criminal psychology-第116章

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Feminine　cruelty　is　directly　connected　with　feminine　anger　and　hatred。　Lombroso　has　already　indicated　how　fundamental　woman's　inclination　to　cruelty　is。　The　cases　are　well　known；　together　with　the　frequent　and　remarkable　combination　of　real　kindness　of　heart　with　real　bestiality。　Perhaps　it　would　be　proper　to　conceive　this　cruelty　as　a　form　of　defence；　or　the　expression　of　defence；　for　we　often　find　cruelty　and　weakness　paired　elsewhere；　as　among　children；　idiots；　etc。　It　is　particularly　noticeable　among　cretins　in　the　Alps。　The　great　danger　of　the　cretin's　anger　is　well　known　there。　Once；　one　of　these　unfortunates　was　tortured　to　death　by　another　because　he　thought　that　his　victim　had　received　from　the　charitable　monks　a　larger　piece　of　bread　than　he。　Another　was　killed　because　he　had　received　a　gift　of　two　trousers　buttons。　These　instances；　I　should　think；　indicate　the　real　connection　between　cruelty　and　weakness。　Cruelty　is　a　means　of　defence；　and　hence　is　characteristic　of　the　weaker　sex。　Moreover；　many　a　curious　bit　of　feminine　cruelty　is　due　to　feminine　traits　misunderstood；　suppressed；　but　in　themselves　good。　Just　as　we　know　that　frugality　and　a　tendency　to　save　in　housekeeping　may　often　lead　to　dishonesty；　so　we　perceive　that　these　qualities　cause　cruelty　to　servants；　and　even　the　desire　to　put　out　of　the　way　old　and　troublesome　relatives　who　are　eating　the　bread　that　belongs　to　husband　and　children。

These　facts　serve　not　only　to　explain　the　crime；　but　to　reveal　the　criminal。　If　we　succeed；　other　things　being　equal；　in　adducing　　a　number　of　feminine　characteristics　with　one　of　which　the　cruelty　of　the　crime　may　be　connected　and　explained；　we　have　a　clew　to　the　criminal。　The　instances　mentioned；the　motherly　care　of　house　and　family；　frugality；　miserliness；　hardness　to　servants；　cruelty　to　aged　parents；seem　rare　and　not　altogether　rational；　yet　they　occur　frequently　and　give　the　right　clew　to　the　criminal。　There　are　still　other　similar　combinations。　Everybody　knows　feminine　love　for　trials　at　court；　for　the　daily　paper's　reports　of　them；　and　for　public　executions。　While　the　last　were　still　common　in　Austria；　newspapers　concluded　regularly　with　the　statement　that　the　‘‘tender''　sex　was　the　great　majority　of　the　crowd　that　witnessed　them。　At　public　executions　women　of　the　lower　class；　at　great　trials；　women　of　the　higher　classes；　make　up　the　auditors　and　spectators。　Here　the　movement　from　eagerness；　curiosity；　through　the　desire　for　vigorous　nervous　stimulation；　to　hard…heartedness　and　undeniable　cruelty；　is　clear　enough。

There　would　be　nothing　for　us　to　do　with　this　fact　if　we　had　not　to　deal　with　the　final　expression　of　cruelty；　i。　e。；　murder；　especially　the　specifically　feminine　forms　of　murder；child…murder　and　poisoning。　These；　of　course；　in　particular　the　former；　involve　abnormal　conditions　which　are　subjects　for　the　physician。　At　the　same　time　it　is　the　judge　who　examines　and　sentences；　and　he　is　required　to　understand　these　conditions　and　to　consider　every　detail　that　may　help　him　in　drawing　his　conclusion。

That　poisoning　is　mainly　a　feminine　crime　is　a　familiar　fact　of　which　modern　medico…legal　writers　have　spoken　much；　even　the　ancient　authors；　not　medical；　like　Livy；　Tacitus；　etc。；　have　mentioned　it。　It　is　necessary；　therefore；　carefully　to　study　the　feminine　character　in　order　to　understand　how　and　why　women　are　given　to　this　form　of　murder。　To　do　so　we　need　consider；　however；　only　the　ordinary　factors　of　the　daily　life；　the　extraordinary　conditions；　etc。；　are　generally　superfluous。

