pathology of lying-第55章

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　in　the　picture；　but　contradicted　himself　somewhat　on　this。　　It　is　interesting　that　he　took　only　one　out　of　four　suggestions；　notwithstanding　his　suggestibility　on　the　Binet　test。

On　school　work　he　does　altogether　much　better。　　He　writes　a　good　hand；　reads　fairly　well；　and　promptly　does　a　sum　in　long　division。　　He　claims　to　have　reached　the　6th　grade。　　One　difficulty　in　testing　him　was　his　prevailing　lethargy。　　We　constantly　had　to　fight　this　by　encouragement。　　Once　he　insisted　he　must　give　up　the　work　because　he　had　not　had　a　smoke　for　an　hour　or　so。　　Altogether；　including　his　irregularities；　we　could　not　call　him　lower　than　poor　in　ability；　possibly　subnormal。　　He　did　not　come　within　the　limits　of　the　feebleminded　group。　　Just　where　to　place　him　would　depend　upon　what　he　perhaps　could　do　under　other　more　favorable　conditions。　　So　much　for　the　tests　of　ability。

In　studying　him　for　aberrational　tendencies　there　were　positive　indications。　　Most　significant　it　was　when；　in　the　Binet　tests；　he　came　to　the　word　‘‘justice''　and　turned　to　the　examiner；　saying　feelingly；　‘‘I　don't　know　what　that　is；''　and　then　burst　into　tears。　　Yet　this　was　from　a　fellow　who　had　offered　to　get　himself　into　even　worse　trouble　with　the　courts。　　He　made　much　of　his　worrying　about　not　having　any　home　and　not　being　the　child　of　his　so…called　parents。　　His　attitude　was　of　sorrow　and　hopelessness　about　his　whole　situation　in　life。　　As　seen　again　about　two　weeks　later；　still　more　evidences　of　aberration　were　found。　　He　contradicted　himself　then　in　regard　to　his　previous　stories；　in　regard　to　his　home　life；　denied　he　had　made　self…accusations；　and　very　clearly　did　not　remember　at　all　accurately　what　he　had　previously　told　me。　　In　fact；　he　evidently　was　not　quite　clear　just　who　I　was；　although　he　had　before　been　brought　across　town　under　the　charge　of　a　couple　of　officers　to　see　mean　important　break　in　his　incarceration。　　He　also　told　a　different　story　from　one　he　had　told　before　to　a　certain　official　who　now　was　present。　　He　seemed　rather　mixed　on　a　number　of　points；　and　this　is　all　the　more　significant　because　he　had　been　heartily　afraid　of　being　adjudged　insane。　　Our　diagnosis　at　this　time　was　purely　tentative　as　far　as　exact　diagnosis　was　concerned。　　We　stated　that　in　our　opinion　he　was　an　aberrational　type　and　the　practical　point　was　that　he　should　neither　be　allowed　to　go　out　in　the　community；　nor　be　sent　to　a　penitentiary；　but　rather　to　an　institution　for　observation　and　perhaps　for　long　detention。　　The　jury　found　it　necessary；　as　usual　in　such　cases；　to　declare　him　insane。

The　history　of　John　runs　as　follows：　　From　an　evidently　conscientious　parent　we　learn　of　nothing　significant　in　the　family　history。　　At　birth　he　was　said　to　be　bright　and　healthy。　　He　had　diphtheria　severely　at　4　years。　　At　6　he　started　to　school。　　He　always　got　along　well　in　his　classes；　but　was　very　troublesome。　　At　11　years　he　began　to　run　away　from　home。　　His　father　spent　much　time　and　money　in　going　to　various　parts　of　the　country　for　him；　and　at　13　years　of　age　he　was　placed　in　an　industrial　school。　　He　is　the　only　child。　　He　came　home　after　2　years；　remained　there　for　3　or　4　months　and　then　ran　away　once　more　to　California。　　（His　home　was　in　the　middle　West。）　　He　was　returned　by　the　police；　sent　to　the　industrial　school　for　another　year；　and　then　again　returned　home。　　He　stayed　only　2　weeks　before　running　away　to　New　York。　　Coming　back　he　got　into　some　trouble　and　was　sent　for　the　third　time　to　the　industrial　school。　　There　he　stayed　until　6　months　before　we　saw　him。　　He　was　released　once　more　on　parole；　stayed　at　home　a　week；　and　again　ran　away。　　It　is　reported　that　during　his　early　time　at　the　industrial　school　he　was　rather　melancholy　by　spells；　and　at　one　time　tried　to　poison　himself。　　His　relatives　say　he　has　a　bad　temper。　　He　had　typhoid　fever　at　14；　but　made　a　good　recovery。

