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position during his minority； polling a considerable vote at the primaries。 Following his defeat at election； which was at the time when the new party showed marked weakness； Adolf told us that he； after all； was only in the Progressive Party to wreck it。 He felt that the leaders belonged back in the Republican ranks； and he thought he could help to get them there。
… Mentality： Subnormal verbalist type。 Case 12。 Man； 21 years。 Developmental： Early illness with involvement of nervous system。 Delinquencies： Lying excessive。 Swindling。 Stealing。 …
CHAPTER IV
CASES OF PATHOLOGICAL ACCUSATION
We include in this chapter pathological self…accusation as well as incrimination of others。 In court work one sees many cases of false accusation； but few belong to the pathological variety。 We have not considered those based upon vindictiveness； or self…defense； or where any other even slight； recognizable； normal gratification was at the bottom。 We have tried to hold strictly to our definition。 Selection of the cases for this chapter has been easier than discriminating those who are merely pathological liars in general。 It is simpler to distinguish those who accuse others for the purpose of injury or self…protection； or those who make self…accusation under the influence of delusional conditions； than it is to decide upon similar distinctions in cases of mere pathological lying。 Several authors； such as Gross； have noted false accusations made during a short period of early adolescence； or in connection with menstrual disturbance。 Our cases corroborate these facts； but show also that extreme false accusations may be made by girls BEFORE puberty。 Satisfactory knowledge of such cases is not gained by learning merely that the accuser is under temporary physical stressit is to be noted that our material clearly shows that there is always more in the background。
The many cases observed by us of false accusations made； rarely； by the feebleminded and； more often； by those suffering from a psychosis； need not be mentioned herethey are obvious in their abnormality and have little bearing upon our immediate problem。
For the sake of illustration of the fact of pathological accusation Case 17 is given in this chapter； but in its mental aspects it belongs more properly under the head of border…line cases。 In our final deductions this has not been counted as a mentally normal case。
CASE 13
Summary： An exceedingly important case from a legal standpoint。 A girl of 16 years persistently； but falsely accused her own mother and her step…father of the murder of the youngest child of the family。 Some apparent physical corroboration was found。 The woman and her spouse were held from the inquest to the grand jury and later were indicted。 They were in jail for four months until the case was finally tried； when they were discharged。
We studied Libby S。 as a delinquent some eight months after her mother and step…father had been acquitted of murder。 These unfortunate people had been held and tried almost entirely upon the testimony given by this girl。 It goes without saying that they were very poor and not ordinarily self…assertive； and so did not obtain competent legal advice。 We were naturally interested in this remarkable affair and were glad to be able to get at the truth of the matter and bring about forgiveness and reconciliation within the family circle。
Libby was now under arrest for stealing and for prostitution。 Her statement to us was that she had been immoral and wanted to be sent away to an institution where she would be kept out of trouble。 She had been working in a factory。 Her mother and step…father were temperate and the latter was always good to her and to her brother。 She told about being extremely nervous when she got to thinking about different things； and maintained that she worried so much at times that she did not know what she was doing。 Later we learned from her of her little sister's death； of the fact that the child was not really her sister； and that her mother had not been married to her present husband until the time of the trial； although for long they had been living together。 She added that she had been a witness five times in court against her mother and step…father。 A younger brother had also testified against them to some minor extent。 ‘‘We had to tell what we sawwe told enough lies as it was。''
Following the latter remark as a clew we went as thoroughly as we could into the details of the whole case。 No report of the court proceedings being available we obtained what we could from the newspaper accounts。 Obviously； however； much of these was impressionistic and unreliable。 The coroner's physician testified to many bruises being on the body； and to the bottom of the feet being blistered。 The report of what the police said at the inquest made anything but conclusive testimony。 Even from that； the murder seemed highly improbable。 It was shown that a physician was called to the child before she died； but did not respond。 Libby testified at the inquest and later against her mother； stating that the child had been beaten and tortured in various ways。 We also learned from other than newspaper sources that when Libby was waiting to testify； with her mother suffering imprisonment in the same building； the girl was nonchalantly singing ragtime songs in the court…house corridors。
The facts about the alleged murder of the five year old child as we could finally summarize them from various accounts； and after hearing the confession of Libby； are as follows。 This child was an epileptic and had frequent attacks of falling； when she injured herself； once having fallen in this way against a hot stove。 The little child engaged in extremely bad sex habits。 Indeed； Libby herself had been somewhat involved with her in these。 Once when she was ill hot bricks had been placed in the bed； and； while unconscious； her feet had been blistered。 The child had also suffered from various other ailments； including a skin disease which left sore places and scars。 When she died Libby first told a neighbor that the parents were responsible and this person referred her to the police。 The false testimony began there and continued at the inquest； before the grand jury； and at the trial。 Upon thorough final sifting of the evidence in court nothing was found in the least indicating that the child had died from mistreatment。 The younger brother had been told by Libby to testify against the mother。 There was no question but that Libby started and continued the whole trouble； but the unnatural fact that she was willing to make sworn statements jeopardizing her mother made her testimony have all the earmarks of antecedent probability。
The mother herself； in whom we gradually came to have full confidence； informed us that the dead child had an epileptic attack and was unconscious for several hours before she died。 They lived on the outskirts of the city and it was bad weather； and although they sent twice for doctors； no one appeared。 The child had been mildly whipped at times in an attempt to cure her of her bad sex habits。 She had many sores from her skin trouble and these were by some interpreted as caused by beatings。
When under our observation； and during our attempt to analyze her career； Libby underwent a change of attitude and confessed thoroughly and definitely that the story about the murder was lies all the way through。 For the sake of the poor little mother we had the girl make a sworn statement to this effect。 It was of some little interest to us to note that the police account given in the newspapers about the little child being beaten with a rubber hose was derived from the story told by Libby。 It was a wonderfully dramatic and pathetic scene when this woman met her daughter and the latter confessed to her lies and asked forgiveness。 All the mother could say was； ‘‘Oh； the suffering she has caused me！ But I do want her to be a good girl。''
From the girl's long stories to us we may derive the following points of interest。 Before her confession she was very emotional on the subject of her little sister。 She dwelled much upon her dreams of the child； but proved self…contradictory about the matter of her death； as well as about her own history。 Even then she began telling us what a bad girl she herself was in various ways。 She said； ‘‘I did not see Laura die； but I guess they did burn her up because her finger tips were all gone and her hands were all swollen up。 Ma said she would burn her up if she did not quit wetting the bed。 Yes； I used to worry about Laura awful。 She always had been the trouble。 I would have been a good girl if it had not been for her。 I used to worry so fierce that I could not help from stealing and then when I stole I was scared to go back to my jobs。 I had to have money and so I made good money by going with these fellows。 I used to feel fierce about the money I took from my mother and used to put it back and then would say； ‘No； I just must ha