criminal psychology-第24章

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ediate　liberation。　The　prosecutor　of　the　time　fought　the　appeal　but　held　that　so　far　as　the　case　went　（and　it　was　pretty　bad　for　the　prosecution）；　the　action　taken　with　regard　to　the　appeal　was　indifferent。　‘‘The　mills　of　the　gods　grind　slowly；''　he　concluded　in　his　oration；　‘‘a　year　from　now　I　shall　appear　before　the　jury。''　The　expression　of　this　rock…bound　conviction　that　the　defendants　were　guilty；　on　the　part　of　a　man　who；　because　of　his　great　talent；　had　tremendous　influence　on　juries；　caused　an　astounding　impression。　The　instant　he　said　it　one　could　see　in　most　of　the　jurymen　clearest　signs　of　absolute　resolution　and　the　defendants　were　condemned　from　that　moment。

Correlated　with　the　signs　of　resolution　are　those　of　astonishment。　‘‘The　hands　are　raised　in　the　air；''　says　Darwin；　‘‘and　the　palm　is　laid　on　the　mouth。''　In　addition　the　eyebrows　are　regularly　raised；　and　people　of　not　too　great　refinement　beat　their　foreheads　and　in　many　cases　there　occurs　a　slight；　winding　movement　of　the　trunk；　generally　toward　the　left。　The　reason　is　not　difficult　to　find。　We　are　astonished　when　we　learn　something　which　causes　an　inevitable　change　in　the　familiar　course　of　events。　When　this　occurs　the　hearer　finds　it　necessary；　if　events　are　simple；　properly　to　get　hold　of　it。　When　I　hear　that　a　new　Niebelungen　manuscript　has　been　discovered；　or　a　cure　for　leprosy；　or　that　the　South　Pole　has　been　reached；　I　am　astonished；　but　immediate　conception　on　my　part　is　altogether　superfluous。　But　that　ancient　time　in　which　our　habitual　movements　came　into　being；　and　which　has　endured　longer；　incomparably　longer　than　our　present　civilization；　knew　nothing　whatever　of　these　interests　of　the　modern　civilized　human　being。　　What　astonished　people　in　those　days　were　simple；　external；　and　absolutely　direct　novelties：　that　a　flood　was　coming；　that　game　was　near　the　camp；　that　inimical　tribes　had　been　observed；　etc。in　short；　events　that　required　immediate　action。　From　this　fact　spring　our　significant　movements　which　must　hence　be　perceivably　related　to　the　beginning　of　some　necessary　action。　We　raise　our　hands　when　we　want　to　jump　up；　we　elevate　our　eyebrows　when　we　look　up；　to　see　further　into　the　distance；　we　slap　our　foreheads　in　order　to　stimulate　the　muscles　of　our　legs；　dormant　because　of　long　sitting；　we　lay　the　palms　of　our　hands　on　our　mouths　and　turn　the　trunk　because　we　discover　in　the　course　of　life　rather　more　disagreeable　than　pleasant　things　and　hence　we　try　to　keep　them　out　and　to　turn　away　from　them。　And　astonishment　is　expressed　by　any　and　all　of　these　contradictory　movements。

In　law　these　stigmata　are　significant　when　the　person　under　examination　ought　to　be　astonished　at　what　is　told　him　but　for　one　reason　or　another　does　not　want　to　show　his　astonishment。　This　he　may　hide　in　words；　but　at　least　one　significant　gesture　will　betray　him　and　therefore　be　of　considerable　importance　in　the　case。　So；　suppose　that　we　present　some　piece　of　evidence　from　which　we　expect　great　results；　if　they　do　not　come　we　may　perhaps　have　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。