John　has　been　known　for　years　as　a　great　liar；　having　told　miserable　stories　about　his　parents；　all　of　which　were　quite　untrue。　　He　has　frequently　mortified　his　father　and　mother　by　denying　his　parentage。　　The　last　time　John　was　on　parole　he　wrote　more　than　one　letter　to　police　authorities　in　his　home　State；　informing　them　he　had　been　implicated　in　a　serious　crime。　　An　officer　at　the　reformatory　institution　had　a　letter　from　him　purporting　to　be　written　from　a　penitentiary；　stating　he　was　sentenced　there　on　a　charge　of　robbery。　　When　he　was　held　in　our　city　on　a　minor　charge；　he　informed　the　police　officials　that　he　was　connected　with　a　certain　notorious　murder　of　which　the　papers　had　been　full　just　previously。　　He　was　sent　out　with　a　couple　of　detectives　who　soon　found　he　knew　nothing　about　the　actual　facts；　and　that　his　alleged　accomplices　were　innocent　men。

In　jail　it　is　reported　that　he　seems　childish。　　He　has　to　be　locked　up　alone　at　times　and　then　begs　and　teases　to　get　out；　but　in　ten　minutes　or　so　will　repeat　the　bad　behavior。　　He　has　stolen　little　things　from　others　in　custody　and　has　attempted　to　dispose　of　his　own　clothes　for　a　few　cents。　　It　is　definitely　reported　that　he　has　shown　evidences　of　poor　memory。　　From　the　institution　where　he　previously　had　been　so　long；　word　comes　that　he　was　regarded　there　as　not　quite　normal。　　John　had　been　held　in　another　city　on　a　charge　of　rape；　but　without　much　evidence；　for　he　was　allowed　to　go。　　We　could　not　find　out　whether　he　made　self…accusations　in　that　case。

In　his　story　to　us　he　complains　bitterly　about　his　treatment　at　the　old　institution；　maintains　he　was　head　laundry　man　there；　tells　about　his　excessive　smoking　of　late；　denies　his　parentage；　says　the　only　friend　he　has　is　a　certain　church　worker；　maintains　he　did　not　have　any　home　to　go　to　from　the　industrial　school；　intimates　he　will　commit　suicide　if　there　is　any　question　of　his　being　declared　insane；　says　that　he　had　earlier　stolen　things　from　home；　tells　of　having　spells　when　things　get　black　in　front　of　his　eyes　and　can't　see　for　a　little　while；　says　he　wants　to　be　sent　to　the　penitentiary　and　wants　to　start　right　now　serving　his　term。

All　told；　there　was　nothing　so　striking　about　this　whole　case　as　the　extravagant　tendencies　towards　prevarication。　　For　years　he　has　been　lying　to　no　purpose；　although　he　has　never　been　previously　regarded　as　insane。　　Now　he　appears　as　an　extreme　self…accuser　and　as　a　fellow　whose　word　can't　be　trusted　from　hour　to　hour。　　The　lying；　regarded　as　an　aberrational　tendency；　is　out　of　proportion　to　our　findings　of　abnormality　in　any　other　sphere　of　mental　activity；　except　perhaps　the　evidences　of　defective　memory　processes。　　One　trouble　in　gauging　his　memory　is；　of　course；　the　boy's　prevarications；　but　one　might　argue　that　if　his　memory　processes　were　as　good　as　his　other　abilities　he　would　make　equal　use　of　them。

Following　our　study　and　recommendation　in　the　case　John　was　found　not　guilty；　but　insane。　　Then　being　resident　of　another　State；　and；　indeed；　being　on　parole　from　a　reformatory　institution　there；　he　was　held　over　to　the　jurisdiction　of　that　State；　and　placed　in　a　hospital　for　the　criminal　insane。　　We　have　a　full　report　from　the　latter　place　which　is　exceedingly　illuminating。　　It　appears　that　despite　his　first　terror　of　being　sent　to　an　asylum　he　adapted　himself　to　his　new　surroundings　very　readily。　　It　is　stated　that　he　assisted　with　the　ward　work　and　spent　his　leisure　time　in　reading　and　playing　cards。　　He　asked　for　work　outside　on　the　grounds　and　was　regarded　as　a　very　courteous　and　genial　patient。　　No　evidence　of　delusional　or　hallucinatory　trends　could　be　obtained。　　He　always　seemed　to　be　well　oriented　and　conscious　of　everything　going　on　about　him。　　Emotionally　he　appeared　somewhat　subnormal　inasmuch　as　he　did　not　worry　about　his　own　condition；　but　said　he　was　perfectly　contented。　　（The　latter；　of　course；　to　a　psychiatrist　would　be　significant。）　　He　was　a　great　talker　and　his　stories　were　well　listened　to。　　John　said　that　when　he　was　indicted　for　robbery　his　lawyer　advised　him　to　feign　insanity　and　as　a　result　he　had　been　sent　to　that　hospital。　　（It　is　to　be　remembered　that　with　us　he　made　great　effort　to　show　off　his　mental　powers　at　their　best　and　evidently　did　somewhat　better　work　than　when　later　in　the　hospital。）　　He　gave　th