按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
came out that he had struck her on a number of previous occasions。 It was shown clearly that the boy was a tremendous liar。 The case was transferred to the Juvenile Court and from there the boy was sent away to an institution for a few months。 After the trial his father said in broken English； ‘‘To me he never told the truth。''
Just after his release the family moved to Chicago and Adolf soon put himself in touch with certain social agencies。 He found out where I was and came to see me； bright； smiling； and well。 He had gained eight pounds during his incarceration。 He wanted to tell all about his life in the institution and because we were busy said he would come the next day。 He did not do this； but a few months later came running up to me on the street with a package in his hands； saying he was already at work in a downtown office and was doing well and going to night school。 Five years more would see him quite through his law course。 A few months after this he applied at a certain agency for work as an interpreter and there； strangely enough； some one who knew him in New York recognized him。 He； however； denied ever having been in court and produced a list of twenty or twenty…five places where he worked and gave them as references。 It is to be remembered that at this time he had already been brought up in court at least three times； that he had been on probation； and been sent away to an institution。
During the last four years we have received much information concerning the career of Adolf； although his activities have carried him to Milwaukee； Cleveland； St。 Louis； and other towns； in several of which he has been in trouble。 He has very repeatedly been to see us and we have had many opportunities of gauging his mental as well as his social development。
His family continued to live in one of the most populous suburbs of Chicago and Adolf maintains that his residence is there； an important point for his political activities which are mentioned later。
What we discovered in our further studies of Adolf's mental condition can be told in short。 We have retested him over and over。 （When he has been hard up we have given him money to induce him to do his very best。） There are no contradictions in our findings at different times。 Once； in another city； in connection with his appearance in court； Adolf was seen by a psychiatrist who suggested that he was a case of dementia precox； but nothing in our long observation of him warrants us in such an opinion。 His mental conditions and qualities seem quite unchanged in type during all the time we have known him； and instead of any deterioration there has been gradual betterment in capacities； certainly along the line of adjustment to environment。 His wonderful ability to get out of trouble is evidence of these powers of adjustment； as is also； perhaps； his keen sensing of the utility of the shadier sides of politics and criminal procedure。
In work with numbers Adolf is still very poor。 He is unable to do long division or multiplication； and cannot add together simple fractions。 Addition he does much better； but even at his best he makes errors in columns where he has to add five numerals。 He now can do simple subtraction such as is required in making change； but fails on such a problem as how much change he should get from 20 after buying goods costing 11。37。 His memory span is only six numerals； and these he cannot get correctly every time。
After numerous attempts to mentally analyze our simple ‘‘Cross Line Test；'' with much urging and extreme slowness he finally succeeded at one time in getting it correctly。 As stated above； this is a test that is done with ease usually by normal individuals 12 years of age。 On our ‘‘Code Test；'' requiring much the same order of ability； but more effort； he entirely failed。 For one thing； he has never known the order of the alphabet either in English； German； or French。 Our ‘‘Pictorial Completion Test；'' which gauges simple apperceptive abilities； he failed to do correctly； making three illogical errors。
The result on the Binet tests are most interesting。 From years of experience with them we ourselves have no faith in their offering sound criteria for age levels above 10 years。 Adolf goes up through all of the 12…year tests （1911 series） except the first； where he shows suggestibility in his judgment of the lengths of lines。 In the 15…year tests he fails on the first； but does the three following ones correctly。 Two out of the adult series are done wellthose where the definition of a word is required and the statement of political ideas。 Two or three of his specific answers are worth noting： ‘‘Honor is when a person is very honest。 It means he will never do what is wrong even if he can make money by it。'' ‘‘Pleasure is when everything is pleasant； when you are enjoying yourself。'' Adolf tells us that the king is head of a monarchy； he has not the power to veto； and he acquires his position by royal birth。 In contrast to this he says the president is the presiding executive of a republic； he has the power to veto； and he gains his position by election。 It is perfectly clear in this case； as in many others； that the Binet tests show very little wherein lies the nature of a special defect or ability。 Adolf's capacity for handling language has grown steadily。 He has been reading law and knows by heart a great deal of its terminology。 In a short conversation he talks well and is coherent。 The aggressiveness which is ever with him leads him to stick to the point。 He has had very little instruction； his pronunciation is often defective and he does not know the meaning of many of the longer terms with which any lawyer should be acquainted。 He speaks fluently and has now long posed； among other things； as an interpreter。
Our final diagnosis after all these mental tests is； that while he could by no means be called a feebleminded person； still Adolf is essentially subnormal in many abilitieswe still regard him as a subnormal verbalist。 Probably what he lacks in powers of mental analysis has much relation to the lack of foresight which he continually shows in his social career。 His lying and swindling have led him almost nowhere except into difficulties。
Adolf has been steadily gaining weight； although he has grown only an inch and a half in these years。 He is stout and sleek…looking and as flabby as ever。 He has not been seriously ill during this time。 Whereas before he used to be untidy in dress he now gets himself up more carefully。
The following are examples of Adolf's conversation and show many of his characteristics： （Soon after he came to Chicago we spoke to him of his progress。）
‘‘The other day I met a fellow and he says； ‘How long have you been in this country？' and when I says four years he says； ‘You're a liar。 There never was a fellow I ever heard of who got hold of the language and was doing as well as you are in four years。' '' A few months later he tells us he is selling goods on commission and descants on how much he can make： ‘‘That's ‘Get…rich…quick…Wallingford' for you。 There's Mr。 A。 and Congressman X。； they started out from little beginnings just the same as