SKETCHER

Southern Cross, Volume 16, Issue 46, 20 February 1909, Page 15

SKETCHER

“WELL-KNOWN TO THE POLICE.”

“I am a born optimist,” declares Mr Holmes, in his book bearing the above title, and indeed, remarks the London News, one cannot read ‘‘Known to the Police” without feeling that he looks on the modern world —or, at least, on the modern underworld —through rose - coloured spectacles. His experiences as a police court missionary in London are at times of a mildly cheerful turn. It has been his to witness a steady improvement in everybody connected with the Police Courts, from the magistrates down to the criminals in the dock. ■Mr Holmes, indeed, has achieved perplexity rather than clearness of mind as a result of his police court experiences, as must almost always be the case with the serious student of "psychology. On some points, however, he has made up his mind definitely. He realises, for example that a prisoner’s bearing cannot be considered as indicative of his guilt or innocence.. ‘‘On the whole,’ he declares, ‘‘fear and distress are far more likely to indicate innocence than they are to denote guilt.” THE SIGNS OP GUILT. 1 no longer believe that a bold, cool, collected behaviour, together with the possession of a good. 1 appetite, is synonymous with innocence. Pot I have seen enough to justify me in saying that a calm and brave bearing is more likely to be indicative of guilt than of innocence. But the public and certain portions of the press still translate callous behaviour into a proof of innocence, and sometimes convert prisoners into heroes. He holds, too, that while there are plenty of criminals there are no ‘‘criminal classes” —bom, as it were, to the trade. The low forehead and the square jaw, the scowling aye and the stubby board, do not denote criminality ; the receding forehead, the weak eye, and the almost absence of chin, do not indicate criminal instincts. Nothing of the sort. All

these things are consistent with decent living, a fair amount of intelligence, and some moral purpose. On the other hand, a well-built body, a well-shaped head, a handsome face, a clean skin, and a bright eye are consistent with the basest criminality. Some of the worst criminals I have met — real and dangepous criminals —were as handsome as Apollo. The longer he livep, he tells us. the more keenly he believes that some accident, such as a disease, mental or physical, is “a tremendous factor in the causation of crime.”

One does not care to quarrel lightly with the conclusions of an observer so earnest and sympathetic as the author of “Known to the Police.” On most subjects, such as the “Hooliganism of the Poor,” he is both sane in his outlook and radical in his proposed remedies. Hooliganism, he believes, is on the increase, in spite of the fact that the sensational writers no longer boom it, and the conditions of the poor being what they are, he is by no means inclined to be censorious. A PREFERENCE FOB HOOLIGANISM.. Tinder present conditions the “young gentry” have the choice of two eviils —either to stay in their insufferable homes or to kick up their heels in the streets. But this includes two other contingencies—either to become dull-eyed, weakchested, slow-witted degenerates, or hooligans. Of the two, I prefer the latter. Punishment, he sees, is no cure for the evil, which will continue until housing conditions are iimproved and playgrounds provided and the age for school attendance increased, and the public houses made decent. In the present circumstances it is not the criminality of the poor, but their tragic heroism, that he finds most amazing. Especially 7 docs he appreciate the heroic lives of the women home-workers —the most wonderful examples of courage to be found in the slums. I, do not think that I am short of pluck, but I am quite certain that 1 should want to lie down and die were I submitted to lives such as theirs. Men with animal courage could npt endure it, and I freely 7 grant that even the patient woman, ought not to endure it ; perhaps for the sake of future generations it might be best for them to lie down and die rather than endure it. Mr Holmes confirms all the points in his argument with numberless stories, tragic and sentimental, and at times touched with necessary humour. Nothing could give a better idea of some of the sorrows and heroisms of the jjoor than the chapter he entitles “Old Boots and Shoes,” One of his reminiscences in this connection shows how little the people of the comfortable classes! understand some of the most wounding troubles of the slums.

‘‘How is it ?” 1 was asked by a critical lady, ‘‘that your poor women let their dresses drag on the pavements and crossings ? I never see any of them lift, their dresses behind or in front. They must get very dirty and insanitary.” ‘‘My Gear madame,” 1 replied, ‘‘they dare not, for neither their insteps nor their heels are presentable ; but give them some new boots, and they will lift their dresses often enough and high enough.”