pathology of lying-第34节

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　position　during　his　minority；　polling　a　considerable　vote　at　the　primaries。　　Following　his　defeat　at　election；　which　was　at　the　time　when　the　new　party　showed　marked　weakness；　Adolf　told　us　that　he；　after　all；　was　only　in　the　Progressive　Party　to　wreck　it。　　He　felt　that　the　leaders　belonged　back　in　the　Republican　ranks；　and　he　thought　he　could　help　to　get　them　there。

…　　　　Mentality：　Subnormal　verbalist　type。　　　　　　　　　Case　12。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Man；　21　years。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Developmental：　Early　illness　with　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　involvement　of　nervous　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　system。　　　　　　　Delinquencies：　　　　　　　　　　　　Lying　excessive。　　　　　Swindling。　　　　　　Stealing。　…




CHAPTER　IV

CASES　OF　PATHOLOGICAL　ACCUSATION

We　include　in　this　chapter　pathological　self…accusation　as　well　as　incrimination　of　others。　　In　court　work　one　sees　many　cases　of　false　accusation；　but　few　belong　to　the　pathological　variety。　　We　have　not　considered　those　based　upon　vindictiveness；　or　self…defense；　or　where　any　other　even　slight；　recognizable；　normal　gratification　was　at　the　bottom。　　We　have　tried　to　hold　strictly　to　our　definition。　　Selection　of　the　cases　for　this　chapter　has　been　easier　than　discriminating　those　who　are　merely　pathological　liars　in　general。　　It　is　simpler　to　distinguish　those　who　accuse　others　for　the　purpose　of　injury　or　self…protection；　or　those　who　make　self…accusation　under　the　influence　of　delusional　conditions；　than　it　is　to　decide　upon　similar　distinctions　in　cases　of　mere　pathological　lying。　　Several　authors；　such　as　Gross；　have　noted　false　accusations　made　during　a　short　period　of　early　adolescence；　or　in　connection　with　menstrual　disturbance。　　Our　cases　corroborate　these　facts；　but　show　also　that　extreme　false　accusations　may　be　made　by　girls　BEFORE　puberty。　　Satisfactory　knowledge　of　such　cases　is　not　gained　by　learning　merely　that　the　accuser　is　under　temporary　physical　stressit　is　to　be　noted　that　our　material　clearly　shows　that　there　is　always　more　in　the　background。

The　many　cases　observed　by　us　of　false　accusations　made；　rarely；　by　the　feebleminded　and；　more　often；　by　those　suffering　from　a　psychosis；　need　not　be　mentioned　herethey　are　obvious　in　their　abnormality　and　have　little　bearing　upon　our　immediate　problem。

For　the　sake　of　illustration　of　the　fact　of　pathological　accusation　Case　17　is　given　in　this　chapter；　but　in　its　mental　aspects　it　belongs　more　properly　under　the　head　of　border…line　cases。　　In　our　final　deductions　this　has　not　been　counted　as　a　mentally　normal　case。


CASE　13

Summary：　　An　exceedingly　important　case　from　a　legal　standpoint。　　A　girl　of　16　years　persistently；　but　falsely　accused　her　own　mother　and　her　step…father　of　the　murder　of　the　youngest　child　of　the　family。　　Some　apparent　physical　corroboration　was　found。　　The　woman　and　her　spouse　were　held　from　the　inquest　to　the　grand　jury　and　later　were　indicted。　　They　were　in　jail　for　four　months　until　the　case　was　finally　tried；　when　they　were　discharged。


We　studied　Libby　S。　as　a　delinquent　some　eight　months　after　her　mother　and　step…father　had　been　acquitted　of　murder。　　These　unfortunate　people　had　been　held　and　tried　almost　entirely　upon　the　testimony　given　by　this　girl。　　It　goes　without　saying　that　they　were　very　poor　and　not　ordinarily　self…assertive；　and　so　did　not　obtain　competent　legal　advice。　　We　were　naturally　interested　in　this　remarkable　affair　and　were　glad　to　be　able　to　get　at　the　truth　of　the　matter　and　bring　about　forgiveness　and　reconciliation　within　the　family　circle。

Libby　was　now　under　arrest　for　stealing　and　for　prostitution。　　Her　statement　to　us　was　that　she　had　been　immoral　and　wanted　to　be　sent　away　to　an　institution　where　she　would　be　kept　out　of　trouble。　　She　had　been　working　in　a　factory。　　Her　mother　and　step…father　were　temperate　and　the　latter　was　always　good　to　her　and　to　her　brother。　　She　told　about　being　extremely　nervous　when　she　got　to　thinking　about　different　things；　and　maintained　that　she　worried　so　much　at　times　that　she　did　not　know　what　she　was　doing。　　Later　we　learned　from　her　of　her　little　sister's　death；　of　the　fact　that　the　child　was　not　really　her　sister；　and　that　her　mother　had　not　been　married　to　her　present　husband　until　the　time　of　the　trial；　although　for　long　they　had　been　living　together。　　She　added　that　she　had　been　a　witness　five　times　in　court　against　her　mother　and　step…father。　　A　younger　brother　had　also　testified　against　them　to　some　minor　extent。　　‘‘We　had　to　tell　what　we　sawwe　told　enough　lies　as　it　was。''