Every　crime　that　is　committed　is　committed　when　the　reasons　for　doing　it　outweigh　the　reasons　for　not　doing　it。　This　is　true　even　of　passional　crimes；　for　a　_pro_　and　_contra_　must　have　presented　themselves　in　spite　of　the　lightninglike　swiftness　of　the　act。　One　appeared　and　then　the　other；　the　_pro_　won　and　the　deed　was　done。　In　other　crimes　this　conflict　lasts　at　least　so　long　as　to　be　definitely　observable；　and　in　the　greater　crimes　it　will；　as　a　rule；　take　more　time　and　more　motive。　The　principles　of　good　and　of　evil　will　really　battle　with　each　other；　and　when　the　individual　is　so　depraved　as　no　longer　to　　have　good　principles；　their　place　is　taken　by　fear　of　discovery　and　punishment；　and　by　the　question　whether　the　advantage　to　be　gained　is　worth　the　effort；　etc。　The　commission　of　the　crime　is　itself　evidence　that　the　reasons　for　it　were　all…powerful。　Now　suppose　that　a　woman　gets　the　idea　of　killing　somebody。　Here　for　a　time　_pro_　and　_contra_　will　balance　each　other；　and　when　the　latter　are　outweighed　she　will　think　that　she　_*must_　commit　murder。　If　she　does　not　think　so　she　will　not　do　so。　Now；　every　murder；　save　that　by　poison；　requires　courage；　the　power　to　do；　and　physical　strength。　As　woman　does　not　possess　these　qualities；　she　spontaneously　makes　use　of　poison。　Hence；　there　is　nothing　extraordinary　or　significant　in　this　fact；　it　is　due　to　the　familiar　traits　of　woman。　For　this　reason；　when　there　is　any　doubt　as　to　the　murderer　in　a　case　of　poisoning；　it　is　well　to　think　first　of　a　woman　or　of　a　weak；　effeminate　man。

The　weakness　of　woman　will　help　us　in　still　another　direction。　It　is　easily　conceivable　that　all　forms　of　weakness　will　seek　support　and　assistance；　whether　physical　or　moral。　The　latter　is　inclined　in　cases　of　need　to　make　use；　also；　of　such　assistance　as　may　be　rendered　by　personal　inward　reflection。　Now　this　reflection　may　be　on　the　one　hand；　dissuasion；　on　the　other　hand　persuasion；　self…　persuasion；　the　first　subduing　self…reproach；　the　latter；　fear　of　discovery。　Hence；　a　woman　will　try　to　persuade　not　only　herself；　but　others　also　that　she　was　justified　in　her　course　and　will　assign　as　reason；　bad　treatment。　Now　there　might　have　been　some　bad　treatment；　but　it　will　have　been　altered　and　twisted　so　utterly　as　to　lose　its　original　form　and　to　become　imaginatively　unbearable。　Thus；　a　series　of　conclusions　from　the　reactions　of　the　suspect　to　her　environment　may　be　easily　found；　and　these　are　the　more　convincing　if　they　have　occurred　within　a　rather　long　period　of　time；　in　which　they　may　be　chronologically　arranged；　and　from　which　a　slow　and　definite　intensification；　usque　ad　ultimum；　can　be　proved。　Such　an　analysis　is；　of　course；　troublesome；　but　if　done　systematically；　almost　always　rich　in　results。

The　tricks　of　persuasion　which　are　to　suppress　the　fears　of　discovery　are　always　helps　of　another　sort。　As　a　rule　they　are　general；　and　point　to　the　fact　that　the　crime　contemplated　had　occurred　before　without　danger；　that　everything　was　intelligently　provided　for；　etc。　Now　these　circumstances　are　less　dangerous；　but　they　require　consideration　when　they　count　on　certain　popular　views；　especially　superstitions　and　certain　customs　and　assumptions。　Suppose；　for　example；　that　a　young　wife　wants　to　get　rid　of　her　　old　husband　whom　she　had　married　for　the　sake　of　his　money。　Now　certain　proverbs　point　to　the　fact　that　old　men　who　marry　young　women　die　soon　after　marriage。　This　popular　view　may　be　entirely　justified　in　the　fact　that　the　complete　alteration　in　the　mode　of　life；　the　experience　of　uncustomary　things；　the　excitement；　the　extreme　tension；　then　the　effort　_in　venere_；　finally；　perhaps　also　the　use　of　popularly　well…known　stimulants；　etc。；　may　easily　cause　weakening；　sickening；　and　as　conclusion　the　death　of　the　old　man。　But　the　public　does　not　draw　this　kind　of　inference；　it　simply　assumes；　without　asking　the　reason；　that　when　an　old　man　marries　a　young　woman；　he　dies。　Therefore　a　young　wife　may　easily　think；　‘‘If　I　make　use　of　poison　nobody　will　wonder；　nobody　will　see　anything　suspicious　about　the　death。　It　is　only　an　event　which　is　universally　supposed　to　happen。　The　old　man　died　because　he　married　me。''　Such　ideas　may　easily　seduce　an　uneducated　woman　and　determine　her　conduct。　Of　course；　they　are　not　subject　to　observation；　but　they　are　not　beyond　control；　if　the　popular　views　concerning　certain　matters　are　known　as　the　views　which　determine　standards。　Therefore　their　introduction　into　the　plot　of　the　suspect　may　help　us　in　drawing　some　useful　inference。＇1＇

With　regard　to　child…murder　the　consideration　of　psychopathic　conditions　need　not　absolutely　be　undertaken。