The Manner of Man That Kills 



137 



derived benefit. But the time has 

 passed, Dr. Briggs thinks, when it is 

 the most useful method of treatment. 

 "When we find a germ that kills 

 people we do not annihilate it so that 

 it is impossible to learn more about it. 

 No, we put it under glass, nurse and 

 study it under different conditions, 

 find out its characteristics, its source 

 and how it develops, so that we may 

 be able to combat other germs of the 

 same kind and render them at least 

 harmless." So far as the individual 

 murderer is concerned, the author 

 argues that he should be turned over 

 to men of science for study which 

 would certainly benefit society more 

 than the present execution of the con- 

 vict does. 



But Dr. Briggs' principal interest 

 is in the prev^ention of such crimes. 

 Altogether apart from the humanita- 

 rian side, the mere financial cost of the 

 present system is excessive. It was 

 estimated that for 1921 in the state of 

 Massachusetts alone support of the 

 institutions for the feeble-minded and 

 insane would cost $8,400,000; pay- 

 ments for the Department of Public 

 Welfare $4,500,000; for Department of 

 Health $1,500,000; and Department of 

 Corrections $1,400,000, making a total 

 of $16,000,000, or 40% of the total 

 annual expenditure of the state, de- 

 voted to the defective, dependent, and 

 delinquent classes. 



As has often been pointed out, the 

 fundamental solution of this problem 

 is the institution of such eugenic 

 measures as will keep a large part of 

 the "three D's" from being born. 

 Dr. Briggs is little concerned with this 

 solution, although in the heredity of 

 the cases under consideration — Spen- 

 cer, Czolgosz, and Richeson — there is 

 abundant evidence of genetic defect 

 that could hardly produce anything 

 but trouble. 



Granted, however, that something 

 more than eugenics is needed to meet 

 the present emergency and to deal 

 with the existing generations, the 

 author urges that "there is no excuse 

 for any community not taking meas- 

 ures to recognize mental disease during 



its earliest manifestations. We should 

 recognize the defectives not only in the 

 schools but earlier, and then apply the 

 remedy and not cease diligently to 

 use all scientific means to cure mental 

 illness before the disease becomes 

 chronic, and so to direct and train the 

 mind of the defective that he will at 

 least become if not a useful, then a 

 harmless member of society. In 

 either case we must protect these 

 individuals and the community from 

 any harm consequent on their defec- 

 tiveness or disease by directing their 

 lives, if necessary, in hospitals and 

 schools." 



"Invariably an early study of the 

 personality of these individuals will 

 reveal certain character traits such as 

 jealousy, cruelty, suspicion, egotism, 

 negative self- feelings, false pride, etc., 

 which unless recognized and corrected 

 while their minds are still plastic will 

 eventually lead to paths which will 

 prevent them from making the proper 

 adaptation to their environment, the 

 'results being crime, pauperism, men- 

 tal, and physical disease. 



"On the other hand if these same 

 instinctive forces be guided and 

 directed and perhaps the environmen- 

 tal factors altered, and mental and 

 physical occupation selected to suit 

 each case, an avenue would be estab- 

 lished which would take that individ- 

 ual out of chaos into a useful and 

 happy life." 



"Some have undoubtedly been born 

 without any sense of moral responsi- 

 bility in their make-up, and a very 

 large number have been warned by 

 environment. Is it right to punish 

 these individuals?" 



"The alleged excuse for law is that 

 it will act as a deterrent. It does not so 

 act with the classes we have under 

 discussion. It did not so act with these 

 three individuals whose histories I 

 have written." It is now well known 

 that the minds of many criminals 

 "are often of such a calibre that the 

 fear of punishment does not deter them. 

 With minds so primitive that they do 

 not understand or fear death, or so 

 diseased that they do not appreciate 



