THE RELATIONS OF WOMEN TO CRIME. 341 



dale's very probable law of criminal analogues or equivalents. Hence 

 we may say, with almost positive certainty, that the children of both 

 sexes, with the inherited taint, are paupers ; that adult life in the 

 male is distinguished by pauperism and crime ; that adult life in the 

 female is devoted to prostitution, and that old age brings both sexes 

 again to the state of pauperism. And here again we encounter the 

 phenomenon revealed by an analysis of Mr. Nelson's statistics : the 

 criminal equivalent existing between childhood and senility. It is 

 childhood and old age joining hands, as it were, over the fevered and 

 crime-laden middle life. But, while the moral faculties are absent, 

 the mental powers are perverted to an equal degree. Any one accus- 

 tomed to closely observe confirmed criminals must be cognizant 

 of the fact that they are not as othar men in their habits of mind. 

 What one observes may not be called insanity, in the full meaning of 

 the word, but it appears to be a departure from the standard one 

 forms from mingling with average men. I have noticed this especially 

 with regard to women. From an experience of two years with crim- 

 inal women undergoing punishment in the Onondaga Penitentiary, I 

 cannot recall an instance in which menta. traits were wanting to dis- 

 tinguish them from the average woman. In this class mental pecu- 

 liarities may be intensified into actual insanity, and the tendency to it 

 exist stronger than in any other class. M. Ribot' shows that heredi- 

 tary crime and insanity are closely connected, and refers to Drs. Fer- 

 rus and Lelut, who have established the great frequency of insanity 

 among criminals. Dr. Bruce Thompson, in a recent work,'' supports 

 this by figures, and proves that twelve per centum of insanity occurs 

 among prisoners, with fifty per centum of recommittals, revealing the 

 strength of the inherited tendency. 



The two more important inherited criminal traits which reveal 

 sexual types in their development are pauperism and prostitution. 

 Pauperism appears to be as characteristic of the male sex as prostitu- 

 tion is of the female. The ratio of sexes receiving relief is twenty per 

 cent, of men to thirteen per cent, of women, in out-door, and thirteen 

 per cent, of men to 9.5 per cent, of women in almshouse relief. De 

 Marsangy fixes the ratio at seven times more vagabondage among 

 men than women.' As a rule, women receive relief if single while 

 child-bearing, and if married they follow the condition of the hus- 

 band ; while widows drift back into prostitution. " Thus we find," 

 remarks Mr. Dugdale, " that although the rates of wages are lower 

 for women, charity is much more frequent among men." * The above 

 relates to those who are known to receive relief. The hereditary 

 strength of the last-named ofiense is shown by the Juke family, so 



1 " Heredity," p. 29. ^ a The Hereditary Nature of Crime." 



3 " Etude sur la Moralite comparee de la Femme et de rHomme," par M. Bonne- 

 ville de Marsangy. 

 * Loc. cit., p. 161. 



