HANDSOME RASCALS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 136, 1 February 1932, Page 5

HANDSOME RASCALS

GOQDLQOK3ING MEN ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHERS. OFFICER'S OPINION. MELBOURNE, Wed. "The most dangerous men I have ever met, in pr out of gaol, were good-looking men, who had better than the averagq opportunities in thjeir youth," says Col. Bray, of the Salvation Army, after 44 years as a visitor to gaols. Col. Bray's remarks were prompted by a magistrate at Oakleigh, who, on sentencing to two years, a handsome young man found with a housebreaking implement, observed, "I am annoyed that a man with a face and head like yours should follow a career of crijne." "You can't judge a banana by its skin," says Colonel Bray. "There are specific types of criminals who possess and develop deformities of features which make them far from handsome. "These consist of — "Youths and men who are naturally . passionate and evil-tempered. Crime with them takes the form of robbery with violence, unlawful assault and other deeds of apparent 1 unbridled passion and lack of moral sense. Facial Types. "Mental and sexual perverts, who either by continual feeding mentally on uncleanliness, or by actual indulgence, eventually produce grim, offensive features, indieating to all experienced eyes the nature of their offence. "Addicts to over-indulgenee in alcohol, cocaine and other drugs that most surely destroy fine features. Become Degenerates. "The mental and moral degenerates, who, from early youth, baffled all existing ^institutions to deal with them sucbessfully, and who reachefi manhqofi Still more degenqrate. 1 "These f,our cjasses qre among the inhabitants of our prisons and penal establishments, and form the basis of most people's ideas of the physical features of prisoners. "When we come to the great majority of offenders who go to prjson for larceny, passing valueless cheques, false pretences, bigamy, embezzlement, confidence tricks apd such like, a clear brain, steady hand and good appearanee are essential. "These criminals are, in the majority of cases, well set-up men of good appearanee and taste in dress. "This is their chief asset iii their life of crime, just as the burglar has fris tools."