Following　the　latter　remark　as　a　clew　we　went　as　thoroughly　as　we　could　into　the　details　of　the　whole　case。　　No　report　of　the　court　proceedings　being　available　we　obtained　what　we　could　from　the　newspaper　accounts。　　Obviously；　however；　much　of　these　was　impressionistic　and　unreliable。　　The　coroner's　physician　testified　to　many　bruises　being　on　the　body；　and　to　the　bottom　of　the　feet　being　blistered。　　The　report　of　what　the　police　said　at　the　inquest　made　anything　but　conclusive　testimony。　　Even　from　that；　the　murder　seemed　highly　improbable。　　It　was　shown　that　a　physician　was　called　to　the　child　before　she　died；　but　did　not　respond。　　Libby　testified　at　the　inquest　and　later　against　her　mother；　stating　that　the　child　had　been　beaten　and　tortured　in　various　ways。　　We　also　learned　from　other　than　newspaper　sources　that　when　Libby　was　waiting　to　testify；　with　her　mother　suffering　imprisonment　in　the　same　building；　the　girl　was　nonchalantly　singing　ragtime　songs　in　the　court…house　corridors。

The　facts　about　the　alleged　murder　of　the　five　year　old　child　as　we　could　finally　summarize　them　from　various　accounts；　and　after　hearing　the　confession　of　Libby；　are　as　follows。　　This　child　was　an　epileptic　and　had　frequent　attacks　of　falling；　when　she　injured　herself；　once　having　fallen　in　this　way　against　a　hot　stove。　　The　little　child　engaged　in　extremely　bad　sex　habits。　　Indeed；　Libby　herself　had　been　somewhat　involved　with　her　in　these。　　Once　when　she　was　ill　hot　bricks　had　been　placed　in　the　bed；　and；　while　unconscious；　her　feet　had　been　blistered。　　The　child　had　also　suffered　from　various　other　ailments；　including　a　skin　disease　which　left　sore　places　and　scars。　　When　she　died　Libby　first　told　a　neighbor　that　the　parents　were　responsible　and　this　person　referred　her　to　the　police。　　The　false　testimony　began　there　and　continued　at　the　inquest；　before　the　grand　jury；　and　at　the　trial。　　Upon　thorough　final　sifting　of　the　evidence　in　court　nothing　was　found　in　the　least　indicating　that　the　child　had　died　from　mistreatment。　　The　younger　brother　had　been　told　by　Libby　to　testify　against　the　mother。　　There　was　no　question　but　that　Libby　started　and　continued　the　whole　trouble；　but　the　unnatural　fact　that　she　was　willing　to　make　sworn　statements　jeopardizing　her　mother　made　her　testimony　have　all　the　earmarks　of　antecedent　probability。

The　mother　herself；　in　whom　we　gradually　came　to　have　full　confidence；　informed　us　that　the　dead　child　had　an　epileptic　attack　and　was　unconscious　for　several　hours　before　she　died。　　They　lived　on　the　outskirts　of　the　city　and　it　was　bad　weather；　and　although　they　sent　twice　for　doctors；　no　one　appeared。　　The　child　had　been　mildly　whipped　at　times　in　an　attempt　to　cure　her　of　her　bad　sex　habits。　　She　had　many　sores　from　her　skin　trouble　and　these　were　by　some　interpreted　as　caused　by　beatings。

When　under　our　observation；　and　during　our　attempt　to　analyze　her　career；　Libby　underwent　a　change　of　attitude　and　confessed　thoroughly　and　definitely　that　the　story　about　the　murder　was　lies　all　the　way　through。　　For　the　sake　of　the　poor　little　mother　we　had　the　girl　make　a　sworn　statement　to　this　effect。　　It　was　of　some　little　interest　to　us　to　note　that　the　police　account　given　in　the　newspapers　about　the　little　child　being　beaten　with　a　rubber　hose　was　derived　from　the　story　told　by　Libby。　　It　was　a　wonderfully　dramatic　and　pathetic　scene　when　this　woman　met　her　daughter　and　the　latter　confessed　to　her　lies　and　asked　forgiveness。　　All　the　mother　could　say　was；　‘‘Oh；　the　suffering　she　has　caused　me！　　But　I　do　want　her　to　be　a　good　girl。''

From　the　girl's　long　stories　to　us　we　may　derive　the　following　points　of　interest。　　Before　her　confession　she　was　very　emotional　on　the　subject　of　her　little　sister。　　She　dwelled　much　upon　her　dreams　of　the　child；　but　proved　self…contradictory　about　the　matter　of　her　death；　as　well　as　about　her　own　history。　　Even　then　she　began　telling　us　what　a　bad　girl　she　herself　was　in　various　ways。　　She　said；　‘‘I　did　not　see　Laura　die；　but　I　guess　they　did　burn　her　up　because　her　finger　tips　were　all　gone　and　her　hands　were　all　swollen　up。　　Ma　said　she　would　burn　her　up　if　she　did　not　quit　wetting　the　bed。　　Yes；　I　used　to　worry　about　Laura　awful。　　She　always　had　been　the　trouble。　　I　would　have　been　a　good　girl　if　it　had　not　been　for　her。　　I　used　to　worry　so　fierce　that　I　could　not　help　from　stealing　and　then　when　I　stole　I　was　scared　to　go　back　to　my　jobs。　　I　had　to　have　money　and　so　I　made　good　money　by　going　with　these　fellows。　　I　used　to　feel　fierce　about　the　money　I　took　from　my　mother　and　used　to　put　it　back　and　then　would　say；　‘No；　I　just　must　ha