criminal psychology-第114章

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＇1＇　F。　Heerwazen　Statistische　Untersuchung　ber　Trume　und　Schlaf。　Wundt's　Philosophische　Studien　V；　1889。

　that　such　somnambulistic　conduct　occurs　most　frequently　among　the　younger；　more　powerful；　over…strained　people；　who；　e。　g。；　have　not　slept　for　two　successive　nights；　and　then　have　been　awakened　from　deep　sleep。　It　is　remarkable　that　they　often　act　intelligently　under　such　circumstancesthat　the　physician　writes　the　proper　prescription　or　the　factory　superintendent　gives　the　proper　orders；　but　neither　knows　anything　about　it　later　on。　Criminalistically　their　significance　lies　on　the　one　hand　in　the　fact　that　they　can　be　investigated　with　regard　to　their　correctness；　and　on　the　other　that　they　occur　to　people　who　had　no　reason　to　falsify。　If　a　defendant　tells　about　some　such　experience；　we　lack　the　means　and　the　power　to　make　an　accurate　examination　of　the　matter；　and　tend　for　this　reason　to　disbelieve　him。　Moreover；　his　very　position　throws　doubt　upon　his　statements。　But　this　is　just　the　ground　for　a　careful　study　of　similar　occurrences　in　trustworthy　people。＇1＇　All　authorities　agree　that　actions　during　sleepiness＇2＇　occur　almost　always　in　the　first　deep　sleep；　disturbed　by　dreams；　of　over…fatigued；　strong　individuals。

An　important　circumstance　is　the　phenomenon　cited　by　Jessen　and　othersthe　capacity　of　some　people　to　fall　calmly　asleep　in　spite　of　tremendous　excitement。　Thus；　Napoleon　fell　into　deep　sleep　during　the　most　critical　moment　at　Leipzig。　This　capacity　is　sometimes　cited　as　evidence　of　innocence。　But　it　is　not　convincing。

We　have　yet　to　mention　the　peculiar　illusions　of　the　phenomena　of　movement　which　occur　just　before　falling　asleep。　Panum　tells　how　he　once　inhaled　ether；　and　then　observed；　lying　in　bed；　how　the　pictures　on　the　wall　went　further　and　further　back；　came　forward　and　withdrew；　again　and　again。　Similar　things　happen　to　sleepy　people。　Thus；　the　preacher　in　church　seems　progressively　to　withdraw　and　return。　The　criminalistic　significance　of　such　illusions　may　be　in　the　observation　of　movements　by　people　who　are　falling　asleep；　e。　g。；　of　thieves　who　seemed　to　be　approaching　the　witnesses'　beds；　though　standing　still。

That　sleeping　people　may　be　influenced　in　definite　ways　is　indubitable。　Cases　are　mentioned　in　which　sleepers　could　be　made　to　believe　any　story；　they　would　dream　of　it；　and　later　on　believe　it。　There　is　in　this　connection　the　story　of　the　officer　who　acquired　the　love　of　a　young　girl　in　this　fashion；　the　girl　had　shown　definite　distaste　for　him　at　first；　but　after　he　had　told　her　during　her　sleep；


＇1＇　P。　Jessen：　Versuch　einer　wissenschaftlichen　Begrndung　der　Psychologie。　Berlin　1885。

＇2＇　Cf。　H。　Gross's　Archiv。　XIII　161；　XIV　189。

　in　her　mother's　presence；　of　his　love　and　loyalty；　she　began　in　the　course　of　time　to　return　it。　It　is　a　fact　that　certain　of　our　burglars　believe　similar　things；　and　carry　them　out　in　most　cases　with　the　assistance　of　red　light；　to　which　they　assign　hypnotic　power。　They　claim　that　with　a　lantern　with　red　glass　they　are　able　to　do　anything　in　the　room　containing　a　sleeping　individual；　and　can　intensify　his　sleep　by　letting　the　red　light　fall　on　his　face；　and　speaking　to　him　softly。　Curiously　enough　this　is　corroborated　by　a　custom　of　our　mountain　lads。　They　cover　a　lantern　with　a　red　cloth　and　go　with　it　to　the　window　of　a　sleeping　girl。　It　is　asserted　that　when　the　red　light　falls　on　the　latter's　face　and　it　is　suggested　to　her　softly　to　go　along；　she　does　so。　Then　a　pointed　stone　is　placed　in　the　girl's　way；　she　steps　on　it；　it　wakes　her　up；　and　the　crude　practical　joke　is　finished。　It　would　be　interesting；　at　least；　to　get　some　scientific　information　concerning　these　cited　effects　of　red　light　upon　sleeping　people。

