pathology of lying-第32节

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　overbalanced　gave　him　special　feelings　of　the　possibility　of　his　being　a　success　and　led　him　to　become　a　pathological　liar。　　From　the　family　history　the　main　suggestion　of　the　causation　of　the　mental　abnormality　is　in　illness　during　developmental　life；　but　neither　ante…natal　nor　hereditary　conditions　are　quite　free　from　suspicion。


At　the　time　of　this　first　trial　Adolf　maintained　a　very　smart　attitude　and　tried　to　show　off。　　He　had　succeeded　in　having　two　witnesses　subpoenaed　in　order　to　prove　that　he　did　not　hit　his　sister；　but　on　the　stand　it　came　out　that　one　of　them　was　not　there　at　all；　and　the　other；　who　was　a　little　girl；　stated　that　she　saw　Adolf　hit　some　one。　　Just　why　the　boy　had　these　witnesses　brought　in　was　difficult　to　explain。　　Perhaps　he　had　the　idea　that　some　one　ought　to　be　called　in　every　case；　or　perhaps　he　thought　they　would　be　willing　to　tell　an　untruth　for　him。　　His　statement　in　court　did　not　agree　with　what　he　had　told　us　and　was　utterly　different　from　what　his　sister　stated。　　It　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　me。　　I'm　going　along　their　line。

‘‘Do　you　know　I　got　sued　by　the　Evening　Star　for　libbel。　　That's　what　I　got　for　testifying　in　that　case。　　I　tell　you　what　I　would　like　and　that's　vice　investigation　work。''

At　another　time：　　‘‘Well；　doctor；　I　am　general　manager　for　my　brother's　business　now。　　He's　got　a　bottle　business。　　There's　money　in　that；　ain't　there？　　I　was　down　in　court　to…day。　　I　tell　you；　there　was　a　fellow　who　got　what　was　coming　to　him。　　It　was　a　case　before　Judge　H。assault　and　battery。　　He　was　fined　10　and　costsall　amounted　to　about　30。　　Well；　I　had　a　little　dog　and　I　tell　you　I　have　a　heart　for　animals　just　the　same　as　persons。　　He　kicked　the　dog　and　I　told　him　not　to　do　it　and　he　says；　‘You're　a　liar；'　and　then　he　ran　down　stairs　and　pushed　me　along　the　stones　over　there。　　I　called　the　police　and　they　did　not　come　for　about　three　quarters　of　an　hour。

‘‘I'm　studying　law。　　Taking　a　correspondence　course。　　They　give　you　an　L。L。B。　　It's　a　two　years　work　and　you　get　all　the　volumes　separat