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criminal psychology-第126章

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equently swelled with a number of absolutely purposeless criminal deeds。

In this circumstance we sometimes find the explanation for an otherwise unintelligible crime which; perhaps; indicates also; that the first crime was committed by woman。 It is as if she has in turpitude a certain pleasure to which she abandons herself as soon as she has passed the limit in her first crime。


Section 73。 3。 Quarrels with Women。

This little matter is intended only for very young and inexperienced criminal justices。 There is nothing more exciting or instructive than  a quarrel with clever and trained women concerning worthy subjects; but this does not happen in court; and ninety per cent。 of our woman witnesses are not to be quarrelled with。 There are two occasions on which a quarrel may arise。 The first; when we are trying to show a denying prisoner that her crime has already been proved and that her denials are silly; and the second; when we are trying to show a witness that she must know something although she refuses to know it; or when we want to show her the incorrectness of her conclusion; or when we want to lead her to a point where her testimony can have further value。 Now a verbal quarrel will hurt the case。 This is a matter of ancient experience; for whoever quarrels with women is; as Brne says; in the condition of a man who must unceasingly polish lights。'1'


'1' Several sentences are here omitted。


Women have an obstinacy; and it is no easy matter to be passive against it。 But in the interest of justice; the part of the wise is not to lose any time by making an exhibition of himself through verbal quarrels with women witnesses。 The judge may be thoroughly convinced that his success with the woman may help the case; but such success is very rare; and when he thinks he has it; it is only apparent and momentary; or is merely naive self…deception。 For women do like; for the sake of a momentary advantage; to please men and to appear convinced; but the judge for whom a woman does this is in a state that requires consideration。

A few more particulars concerning feminine intelligence。 They are; however; only indirectly connected with it; and are as unintelligible as the fact that left…handedness is more frequent and color… blindness less frequent among women than among men。 If; however; we are to explain feminine intelligence at all we must do so by conceiving that women's intellectual functioning stops at a definite point and can not pass beyond it。

Consider their attitude toward money。 However distasteful Mammon may be in himself; money is so important a factor in life itself that it is not unintelligibly spoken of as the ‘‘majesty of cold cash。'' But to make incorrect use of an important thing is to be unintelligent。 Whoever wastes money is not intelligent enough to understand what important pleasures he may provide for himself and whoever hoards it does not know its proper use。 Now single women are either hoarders or wasters; they rarely take the middle way and assume the prudence of the housewife; which generally develops into miserliness。 This is best observable in the foolish  bargaining of women at markets; in their supposing that they have done great things by having reduced the price of their purchase a few cents。 Every dealer confirms the fact that the first price he quotes a woman is increased in order to give her a chance to bargain。 But she does not bargain down to the proper price; she bargains down to a sum above the proper price; and she frequently buys unnecessary; or inferior things; simply because the dealer was smart enough to captivate her by allowing reductions。 This is indicated in a certain criminal case;'1' in which the huckster…woman asserted that she immediately suspected a customer of passing counterfeit coins because she did not bargain。


'1' Chronique des Tribunaux; vol II。 Bruxelles 1835。


Now this tendency to hoard is not essentially miserliness; for the chief purpose of miserliness is to bring together and to own money; to enjoy merely the look of it。 This tendency is an unintelligent attitude toward money; a failure to judge its value and properties。 Now this failure is one of the principal reasons for numerous crimes。 A woman needing money for her thousand several objects; demands it from her husband; and the latter has to provide it without her asking whether he honestly can or not。 A wife is said to be uncurious only with regard to the source of her husband's money。 She knows his income; she knows the necessary annual expenses; she can immediately count up the fact that the two are equalbut she calmly asks for more。

Of course; I am not referring to the courageous helpmeet who stands by her husband in bearing the burdens of life。 With her the criminalist has nothing to do。 I mean only those light…headed; pleasure…loving women; who nowadays make the great majority; and that army of ‘‘lovers;'' who have cost the country a countless number of not unworthy men。 The love of women is the key to many a crime; even murder; theft; swindling; and treachery。 First; there is the woman's unintelligible arithmetic; then her ceaseless requirements; finally the man's surrender to the limit of his powers; then fresh demands; a long period of opposition; then surrender; and finally one unlawful action。 From that it is only a step to a great crime。 This is the simple theme of the countless variations that are played in the criminal court。 There are proverbs enough to show how thoroughly the public understands this connection between love and money。'2'


'2' Cf。 Lombroso and Ferrero; The Female Offender: Tr。 by Morrison。 N。 Y。 1895。



An apparently insignificant feminine quality which is connected with her intelligence is her notorious; ‘‘never quite ready。'' The criminalist meets this when he is looking for an explanation of the failure of some probably extraordinarily intelligent plan of crime。 Or when a crime occurs which might have been prevented by a step at the right minute; women are always ten minutes behind the time。 But these minutes would not be gained if things were begun ten minutes earlier; and once a woman suffers real damage through tardiness; she resolves to be ten minutes ahead of time。 But when she does so she fails in her resolution and this failure is to be explained by lack of intelligence。 The little fact that women are never quite on time explains many a difficulty。

Feminine conservatism is as insignificant as feminine punctuality。 Lombroso shows how attached women are to old things。 Ideas; jewelry; verses; superstitions; and proverbs are better retained by women than by men。 Nobody would venture to assert that a conservative man must be less intelligent than a liberal。 Yet feminine conservatism indicates a certain stupidity; less excitability and smaller capacity for accepting new impressions。 Women have a certain difficulty in assimilating and reconstructing things; and because of this difficulty they do not like to surrender an object after having received it。 Hence; it is well not to be too free with the more honorable attributes such as piety; love; loyalty; respect to what they have already learned; closer investigation disco
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