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
When she went to St. Louis at one time she had stated she was to
meet a relative there, but the person, we have come to know, was
a certain very decent young man who had become acquainted with
her through a correspondence bureau. He had thought well of her
and warned her not to come to that city, but when she did so he
met her and took her at once to his own home where the womenfolk
looked after her until she was found a place elsewhere. The
deliberate attempt to throw herself upon his protection was thus
frustrated by his relatives. Many other reports of the
misrepresentations of Inez have been given us. She has
discovered that borrowing money on the strength of invented
statements is sometimes possible, particularly for her with her
good presence and convincing manner. The B.'s complained that
when she left Tennessee there were in her trunk many dollars'
worth of articles that belonged to them.
Throughout our long experience with Inez we have never been able
to make up our mind whether or not she remembered all of her
past. Her lying always stood in the way of getting at anything
like the real facts. On no occasion has she truthfully dealt
with her career as we know it. She has professed absolute lack
of knowledge of her accident, and of the time and place of its
occurrence. It is interesting that none of her acquaintances
mention this. Although Inez has told long stories of her past to
many people, and with some inclusion of truth, she never seems to
have mentioned this important event of which we learned from her
family. We cannot, then, decide about possible amnesia for this
occurrence.
On occasion Inez has expressed the same desire for religious
experience as for education, and has written to friends that she
had become imbued with the Spirit. Her story of her religious
upbringing is altogether unreliable and contradictory, but while
in one hospital she professed belief, took communion, and was
baptized in a certain faith. Her behavior was not, however, in
the least modified by this.
One serious minded woman took Inez at her word when she said she
wanted to study algebra and offered her a good opportunity which
was never accepted. This demonstrated clearly that the desire
was a matter of words only. Inez' constant assertion of
independence has been one of her main sources of temporary
success. Kindly people have speedily taken up with her.
Sympathy is undoubtedly, in spite of her statements to the
contrary, one of the strongest needs of her nature. In one of
her letters we note her expression of satisfaction in a certain
situation where she found herself much ``mothered'' by kind
nurses. All her chances, however, have been spoiled by her
indulgence in lies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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