The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-24
BYRNESQN PhYSIOGNOMY
THE GREAT DETECTIVE WRITES
ABOUT READING FACES.


aEyes. ,ao
NV York, March 23.--It is a wise man
whpknows his own ignorance.
x am moved to smile when hear Of men
Who cannot have met one-tenth as many
people as have, or under such various
<hd peculiar circumstances, asserting that
they understand human nature. doubt if
even one man is thoroughly understood by
anybody, least of all by himself. For the
purposes of my business, long experience
In dealing with men and women is OF meal
culable value; it enables the detective to
Judge quickly concerning the individuals,
and acQuaints him with many general char
acteristics of the human family; but after
all, this valuable experience teaches one
most important iesson--that it will never
do to Jump to conclusions on appearances.
1t leads the detective TO distrust all gener-
alizauions, all rules for discovering mans
tendencies, all that So called science, pnysl-
ognomy, and to deuend solely upon facts
and evidence, meaning by the latter term,
things that will hold good in law court.
1t IL true that the cast of mals features
may be of service, and that no detective
will examine a supposed criminal with his
eyes shut; but physiognouy is merely a
factor in the work, not guide to IL: III
infancy 10 manhood and old age with no
artificial Influences TO bend their
natures, physiognomy might be reduced to
an exact science. do not assert that 1t
could, but admit that it might. In the COM
pick civilization of to-day, itnever can be.
For education modifies the lines Of the face
to a remarkable degree. The growth of In
telligence imparts not only a new, softened
expression to the face, but actually changes
Its appearance to an extent that will newt
ably throw the rules Of physiognomy into
confusion. Not that a crooked nose may
become straight, or a large mouth small,
but wise habits and the desire to appear
well in the world may erase the ugly
vice-born wrinkles about the eyes and on
the forehead, and effect other changes of a
similar nature.
While the lines may be modified and the
nature refined, the brutal or criminal ten
denotes are not, unhappily ,seradicated. They
may lie dormant throughout a life time,
and they may break out, If the Drovocation
arises, at any moment. If this happens, the
criminal is q hard case for the detectives
His education has taught him some things
that his less fortunate brother in the dives
cannot make available. 1t some
times happens that vicious ten
denotes remain dormant for
generations, during which the lines of a
mans face have been subject to constant
Improvement. In cases. however, when a
boy of vicious'parentagegro upin vicious
surroundings, where his animal nature is
given full swing, he grows to manhood a
marked criminal, and can be picked out at
sight Just what direction his nature takes
however, whether to burglary, swindhng,
murder. icentiousness, or petty thieving,
cannot be determined with accuracy at a
glance.
1aA in JraIY nal
sng. Even then it must be applied
with caution, and never be
depended on without evidence. 1t
is d good plan to get evidence first and then
back it up, if you like the diversion, with
an analysis of the features of the criminal.
In dealing with suspects try to get hints
Of their characters by observing the mouth,
the eyes, jaws aud ears. From the mouth
fair estimate may be obtained of the sub
iect's character as to determination or weak
will-power, brute courage or timidity, chas-
tity or RIGHTEOUSNESS, generosity or selfish
ness, cruelty or kindness.
1t win be observed that this does not go
so Car as to make suspect fatty as a crimi-
naI1or honest man; it simply suggests bis
tefdsnciss In seeking to determine
whether person Is telling the truth, de-
pend good deal upon the eyes; not, how
ever, upon their general appearance, for
the most evil-eyed person in the world may
tell the truth at times. and some of the best
Of men may prevaricate upon occasions of
great temptation. 1t is rather the action
Of the eyes that tells the secret. l try to
place the person who is in question, so that
the light shines fully into his face. Then /
can see the pupils, and if they waver. or
contract more than the light would call for,
/ feel pretty confident that | am dealing
with a liar. 1t is practically impossible TO
control the pupil. One whose eyes do not
L. l. 4
usually betrays himself by the very effort
which gives to his face an appearance Of
over-confidence, and his assumption Of in
nocent candor becomes a calm Stare How
70 proceed when convinced that the party
Is not telling the truth is another question,
and one that is not under discussion.
4 There is not a great deal to be learned
from an inspection of the jaws and ears,
but have noticed that heavy, wide jaws
usually 60 with small ears that lie close to
the head. Criminals Of this cast are gen.
orally desperate characters, hard 80 handle,
who are little amenable to reason and ap-
preciate only the argument Of force. On
the other hand, men with lantern jaws and
Happy ears, present little difficulty. Ordi-
nary shrewdneSs will overcome them and
lead them 10 self-conviction, a feature of
detective work, by-the-way, that is Of i'm
mence importance. The police are fire.
uuently censured by ignorant critics for not
making arrests with sensational prompt
ness. The community may be flooded to
to the choking point with moral certainty
that certain individual within reach is a
murderer, or swindler; but what is moral
certainty in court without factss 1t is often
times absolutely necessary to let a criminal
run for a time, under surveillance, of course
in order that he make that slip that almost
every criminal makes by which his convic-
ton is rendered certain.
A striking proof of the uncertainty OF
physiognomy in determining a mans char
acter, TO say nothing Of the nature of his
deeds, may DO seen from a glance at the
rogue's gallery in this city. Three pictures
were placed before a visitor one day. De
knew from the circumstances that they
were criminals. One he fixed upon unhesi-
tatingly as q brutal murderer; another as a
swindler, and the third looked 50 much like
a benevolent clergyman that the visitor dis
liked to ratio him anywhere, but finally put
him down as a thief.
she might have a mania for stealing
books from libraries said the visitor apol-
ogetically.
Turning to the backs Of the photographs
the visitor read the summarized records OF
the three The ''murderer's" worst crime
had been the snatching of money from a
lady's hand as she was carelessly displaying
il in the street; the ''swindlern had commit
ted an atrocious murder, and the benevo-
lent looking thief was the keeper of an
infamous brothel. And the visitor thought
he knew something about physiognomy and