pathology of lying-第47节

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s　we　have　observed　in　court　work　a　number　of　times。


Nellie　M。；　when　brought　to　us　by　her　grandmother；　following　the　girl's　experience　with　the　police　who　had　been　told　by　her　of　immoralities　practiced；　was　found　to　be　rather　a　nice　looking　and　gentle　girl；　pleasant　and　responsive　with　us。

On　the　physical　side　we　found　her　to　be　poorly　developed　and　nourished。　　Weight　93　lbs。；　height　4　ft。　9　in。　　Vision　about　20/40　in　each　eye；　but　wears　glasses　which　correct　this。　　Rather　poor　color。　　Complains　somewhat　of　headaches。　　Marked　tremor　of　outstretched　hands。　　Moderate　amount　of　choreic　movements　in　arms　and　legs；　exaggerated　when　attention　distracted。　　Knee　jerks　exaggerated。　　Conjunctival　and　palatal　reflexes　almost　absent。　　Small　regular　features。　　Well　shaped　head。　　Said　to　drink　at　least　4　cups　of　tea　a　day。　　Heart　sounds　negative。

Mentally；　she　seemed　to　be　fairly　normal　in　ability；　but　was　undoubtedly　in　a　peculiar　psychical　condition。　　She　had　reached　7th　grade　in　spite　of　much　moving　about；　even　to　different　cities。　　We　found　evidence　of　lack　of　good　apperceptive　powers　and　the　history　of　the　case　led　us　to　see　clearly　that　she　had　been　just　recently　in　a　very　unstable；　if　not　quite　confusional　mental　condition。

The　‘‘Aussage''　or　Testimony　Test　was　not　given　in　this　case。

The　history　of　heredity　and　development　shows　many　points　of　importance。　　The　mother　died　when　Nellie　was　a　very　little　girl。　　She　was　terribly　abused　by　a　husband　who　was　excessively　alcoholic　and　in　general　a　tremendous　brute。　　They　lived　in　a　roadhouse　where　drunken　fights　were　not　uncommon。　　Nellie　has　been　brought　up　since　her　mother's　death　by　other　relatives。　　Outside　of　alcoholism　on　the　father's　side　there　is　said　to　be　no　family　peculiarities。　　The　mother　came　from　a　very　reputable　family。　　Nellie　suffered　early　from　several　severe　illnesses。　　When　only　six　weeks　old　she　is　said　to　have　been　in　a　comatose　condition　with　scarlet　fever　and　diphtheria。　　Later　she　had　measles；　whooping　cough　and　other　mild　ailments；　and　at　one　time　suffered　extremely　from　constipation。　　Walked　and　talked　early。　　No　convulsions。　　Menstruated　first　several　months　ago。　　Sometimes　complains　of　severe　headaches。　　One　observer　reported　that　the　girl　had　been　subject　to　slight　melancholia　within　the　last　year。　　Choreic　movements　have　been　present　off　and　on　for　about　a　year；　but　have　not　been　marked　until　a　little　while　previous　to　the　incident　which　brought　her　to　us。　　The　diagnosis　had　been　made　that　it　was　a　case　of　mild　St。　Vitus　dance。　　During　all　the　year　Nellie　had　been　regarded　as　in　general　unreliable；　but　nothing　of　importance　had　happened　prior　to　the　above　episode。

Nellie's　story　as　told　to　us　seemed　coherent　enough。　　Apparently　she　had　entire　memory　of　her　past　actions　and；　in　general；　of　what　she　had　said。　　Her　own　statements　convinced　us　as　much　as　anything　else　of　her　unreliability　at　times。　　It　seems　she　had　run　away　and　gone　to　a　picture　show　and　had　fallen　asleep　there。　　When　she　got　out　it　was　very　late；　but　it　was　election　night　and　people　were　about　on　the　street。　　She　finally　was　accosted　by　a　woman　who　took　her　home。　　After　her　story　of　being　led　off　by　a　man　the　police　were　called　into　the　case　and　she　gave　them　her　remarkable　statement。　　Nellie　told　us　of　picking　up　with　a　man；　too；　who　lured　her　to　a　theatre；　but　who　left　her　there。　　There　was　no　way　of　corroborating　this。　　She　fully　acknowledged　to　us　the　lies　which　had　created　so　much　trouble。　　‘‘Well；　I　was　telling　the　first　lies　and　then　when　I　was　going　to　tell　him　that　I　knew　that　I　was　telling　wrong　he　acted　so　cranky　and　said　such　things　to　me。　　He　said　he　knew　somebody　had　done　bad　things　to　me　and　so　I　thought　I　had　to　give　the　name　of　somebody　and　so　I　gave　those　names。

‘‘The　girls　around　in　the　schools　I　used　to　go　to　talked　about　these　things。　　I　never　went　with　them。　　I　was　always　by　myself。　　None　of　the　boys　said　bad　things。　　The　police　were　so　cranky　I　did　not　know　what　else　to　say。　　They　said　someone　must　have　done　it　to　me　when　I　was　younger　and　I　said　it　was　my　cousin　because　he　always　used　to　want　to。　　He　said　he　would　give　me　a　pair　of　skates　if　I　would。　　He　was　13。　　I　never　asked　my　grandmother　or　anyone　about　these　things。　　No　one　ever　explained　it　to　me。　　Just　the　girls　are　the　ones　who　told　me　about　these　things。　　They　told　me　themselves　how　they　had　been　out　at　night　with　the　boys。　　I　never　did　do　it　with　anybody。''