O。　Mnnigshoff　and　F。　Piesbergen＇1＇　have　thrown　some　light　on　the　profoundness　of　sleepwhy；　e。　g。；　a　person　hears　a　thing　today　and　not　at　another　time；　why　one　is　awakened　and　another　not；　why　one　is　apparently　deaf　to　very　loud　noise；　etc。　These　authorities　found　that　the　profundity　of　sleep　culminates　in　the　third　quarter　of　the　second　hour。　Sleep　intensifies　and　grows　deeper　until　the　second　quarter　of　the　second　hour。　In　the　second　and　third　quarters　of　that　hour；　the　intensification　is　rapid　and　significant；　and　then　it　decreases　just　as　rapidly；　until　the　second　quarter　of　the　third　hour。　At　that　point　sleep　becomes　less　and　less　profound　until　morning；　in　the　second　half　of　the　fifth　hour。　At　this　moment　the　intensity　of　sleep　begins　again　to　increase；　but　in　contrast　with　the　first　increase　is　very　light　and　takes　a　long　time。　Sleep；　then；　reaches　its　culmination　in　one　hour　out　of　five　and　a　half；　from　that　culmination…　point　it　decreases　until　it　reaches　the　general　level　of　sleep。


Section　III。　（b）　Intoxication。

Apart　from　the　pathological　conditions　of　intoxication；　especially　the　great　intolerance　toward　alcohol；＇2＇　which　are　the　proper　subjects　for　the　physician；　there　is　a　large　group　of　the　stigmata　of　intoxication　which　are　so　various　that　they　require　a　more　accurate　study　than　usual　of　their　causes　and　effects。　As　a　rule；　people　are


＇1＇　Zeitschrift　f。　Biologie；　Neue　Folge；　Band　I。

＇2＇　Cf。　H。　Gross's　Archiv。　XIII；　177。

　satisfied　to　determine　the　degree　of　intoxication　by　the　answers　to　a　few　stereotyped　questions：　Did　the　man　wabble　while　walking？　Was　he　able　to　run？　Could　he　talk　coherently？　Did　he　know　his　name？　Did　he　recognize　you？　Did　he　show　great　strength？　An　affirmative　answer　to　these　questions　from　two　witnesses　has　been　enough　to　convict　a　man。＇1＇

As　a　rule；　this　conviction　is　justified；　and　it　is　proper　to　say　that　if　a　person　is　still　sufficiently　in　control　of　himself　to　do　all　these　things　he　must　be　considered　capable　of　understanding　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong。　But　this　is　not　always　the　case。　I　do　not　say　that　irrationality　through　drink　must　always　obtain　when　the　drunkard　is　unable　to　remember　what　happened　while　he　was　drunk。　His　inability　is　not　determinative；　because　the　circumstances　following　a　deed　have　no　reflex　effect。　Even　if　after　the　deed　a　person　is　ignorant　of　what　he　has　done　it　is　still　possible　that　he　was　aware　of　its　nature　while　committing　it；　and　this　possibility　is　the　determinative　factor。　But　the　knowledge　of　what　is　being　done　does　not　in　itself　make　the　doer　responsible；　for　if　the　drunkard　beats　the　policeman　he　knows　that　he　is　fighting　somebody；　he　could　not　do　so　without　knowing　it；　and　what　excuses　him　is　the　fact　that　while　he　was　drunk；　he　was　not　aware　that　he　was　fighting　a　policeman；　that　so　far　as　he　is　capable　of　judgment　at　all；　he　judges　himself　to　be　opposed　to　some　illegal　enemy；　against　whom　he　must　defend　himself。

If　it　be　said　in　opposition　that　a　drunkard　is　not　responsible　if　he　does；　when　drunk；　what　he　would　not　do　when　sober；　this　again　would　be　an　exaggeration。　Why；　is　shown　by　the　many　insults；　the　many　revelations　of　secrets；　the　many　new　friendships　of　slight　intoxication。　These　would　not　have　occurred　if　the　drunkard　had　been　sober；　and　yet　nobody　would　say　that　they　had　occurred　during　a　state　of　irresponsibility。

