pathology of lying-第8章

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　investigated　until　after　a　long　rest。

The　next　day　Hazel　started　in　by　saying；　‘‘It's　enough　to　convince　anybody　that　I　was　not　in　the　hospital　when　Mrs。　B。　and　I　went　there　and　found　out　that　they　said　I　had　not　been　there。　　Truthfully　I　don't　know　where　I　was。　　If　I　was　not　there　I　must　have　been　some　place　or　I　must　have　been　in　a　trance。''　　The　long　stories　told　in　the　next　few　days　need　not　be　gone　into。　　They　contained　descriptions　of　life　with　her　family　in　several　towns　when　she　was　a　child；　of　her　graduation　from　the　high　school　in　Des　Moines；　and　of　her　experience　as　a　nurse　in　Cincinnati　and　Chicago。　　Our　cross…examination　disclosed　that　she　knew　a　good　many　facts　about　obstetrics；　in　which　she　said　she　had　had　training；　and　about　the　cities　where　she　said　she　had　lived。　　For　instance；　she　gave　a　description　of　the　Cliff　House　at　San　Francisco；　the　seals　on　the　rocks　there；　the　high　school　in　Des　Moines；　and　so　on。　　She　also　knew　about　life　at　army　posts。　　The　point　that　made　us　skeptical　was　when　in　mentioning　the　names　of　railroads　she　placed　the　wrong　towns　upon　them。　　For　instance；　she　told　us　her　brother　worked　on　the　L。　S。　&　M。　S。　at　Kenosha。

Hazel's　stories　were　successfully　maintained　for　several　days　until　a　shrewd　detective；　who　got　her　to　tell　some　street　numbers　in　Chicago；　ferreted　out　her　family。　　She　had　persistently　denied　the　existence　of　any　of　them　in　Chicago；　and；　indeed；　stated　that　her　father　and　mother　had　died　years　previously。　　One　of　the　most　convincing　things　about　her　was　her　poise；　she　displayed　an　attitude　of　sincerity　combined　with　a　show　of　deep　surprise　when　her　word　was　questioned。　　For　example；　the　moment　before　her　mother　was　brought　in　to　see　her；　she　was　asked　what　she　would　say　if　anyone　asserted　that　her　mother　was　in　the　next　room。　　Her　instantaneous；　emphatic　response　was；　‘‘She　would　have　to　rise　out　of　her　grave　to　be　there。''

We　soon　learned　that　not　a　single　detail　the　girl　had　given　about　her　family　was　true。　　She　was　born　and　brought　up　in　Chicago　and　had　never　been　outside　of　the　city。　　She　had　never　studied　nursing　nor　had　she　ever　nursed　anybody。　　In　public　school　she　had　reached　eighth　grade。

Hazel　came　of　an　intelligent　family　and　we　were　able　to　get　a　good　account　of　the　family　and　developmental　history。　　Heredity　seems　completely　negative　as　far　as　any　nervous　or　mental　abnormalities　are　concerned。　　She　is　one　of　seven　children；　four　of　whom　are　living；　three　having　died　in　infancy。　　The　father　had　just　recently　died　of　tuberculosis。　　There　has　been　no　trouble　with　the　other　children　of　any　significance　for　us。　　Pregnancy　with　Hazel　was　healthy；　but　the　mother　suffered　a　considerable　shock　when　she　stood　on　a　passenger　boat　by　the　side　of　a　man　who　jumped　overboard　and　committed　suicide。　　The　birth　was　difficult。　　The　child　weighed　12　lbs。　　Instruments　were　used；　it　was　a　breech　presentation。　　At　2　years　of　age　Hazel　was　very　ill　with　gastritis　and　what　was　said　to　be　spinal　meningitis。　　She　had　some　convulsions　then。　　Had　both　walked　and　talked　when　she　was　about　16　months　of　age。　　During　childhood　she　had　a　severe　strabismus　and　at　8　years　of　age　was　operated　upon　for　it。　　Vision　has　always　been　practically　nil　in　one　eye。　　Several　diseases　of　childhood　she　had　in　mild　form。　　After　she　was　2　years　of　age　she　had　no　more　convulsions；　or　spasms；　or　attacks　of　any　kind。　　From　the　standpoint　of　general　nervousness　Hazel　was　said　to　be　one　of　the　calmest　in　the　family；　although　she　was　accustomed　to　drink　five　or　six　cups　of　coffee　a　day。　　Menstruation　at　13　years；　no　irregularity。

