　forehead。　　Head：　length　19　cm。；　breadth　13　cm。　　Slightly　asymmetrical　frontal　bosses。　　Snub　nose；　eyes　fairly　bright；　ears　asymmetrical　in　size。6　cm。　　difference　in　greatest　length。　　Thyroid　palpable。　　Tonsils　enlarged　moderately。　　No　sensory　defect　of　importance。　　Strength　good　for　size。　　Color　only　fairly　good。　　（Results　of　gynecologic　examination　later。）

Bessie　was　given　a　wide　range　of　mental　tests；　with　the　result　that　we　classified　her　as　being　well　up　to　the　ordinary　in　ability。　　Indeed；　considering　her　poor　school　advantages　through　frequent　changes　of　residence　she　did　very　well　in　the　subjects　covered　by　formal　education。　　Her　memory　processes　and　ability　to　testify　correctlyin　which　we　were　naturally　most　interestedseemed；　so　far　as　we　were　able　to　test　them；　quite　normal。　　Of　a　standard　passage　about　a　fire　（Test　XII）；　which　she　read　once　to　herself；　she　recalled　17　out　of　the　20　items。　　A　passage　containing　12　main　details　（Test　XIII）；　which　was　read　to　her　in　the　usual　way　four　times；　she　recalled　with　2　details　omitted。　　The　‘‘Aussage''　test　（Test　VI）　was　done　very　well　indeed；　with　17　items　of　the　picture　given　correctly　on　free　recital；　and　5　rejections　out　of　the　7　suggestions　proffered。　　Bessie's　conversation　was　fluent　and　coherent；　her　range　of　information　was　good。　　She　showed　fondness　for　the　dramatic　statement。

Her　mother　died　in　the　old　country　when　she　was　about　four　years　old；　and　her　father　had　immediately　come　to　America；　but　had　never　established　a　home　of　his　own。　　For　the　last　nine　months　Bessie　had　been　living　with　a　woman；　Mrs。　S。；　who　was　deeply　interested　in　her。　　Previously　to　this　she　roomed　for　about　six　months　with　her　father　and　brother；　and　prior　to　that　time　she　had　been　placed　about　in　different　homes　by　her　father。　　After　some　months　with　Mrs。　S。　she　complained　of　local　pain　and　irritation。　　When　taken　to　a　physician；　she　said　her　father　was　accustomed　to　touch　her；　and　her　story　involved　incest　by　both　her　father　and　brother。　　After　others　had　become　interested　in　her　case；　the　matter　was　turned　into　the　hands　of　the　police。　　It　was　notable　that　during　this　period　Bessie's　love　of　the　dramatic　was　being　fostered　by　her　newly　found　woman　friend；　who　was　providing　her　with　lessons　in　dramatic　reading　and　taking　her　extremely　frequently　to　moving　picture　shows　and　theatres。

When　first　seen　by　us；　Bessie　reiterated　her　story　of　sexual　relations　with　her　father　and　brother。　　As　she　had　done　with　others；　and　with　the　judge；　she　went　into　almost　convincing　details。　　Her　knowledge　of　such　relationships　was　apparently　complete。　　She　informed　us　that　she　had　caught　‘‘an　awful　disease''　from　her　father。　　She　said　that　while　rooming　with　them　her　sexual　relations　with　her　father　and　brother　were　nightly　occurrences。　　They　all　slept　in　one　bed。　

A　careful　inquiry　into　Bessie's　earlier　knowledge　of　such　things　brought　forth　the　most　astounding　account。　　One　may　say　that　this　little　girl　had　the　most　extensive　acquaintance　with　many　kinds　of　pervert　sex　practices　that　one　has　ever　known　in　a　young　individual。　　She　now　said　that　the　last　ones　who　engaged　in　such　things　with　her　were　her　father　and　brother。　　Her　experiences　began　at　5　years　with　a　boy　and　a　girl；　and；　she　maintained；　they　had　been　very　frequent　ever　since；　up　to　within　the　last　9　months。　　A　number　of　boys　and　girls　were　involved；　as　well　as　the　men　in　two　households　where　she　had　been　placed。　　The　practices　she　had　engaged　in　were　many；　running　all　the　way　from　self　use　of　pieces　of　broom　to　normal　intercourse；　and　both　active　and　passive　forms　of　pervert　practices。　　It　is　unnecessary；　even　in　this　medical　case；　to　go　into　details　or　to　give　her　actual　phraseology。　　It　is　sufficient　to　say　that　she　frankly　stated　her　early　discovery　of　the　pleasures　of　local　stimulation　and　how　she　asked　others　to　give　it　to　her　in　various　ways。　　Then　she　performed　different　perversions　on　boys　and　men。　　She　told　about　observing　sex　relations　between　husband　and　wife　in　households　where　she　had　lived。　　She　now　says　she　had　a　disease　before　she　came　home　to　her　fathera　doctor　had　told　other　people　previously。　　The　men　in　two　homes　frequently　had　complete　intercourse　with　her；　she　maintains；　and　gives　description　of　it。

