Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic PsychologyHealy, William
Science
Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic Psychology
Healy, William
Criminal psychology; Swindlers and swindling
``The other day I met a fellow and he says, `How long have you
been in this country?' and when I says four years he says,
`You're a liar. There never was a fellow I ever heard of who got
hold of the language and was doing as well as you are in four
years.' '' A few months later he tells us he is selling goods on
commission and descants on how much he can make: ``That's
`Get-rich-quick-Wallingford' for you. There's Mr. A. and
Congressman X., they started out from little beginnings just the
same as me. I'm going along their line.
``Do you know I got sued by the Evening Star for libbel. That's
what I got for testifying in that case. I tell you what I would
like and that's vice investigation work.''
At another time: ``Well, doctor, I am general manager for my
brother's business now. He's got a bottle business. There's
money in that, ain't there? I was down in court to-day. I tell
you, there was a fellow who got what was coming to him. It was a
case before Judge H.--assault and battery. He was fined $10 and
costs--all amounted to about $30. Well, I had a little dog and I
tell you I have a heart for animals just the same as persons. He
kicked the dog and I told him not to do it and he says, `You're a
liar,' and then he ran down stairs and pushed me along the stones
over there. I called the police and they did not come for about
three quarters of an hour.
``I'm studying law. Taking a correspondence course. They give
you an L.L.B. It's a two years work and you get all the volumes
separately,'' etc. ``Then we have a slander suit. A neighbor
called my sister dirty names. I am going to file a $5000 slander
suit. I would not let that man call names like that, and then
he's got about $5000 in property.
``Some people are down on me, but I tell you I have been a leader
of boys. We got the Illinois championship--you know, the boy
scout examinations. There was an examination on leaves. I was
their leader. I had 9 boys up and there were 117 leaves and
every boy knew every leaf. Of course I told them or they would
not have known. Some people are down on me for what I do for the
boys, but I tell you I've been in court and I've made up my mind
I will help other kids. Sometimes kids can be helped by talking
to. Then there is me. I won the boxing championship this
year.'' (At this period I enquire about his prowess and the
recent encounter with the young boy who dragged him over the
stones. With a blush he says he never was any good at real
boxing or real fighting.) ``I'm this kind of a fellow. If they
let me alone I'm all right, but if they start monkeying with me
something is going to happen. When you start a thing don't start
it until you can carry it through. These people that started
with me were not able to do that.''
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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