On　examination　we　found　a　very　well　nourished　and　well　developed　young　woman　of　slouchy　attitude　and　normal　expression。　　Vision　very　defective　in　one　eye　and　10/20；　even　with　glasses；　in　the　other。　　Slight　strabismus。　　General　strength　good。　　Examination　otherwise　negative　except　for　the　fact　that　she　had　been　infected　with　the　diplococcus　of　Neisser。

Mental　tests　proved　her　to　have　quite　normal　ability。　　Neither　special　ability　nor　disabilities　of　significance　were　discovered。　　For　present　discussion　it　is　of　interest　to　note　that　in　the　‘‘Aussage''　Test　she　gave　a　functional　account；　enumerating　16　items；　2　of　which　were　incorrect；　and　accepted　none　of　the　suggestions　which　were　offered。

The　mother　and　sister　brought　out　the　facts　that　Hazel　had　been　giving　an　assumed　name　recently　and　lying　about　her　age。　　She　had　alleged　that　she　was　married。　　In　the　last　year　she　had　run　away　from　home　on　several　occasions。　　At　one　time　had　written　to　her　mother　about　her　happy　married　life。　　One　letter　reads；　‘‘Dearest　Mother：I　can　picture　your　dear　face　when　you　receive　my　letter。　　I　know　you　have　your　doubts　about　the　matter；　the　same　as　I　had　the　first　few　days。　　But　mama；　you　know　I　love　him　and　I　have　the　satisfaction　of　being　a　married　woman　before　Annie　is。''　　In　the　letter　she　describes　the　appearance　of　her　imaginary　husband；　tells　about　her　new　dress　and　gloves　and　‘‘the　prettiest　little　wedding　ring　that　was　ever　made。''　　In　another　letter　she　says；　‘‘It　is　just　one　o'clock　A。M。　and　Jack　has　just　gone　to　sleep　and　so　I　stole　a　little　time　to　write；''　etc。　　（It　was　later　shown　by　the　stationery　used；　and　by　the　girl's　final　confession；　that　these　letters　were　written　in　the　rest　room　of　a　department　store。）

Hazel's　lying　began；　it　seems；　when　she　was　a　little　girl。　　She　would　come　home　from　school　and　out　of　whole　cloth　relate　incidents　which　occurred　on　the　way　home。　　One　of　her　earliest　efforts　was　about　being　chased　by　a　white　horse。　　The　mother　states　that　for　years　she　has　had　to　check　Hazel　because　she　recognized　her　remarkable　tendencies　in　this　direction。　　The　father's　death　was　somewhat　of　a　shock　and　it　seems　that　after　this　the　girl's　other　delinquencies　began。　　Prior　to　the　time　she　first　went　away　from　home　she　had　some　sort　of　hysterical　spells　when　she　said　she　could　see　her　father　lying　in　his　coffin　before　her　in　the　room。　　Her　behavior　became　quite　outrageous　with　some　young　man　in　her　own　household　at　just　about　this　time。　　Not　that　she　was　immoral；　although　she　once　suddenly　blurted　out　in　the　parlor　a　grave　self…accusation：　　‘‘Now；　John；　mother　thinks　you　must　be　careful。　　You　know　I　am　a　prostitute。''　　When　we　first　saw　her　she　had　been　away　from　home　four　times；　on　this　last　occasion　for　three　weeks。　　Before　she　went　she　had　said　she　wanted　to　kill　herself。　　Mother　had　notified　the　police　but　no　trace　of　her　was　found。

From　Hazel's　own　story　told　at　this　time　and　even　after　she　became　more　stable　it　seems　very　likely　that　her　bad　tendencies　began　with　her　acquaintance　with　a　certain　rather　notorious　woman。　　Her　mother　came　to　believe　that　this　was　undoubtedly　the　fact。　　Our　inquiry　into　beginnings　brought　to　light　the　fact　that　Hazel　while　a　school　girl　for　long　associated　with　this　woman　who　taught　her　about　sex　immoralities。　　‘‘I　don't　believe　my　mother　knows　what　this　Mrs。　R。　did　to　me　or　she　would　have　her　arrested。　　She　started　me　on　all　this。　　When　I　was　about　11　years　old　I　first　knew　of　those　things。　　The　first　I　ever　heard　was　from　that　woman's　daughter。　　I　never　said　anything　to　my　mother。　　I　was　always　ashamed　of　myself　to　say　anything　about　it。　　After　I　got　to　working　with　factory　girls　I　heard　a　lot　about　it。''　　The　mother　told　us　later　that　she　thought　it　probable　from　what　she　now　knew　that　this　Mrs。　R。　may　have　been　largely　responsible　for　Hazel's　tendency　to　delinquency。　　Hazel　kept　this　association　of　several　years'　standing　quite　to　herself。　　The　mother　remembers　now　how　Hazel　once　stayed　for　hours　after　school　and　told　a　story　in　explanation　that　they　felt　sure　was　untrue。　　The　teachers　used　to　tell　the　mother　that　Hazel　seemed　as　if　she　couldn't　pay　attention　to　her　school　work。　　One　teacher　reported　to　us　that　she　remembers　Hazel　as　a　girl　who　seemed　peculiar　and　hysterical。　　The　other　girls　called　her　queer　and　used　to　steer　clear　of　her。

