pathology of lying-第25节

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ses　where　corroboration　from　parents　was　obtained。　　However；　there　is　much　that　rings　true　and　is　of　interest　even　in　the　unverifiable　part　of　the　study。

There　is　not　much　to　be　said　about　the　physical　examination；　it　was　negative　in　most　respects。　　She　is　of　rather　slight　type；　weight　110　lbs。；　height　5　ft。　1　in。　　Delicate　features　of　mature　type。　　Expression　intelligent　and　decidedly　refined　for　her　social　class。　　Gynecological　examination　made　by　a　specialist　revealed　nothing　abnormal　and　no　evidence　of　immorality。　　Menstruation　said　to　have　taken　place　at　13　years　and　to　be　regular　and　not　difficult。

In　studying　Gertrude's　mental　powers　we　gave　a　considerable　range　of　tests　and　found　her　to　be　well　up　to　the　ordinary　in　ability。　　She　showed　no　remarkable　ability　in　any　direction；　but　gave　an　almost　uniformly　good　performance　on　tests。　　Concerning　her　other　mental　traits　and　especially　her　range　of　information　and　reading　more　will　be　said　later。　　No　signs　of　aberration　were　discovered　by　any　one。　

The　record　on　the　‘‘Aussage''　picture　test　is　as　follows：　　She　gave　16　items　on　free　recital　with　considerable　reference　to　functional　details　and　with　side　comments　as　to　who　the　little　girl　might　be；　and　what　the　dog　wanted；　and　so　on。　　So　far；　this　was　the　performance　of　a　rational；　quick…minded　person。　　On　questioning；　28　more　items　were　added；　but　no　less　than　12　of　these　were　incorrectshe　evidently　supplied　freely　from　her　imagination。　　Of　the　7　suggestions　which　were　offered　she　took　5。　　Twice　not　only　was　the　main　suggestion　accepted；　but　imaginary　details　were　added。　　Naturally；　this　is　a　very　unusual　record　from　a　normal　person。

There　is　absolutely　nothing　of　significance　in　the　heredity；　according　to　the　accounts　received　by　us。　　All　the　grandparents　are　still　alive　in　the　old　country。　　They　are　small　townspeople　of　good　reputation。　　Epilepsy；　insanity；　and　feeblemindedness　are　stoutly　denied　and　are　probably　absent　in　near　relatives。　　The　father　is　a　staunch　citizen　who　feels　keenly　the　disgrace　of　the　present　situation。　　He　is　a　hard　working　clerk。　　We　early　learned　the　mother　was　not　to　be　relied　upon。　　Our　best　evidence　of　this　came　from　Gertrude。　　She　told　us　she　had　always　been　accustomed　to　hearing　lies　in　her　own　household。　　According　to　the　father　his　wife's　falsifications　are　merely　to　shield　the　children　and　she　only　shows　the　ordinary　deceit　of　woman。　　We　have　no　history　of　this　woman　ever　having　indulged　in　elaborate　fabrications　and；　in　general；　she　is　of　thoroughly　good　reputation。　　In　delicacy　of　feature　the　girl　is　her　mother　over　again。

Gertrude's　birth　was　comparatively　easy　after　a　normal　pregnancy。　　After　a　healthy　first　infancy　she　had　an　illness　at　2　years　which　lasted　for　three　or　four　months。　　The　exact　nature　of　this　is　not　plain；　but　it　was　probably　bronchitis　with　complications。　　There　were　no　evidences　of　any　involvement　of　the　nervous　system。　　She　walked　and　talked　early；　at　about　1　year　of　age。　　She　has　had　no　other　serious　illness　in　all　her　life　and　has　had　no　convulsions。　　None　of　the　children　has　suffered　from　convulsions。　　Gertrude　is　one　of　five；　all　of　whom　are　alive　and　well。　　In　the　last　couple　of　years　she　has　complained　a　little　of　headaches　and　some　other　minor　troubles。　　It　was　typical　of　the　family　situation　that　after　Gertrude　had　told　us　of　a　series　of　fainting　spells　a　year　previously；　the　mother　corroborated　her　and；　indeed；　made　them　out　even　worse。　　But　when　the　reliable　father　was　consulted　on　the　matter　it　turned　out　there　had　been　no　such　fainting　attacks；　nor　could　they　be　verified　by　communication　with　a　doctor　who　is　said　to　have　attended　Gertrude。　　Unquestionably　they　never　occurred。　　Gertrude　went　to　school　at　the　usual　age；　but　on　account　of　poverty　and　immigration　missed　many　long　periods。　　However；　at　14　she　had　gone　through　the　6th　grade。

About　Gertrude's　moral　evolution　we　got　very　little　aid　from　the　parents　or　indeed　from　any　others。　　It　was　very　evident　that　from　earliest　childhood　the　girl　had　led　a　mental　life　of　which　her　relatives　knew　nothing。　　Naturally；　the　mother　gave　us　no　account　of　the　development　of　the　tendency　to　lying；　she　merely　glossed　over　her　daughter's　deceptions。　　The　father；　who　had　been　obliged　to　work　away　from　home　much　during　Gertrude's　early　years；　merely　knew　that　at　about　the　time　she　left　school；　namely　14　years；　she　began　to　lie　excessively。