Hence；　we　can　say　only　that　intoxication　excuses　when　an　action　either　follows　directly　and　solely　as　the　reflex　expression　of　an　impulse；　or　when　the　drunkard　is　so　confused　about　the　nature　of　his　object　that　he　thinks　himself　justified　in　his　conduct。　Hence；　the　legal　expressions　（e。　g。；　‘‘complete　drunkenness''　of　Austrian　criminal　law；　and　‘‘unconsciousness''　of　the　German　imperial　criminal　statute　book）　will　in　practice　be　pushed　one　degree　higher　up　than　ordinary　usage　intends。　For　complete　intoxication　or　drunkenness　into　loss　of　consciousness　usually　means　that　condition　in　which　the　individual　lies　stiff　on　the　ground。　But　in　this　condition　he　can　not　do　anything；


＇1＇　H。　Gross's　Archiv。　II；　107。

　and　is　incapable　of　committing　a　crime。　It　must　follow　that　the　statutes　could　not　have　been　thinking　of　this；　but　of　the　condition　in　which　the　individual　is　still　active　and　able　to　commit　crimes　by　the　use　of　his　limbs；　but　absolutely　without　the　control　of　those　limbs。

If　we　compare　innumerable　stories　that　are　told；　with　verbal　reliability；　about　drunkards；　or　those　that　are　readable　in　daily　papers；　police　news；　and　in　legal　texts；　we　find　groups　in　which　a　drunkard　makes　his　bed　on　a　wintry　night　on　a　snow　bank；　undresses　himself；　carefully　folds　his　clothes　beside　him；　and　runs　away　at　the　approach　of　a　policeman；　climbs　over　a　fence　and　runs　so　fast　that　he　can　not　be　caught。　Such　a　man　certainly　has　not　only　the　use　of　his　organs；　but　also　uses　them　with　comparative　correctness　in　undressing；　folding　his　clothes；　and　in　running　away。　If　now　somebody　should　pass　the　drunkard's　lair　and　if　he　should　think　that　a　burglar　is　in　his　house　and　should　wound　the　passer…by；　who　would　believe　the　drunkard　when　he　tells　this　story？

In　the　street　there　is　frequent　opportunity　of　observing　some　of　the　arrests　of　drunkards　who　fight　with　fists　and　feet　and　teeth；　and　often　have　to　be　taken　to　the　police　station　in　a　wheel…barrow。　Now　if　the　man　has　had　the　misfortune　of　recognizing　the　policeman　in　his　first　opposition；　and　of　giving　his　own　name　properly；　we　say　that　he　has　‘‘shown　definite　signs　of　responsibility；''　and　we　sentence　him。　But　in　most　cases　it　was　merely　the　instantaneous　illumination　of　his　cindery　mind　（which　was；　perhaps；　stimulated　to　the　recognition　of　the　policeman　and　the　pronunciation　of　his　name　by　the　latter's　rather　bearish　remarks）　which　then　dies　away　as　swiftly　as　it　rose；　and　is　followed　by　instinctive　self…defense。　Anybody　who　has　frequently　observed　how　utterly　senseless　is　the　battle　of　a　drunkard　with　the　overwhelming　power　of　three　or　four　or　more　people；　and　how　he　continues　to　struggle；　even　when　wholly　or　completely　conquered；　must　feel　convinced　that　such　a　man　is　no　longer　responsible。

In　the　same　way　we　must　never　forget　that　the　prosecution　of　some　very　habitual　activity　is　in　no　sense　evidence　of　responsibility。　Especially　when　some　action　has　very　fine…drawn　limits；　and　the　actor　knows　that　a　false　grip　will　result　in　questionable　consequences；　the　habitual　movement　will　be　made　instinctively。　The　soldier　will　properly　carry　out　his　obligations　of　service；　the　coachman　drive　home；　unharness；　and　look　after　the　horses；　even　the　locomotive　engineer　will　complete　his　difficult　task　without　a　breakthen；　however；　they　fall　and　sleep　their　drunkenness　off。　Now；　if　something　intervenes　unexpectedly　during　the　performance　of　this　ha…　　bitual　activity；　especially　some　opposition；　some　superfluous　cajolement；　correction；　or　similar　thing；　the　intoxicated　actor　is　thrown　completely　out　of　gear；　and　can　not　be　restored　to　it；　nor　is　he　able　properly　to　oppose　this　obstacle。　Hence　he　acts　against　it　reflexly；　and　in　most　cases　explosively。

It　may　be　perceived　that　such　a　drunkard　works　unconsciously　having　been　thrown　out　of　gear　by　some　sudden　remark；　he　is　unable　to　complete　what　he　is　trying　to　do；　and　this　develops　a　despairing　expression　of　emotion　for　which　he　is　decidedly　not　responsible。　A　countless　number　of　popular　maxims　indicate　the　popular　opinion　that　it　is　best　to　get　out　of　the　way　of　a