The　mother　reports　Hazel　as　being　for　several　years　impulsive；　erratic；　talkative；　untidy；　and　rather　dishonest　in　other　small　ways　besides　lyingall　this　in　spite　of　vigorous　home　discipline。　　The　girl　at　one　time　under　the　influence　of　revival　meetings　left　the　religious　faith　of　her　parents。　　However；　they　thought　if　any　form　of　religion　would　make　her　better　it　would　be　all　right。

At　our　last　interview　with　Hazel　before　she　was　sent　away；　an　interview　which　she　prefaced　by　saying；　‘‘I　want　to　apologize　for　everything　I　did；''　the　girl　showed　herself　unable　to　avoid　prevarications。　　Coming　back；　for　instance；　to　the　subject　of　her　schooling　she　tells　us　how　she　won　a　graduating　medal。　　This　her　mother　said　was　untrue。

About　her　own　lying　tendencies　she　confessed　that　sometimes　she　hardly　knew　whether　things　were　really　so　or　not。　　Asked　about　her　knowledge　of　other　cities；　‘‘I　read　a　whole　lot　and　learn　things　in　that　way。　　I　used　to　have　to　write　compositions　and　imagine　we　were　going　places。　　I　was　pretty　good　at　that。''　　One　felt　very　uncertain　about　Hazel's　mental　condition　when　in　almost　the　same　breath　she　denied　having　said　anything　about　the　seals　on　the　rocks　at　San　Francisco；　or　about　obstetrical　cases；　but；　of　course；　the　denial　may　have　been　itself　another　falsification。　　Her　knowledge　of　army　affairs　was　gained　through　her　acquaintance　with　young　soldiers。　　An　unusual　amount　of　what　she　heard　or　read　was　photographed　with　the　greatest　clearness　in　her　mind　and　was　recalled　most　vividly。

A　peculiarity　of　Hazel's　case　which　was　quite　obvious　was　her　lack　of　apperception　concerning　her　own　interests。　　Her　lies　all　along；　after　her　identity　was　discovered；　were　so　easy　to　trace；　and　they　so　quickly　rebounded　upon　her；　that　there　seemed　every　reason　for　her　to　desist。　　Nothing　so　clearly　proved　the　absence　of　self…realization　as　her　feeling　under　detention　that　other　girls　with　whom　she　was　in　forced　association　were　much　beneath　her　in　quality；　although　many　of　them　were　not　nearly　so　untidy　and　had　not　been　nearly　so　immoral。　　During　all　this　period　of　several　months；　beginning　with　her　running　away　and　her　writing　the　housewifely　letters　about　her　imaginary　married　life；　and　ending　with　her　appeal　for　aid　at　the　social　center；　Hazel　was　indulging　in　veritable　orgies　of　lying。　　When　away　from　home　she　several　times　picked　up　men　on　the　street　and　stayed　at　hotels　with　them。

At　the　time　of　our　first　studies　of　this　case　we　hardly　dared　to　offer　either　a　mental　or　moral　prognosis。

In　the　institution　for　delinquent　young　women　to　which　she　was　sent　Hazel's　traits　were　long　maintained。　　She　proved　very　troublesome　on　account　of　lies　to　her　family；　to　the　officers；　and　to　the　other　girls。　　The　latter　soon　discovered；　however；　the　peculiar　lack　of　foundation　for　her　stories。　　In　the　institution　was　also　noted　the　tendency　to　untidiness　of　which　her　mother　spoke。　　The　authorities　steadily　persevered　with　Hazel。　　They　secured　another　operation　on　her　eye；　which　successfully　straightened　it；　and　she　became　fully　‘‘cured''　of　her　pelvic　disease。　　She　received　instruction　in　a　form　of　handicraft　in　which　she　quickly　showed　special　dexterity　and　skill。　　Her　tendencies　to　falsify　gradually　became　less。　　About　two　years　later　the　mother　again　assumed　control　with　great　success。

This