Anything　like　a　complete　account　of　Gertrude's　prevarications；　even　as　we　know　them；　would　require　much　space。　　Some　idea　of　their　quantity　and　quality　may　be　gained　from　the　facts　which　we　have　gleaned　from　several　sources。　　As　might　be　supposed；　Gertrude　has　established　a　reputation　for　falsification　among　many　of　her　acquaintances。　　One　friend　tells　how　she　represented　herself　as　a　half　orphan；　living　with　a　hard…hearted　step…mother。　　Demanding　promises　of　secrecy；　Gertrude　told　this　girl　about　a　sum　which　she　had　with　much　difficulty　gradually　saved　from　her　earnings　in　order　to　buy　needed　clothes。　　She　asked　the　friend　to　come　and　help　her　make　a　selection。　　（Now　the　20　or　so　that　was　spent　Gertrude　had　stolen。　　By　following　her　strange　impulse　she；　with　danger　to　herself；　related　a　complicated　story　to　this　other　girl　who　needed　to　know　nothing　of　any　part　of　the　affair。）　　We　have　knowledge　of　scores　of　other　fabrications　which　were　detected。　　They　include　her　alleged　attendance　at　a　course　of　lectures；　her　possession　of　a　certain　library　card；　and　her　working　in　various　places。　　For　many　of　these　stories　not　a　shadow　of　a　reason　appearedespecially　during　the　time　we　have　known　her　she　has　had　every　incentive　to　tell　the　truth　about　everything。

When　by　virtue　of　our　court　work　we　first　knew　the　case；　her　lying　centered　about　her　other　delinquencies；　but　even　so　its　peculiar　characteristics　stood　out　sharply。

Gertrude　was　held　to　the　adult　court　in　the　matter　of　the　forgery　of　a　check；　which　had　been　presented　in　an　envelope　to　a　bank　teller　by　her　and　cashed　as　in　the　regular　line　of　business　between　the　bank　and　the　firm　for　which　she　worked。　　Finding　the　girl　had　lied　about　her　age；　she　was　held；　after　the　preliminary　hearing；　to　the　proper　court。　　There；　in　turn；　she　did　not　appear　at　the　right　time；　it　being　stated　that　she　was　sick　in　a　hospital。　　One　officer　knew　better　and　further　investigation　showed　that　Gertrude　herself　had　come　to　the　court；　represented　herself　as　her　sister；　and　made　the　false　statement　about　the　illness。　　A　telephone　call　the　same　afternoon　to　her　house　Gertrude　answered。


Months　of　difficulty　with　the　case　began　now。　　Her　employer　and　all　concerned　experienced　much　difficulty　in　getting　at　the　truth　of　the　forgery；　particularly　through　her　clever　implication　of　a　man　who　had　no　easy　task　in　freeing　himself。　　Even　after　the　girl　confessed　herself　a　confirmed　liar　she　told　more　untruths　which　were　peculiarly　hard　to　unravel。　　Gertrude's　firm　bearing；　her　comparative　refinement　and　her　ability　made　every　one　unusually　anxious　to　do　her　justice；　and　to　save　her　from　her　own　self…damaging　tendencies。

During　the　continuance　of　the　case；　when　all　her　interests　demanded　her　good　behavior；　Gertrude　could　not　refrain　from　what　were　almost　orgies　of　lying　and　deceit。　　She　well　realized　how　this　would　count　against　her　and；　indeed；　wrote　letters　of　apology　repeatedly　for　her　misconduct。

‘‘Let　me　come　and　tell　you　all。　　The　time　has　come　when　things　must　stop；　therefore　I　feel　that　I　must　talk　to　someone。　　I　have　lived　a　lie　from　the　day　I　was　born　until　now。''

After　these　letters　she　went　on　making　false　statements　which　could　readily　be　checked　up。　　Nothing　is　any　more　curious　in　Gertrude's　case　than　the　anomaly　of　her　telling　several　of　us　who　tried　to　help　her　that　up　to　the　time　of　the　given　interview　she　had　not　thoroughly　realized　how　bad　it　was　to　lie；　and　how　she　now　felt　keenly　that　she　must　cease；　while　perhaps　at　the　end　of　the　very　same　interview　a　reaction　to　a　new　situation　would　produce　more　fabrications。　　Personally　I　have　seen　nothing　any　more　suggestive　of　the　typical　toper's　good　resolutions　and　sudden　falling　from　grace。

The　story　of　the　forged　check　was　fancifully　embellished　and　ever　more　details　were　supplied　at　pleasure。　　While　this　matter　was　under　investigation　Gertrude　stayed　away　from　home　several　nights；　two　of　which　have　never　been　accounted　for。　　She　told　fairly　plausible　stories　about　going　out　of　town；　but　she　first　should　have　studied　time　tables　to　make　them　wholly　convincing。　　The　mother；　too；　told　that　the　girl　had　been　out　of　town；　but　in　this　she　was　caught；　for　it　was　found　that　Gertrude　had　been　part　of　the　time　with　other　relatives。

The　main　story　of　the　check　involved　a　man　who　worked　in　the　same　office。　　She　stated　that　he　made　an　immoral　proposal　to　her　on　the　basis　of　immunity　from　prosecution。　　After　a　couple　of　months　Gertrude　got　round　to　confessing　that　she　alone　was　responsible　for　the　entire　forgery　and　that　her　previous　quite　clever　stories　were　not　true。　　Her　main　confession　was　made　in　the　form　of　a　long　letter　written　entirely　aside　from　the　influence　of　any　one。　　In　this　she　also　stated　that　she　had　stolen　money　and　jewelry；　which　was　known　to　have　been　taken。　　There　was