Examination　by　a　gynecologist　about　this　time　showed　positively　that　there　had　been　no　immoral　relations；　and　after　our　findings　the　case　became　a　closed　incident　so　far　as　prosecuting　anybody　was　concerned。　　Nellie　was　taken　in　hand　by　the　family　physician　and　no　further　delinquencies　or　false　accusations　have　been　complained　of　during　the　succeeding　two　years。

Outside　of　the　girl's　general　frank　bearing；　undoubtedly　a　point　rather　indicating　to　the　police　possible　truth　in　her　statements；　was　the　detail　in　which　the　alleged　events　were　given。　　The　signed　statement　coming　from　an　apparently　naive　girl　of　15　would　seem　in　its　clearness　and　coherency　to　bear　the　earmarks　of　truth。　　We　always　regarded　this　case　as　one　of　our　interesting　examples　showing　the　unreliability　of　girl　witnesses；　especially　those　who　have　had　unfortunate　experiences；　even　though　merely　mental；　with　sex　affairs。

…　　Mentality：　　Mild　choreic　psychosis。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Case　23。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Girl；　age　15　years。　　　　　　　　　　　Early　clandestine　sex　teachings。　　　　　　　Delinquencies：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Mentality：　　　　　　　　　　　　Running　away。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Normal　ability；　　　　　　　　　　　False　accusations。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　temporary　aberration。　…


　　　CASE　24

Summary：　　A　girl　of　16　whose　general　conditions　won　ready　sympathy　created　much　trouble。　　She　repeatedly　made　serious　accusations　against　a　man　and　her　attempt　at　suicide　made　her　statement　seem　convincing。　　Further　study　showed　the　absolute　falsity　of　her　charges。　　It　was　a　case　of　hysteria　which　had　developed　largely　upon　a　basis　of　injurythere　was　a　traumatic　psychoneurosis。　　Under　good　treatment　she　made　a　fine　recovery；　there　being　no　more　indulgence　in　pathological　accusations；　although　her　nervous　symptoms　recurred　for　a　short　time　after　a　couple　of　years。


At　the　time　when　we　first　saw　Georgia　B。　she　was　somewhat　over　16　years　old　and　had　been　only　5　years　in　this　country。　　We　saw　her　because　she　had　run　away　from　home　and　attempted　suicide。　　From　the　latter　she　had　been　rescued；　and　then　had　accused　a　neighbor　of　raping　her。　　The　case　proved　to　be　very　troublesome　until　the　nature　of　the　whole　affair　was　understood。

We　found　a　thin　and　anemic　girl；　not　at　all　prepossessing　in　appearance；　dull　in　expression；　suffering　from　a　chronic　suppurating　otitis　media。

On　the　mental　side　we　had　much　trouble　in　conducting　an　examination　because　she　was　greatly　given　to　tears。　　She　did　work　for　us　on　a　few　tests　and　her　efforts　would　have　been　graded　as　those　of　a　feebleminded　person　if　her　emotional　state　had　been　left　out　of　account。　　Even　our　physical　examination　was　largely　hindered　through　her　crying。　　However；　her　story　was　told　in　a　straightforward　way　and　with　that　show　of　emotion　which　had　previously　convinced　others　that　grave　injustice　had　been　done　her。　　Distinct　proof　of　hysteria　was　present；　for　instance；　on　one　occasion　in　the　middle　of　a　test　Georgia　apparently　became　unconscious。　　Her　head　dropped　to　the　table；　but　her　lips　were　red；　her　face　did　not　change　color；　she　resisted　having　her　head　moved；　and　in　a　moment　or　two　lifted　it　herself　to　a　more　comfortable　position。　　The　diagnosis　from　such　symptoms　as　these　and　from　her　history　was　not　difficult　to　make。

The　‘‘Aussage''　test；　for　obvious　reasons；　was　not　given。

Georgia　told　her　story　with　surprising　coherency；　in　outline；　it　was　as　follows：　　She　ran　away　from　home；　and　then　was　put　under　protection　of　the　police　authorities　by　a　man　who　caught　her。　　She　said　she　was　caught　when　standing　by　a　drug　store　where　she　had　been　to　get　medicine；　just　ten　cents　worth　of　peroxide。　　When　asked　by　us　if　it　were　not　really　carbolic　acid　she　called　for；　she　said　yes；　it　was　and　that　she　intended　to　take　it。　　She　wanted　to　get　rid　of　her　life。　　What　could　she　do　in　the　way　of　living？　　Her　father　and　mother　were　both　sick　and　they　could　not　live　long　and　then　how　could　she　get　along　taking　care　of　three　little　children？　　When　asked　if　her　parents　would　not　be　terribly　affected　by　her　suicide　she　said　that　it　would　not　be　the　first　time　they　had　buried　a　child。　　At　this　time　she　would　go　no　further　into　her　history。

On　the　next　day　she　talked　straight　to　the　point；　but　with　a　remarkably　dull　expression　on　her　face。　　She　said　that　about　five　weeks　ago；　she　cannot　tell　the　exact　date；　she　went　to　a　neighbor's　house。　　A　man　there　wanted　her　to　come　and　look　at　some　pictures。　　He　finally　got　her　to　go　to　a　bedroom　and　then　held　her　so　she　could　not　scream；　and　raped　her。　　She　is　sure　of　it。　　He　later　choked　and　beat　her　and　kicked　her　out　of　the　house。　　At　first　she　was　afraid　to　tell　her　people。　　A　couple　of　weeks　afterward　she　went　back　and　asked　why　he　did　that；　and　he　swore　at　her　and　accused　her　of　being　bad；　and　she