The　credible　substance　of　Bessie's　long　story　elaborately　told　upon　inquiry　into　her　life　history　was　that　she　certainly　had　had　many　sex　experiences。　　When；　in　the　light　of　these；　it　finally　came　to　the　question　of　the　charges　against　her　father　and　brother　she　said　that　it　was　really　she　who　had　been　the　instigator。　　When　in　bed　she　had　begun　playing　with　them。　　She　described　her　method；　learned　before。　　She　now　says　they　did　not　have　real　intercourse　with　her；　but　the　other　men　did。　

The　account　of　local　physical　conditions　as　obtained　from　several　sources　is　as　follows。　　Bessie　was　taken　to　a　physician　for　vulvitis；　etc。；　by　some　people　before　she　came　back　to　her　father。　　During　the　period　she　roomed　with　her　father　he　regularly　treated　her　locally　with　a　salve　and　a　wash。　　The　physician　who　later　examined　her　for　Mrs。　S。　found　the　parts　so　swollen　that　he　could　make　no　diagnosis　of　ruptured　hymen；　but　took　it　for　granted。　　After　the　father　and　brother　had　been　in　jail　for　some　weeks　the　inflammation　had　subsided。　　（It　is　only　fair　to　say　that　the　father　had　clamored　for　a　specialist's　examination；　which；　he　contended；　would　prove　his　innocence。　　Of　course　he　was　not　aware　of　her　earlier　experiences　or　he　would　not　have　been　so　sure。）　　Then　a　competent　gynecologist　found　that　coitus　had　never　taken　place。　　The　hymen　was　intact。　　This　was　at　the　time　we　studied　the　case。　　On　the　day　of　the　trial；　I　with　two　other　physicians　examined　the　girl。　　It　was　found　that　a　cotton　swab　about　3/8　of　an　inch　in　diameter　could　with　difficulty　penetrate　the　vaginal　orifice。　　There　was　not　the　slightest　evidence　of　any　rupture　of　the　hymen　or　of　any　vaginitis。　　So　far　as　the　‘‘awful　disease''　was　concerned；　repeated　bacteriological　tests　over　a　considerable　period　failed　to　show　the　extensive　vulvitis　to　be　due　to　gonorrhea。　　It　seemed　much　more　likely　that　it　was　due　to　nonspecific　infection　following　traumatism　from　the　use　of　the　various　foreign　objects　which　the　girl　told　she　had　used。　　Perhaps　it　was　partly　the　result　of　the　perversions　which；　judging　by　her　knowledge　of　them；　had　been　practiced　by　others　on　her。

We　were　informed　later　that　much　indignation　at　our　report　to　the　judge　was　expressed　by　the　crowd　in　attendance　at　the　trial。　　The　girl's　first　story　was　so　well　told　that　many　had　been　irrevocably　convinced　of　the　utter　guilt　of　the　father。

The　father　himself；　who　was　brought　to　us　in　the　course　of　our　study　of　the　case；　was　rather　a　low　type　in　appearance。　　He　was　a　poor　earner；　evidently　had　earlier　been　alcoholic；　a　small　whining　figure　with　tears　in　his　eyes。　　His　appearance　would　prejudice　against　him。　　The　brother；　on　the　contrary；　made　an　unusually　good　impression。　　He　had　the　best　of　recommendations。　　His　sister's　first　charges　ought　not　to　have　been　believed　on　the　basis　of　his　qualifications。　　There　had　been　5　children；　3　died　in　infancy。　　No　history　of　any　significance　was　obtained　except　that　the　development　of　Bessi