The Washington critic., 1889-04-23
THE TOWNS PHOTOGRAPH.

One Of the most interesting sights to be
found in Washington is the examination
rooms OF the Civil Service Commission.
The scene ls one Of intense, suppressed ex-
citement. Pretty girls are bent over desks,
some Of them leaning their heads on their
hands in discouraged inertia aud others
driving away as II the moment was i'm
mediatcly before them when they must lay
down their pens aud simply await results.
Young men with fashionable clothes are
seated side by side with old citizens who
have passed the time OF life when personal
appearance Is regarded as o matter worthy
of much consideration. Like love the civil
service examination levels all ranks for the
time being, and likely as not q man with
twenty years Of business experience Is COM
pcting for place with a girl fresh from
the atmosphere of the High School,
nss
The work of taking pictures for the
Rogues' Gallery is one Of the most import
ant features Of the business of the Police
Department. In the rear room at Police
Headquarters, In neat walnut case, are
hundreds Of pictures-mcn, women, old
and young white and colored, all of them
a,aSs rho ,,i",,,n,. ",o an ,a,,o,, H.,
photographer on Pennsylvania avenue, and
the work is about the most interesting OF
o.. noo5 oTao,s no ,nr,,,na. tho Goo So as
90 Ma ,ho - ~ ,hn ,soh, ,,I,oo,, ,ho
,,,n,,,a o., ,ho o,,,,, nr ,ho si,sh, oaa, T., tho
ave-
II there is nny mole or pimple present.
care is taken TO have Il In the picture, as IL
is.a means of Identification. and these pho
toprophs are not souvenirs or works Of art.
hut mattere of cold record MANY of the
prisoners who undergo This pictorial ordeal
are as prim and particular about how their
photographs nre going to look Ms II tbev
were going 10 present Il To their sweetbearn
Those who ore older and moro sbrewd of-
Tenders dread the experience. as he realizes
that Il ia the mark OF Cain: that IL puts him
ON record throughout the United States as
n professional criminal
Tn many cases these nictures are taken
Immediately after arrest and before convic.
tiop. so that IL is not impossible that inius-
tice has been done Some of tho n,ctnres
I'm the gallery present faces distorted Inv the
most extrayapant grimaces I'm order To- pre-
vent reooonition as far ne nosslble Othors
have their hats down over their ewes. coat
collars turned mn. and the face cnvered os
far ma nossible Those nictures ara not
taken tiIl after struogie Tho nrisoner
has fought florcc,v and finally had IN be
bald In bis oboir yvhilo tbo co,oro wos
1oyo,od a, h,r, EronnontIy tho ,io,uros
sbo,, ,ho hon1o 30 ,,,o ,,oo,,,o r6o Ma tIo
su,,ioot fr,oIy oroo,,,n,, ~ ooot oo,Ior or
IN some cases c,osncd around his rorobood
so os to mil his head hack and bring his
face into view
In tbo majority Of coses bovevsr tho
-.-.-..., ,--,,-
''9 ""u u'o'
,,uonoss Tho ,rnn,o,, 90 o,tSo,. .ha 80, 49,
so,,o,,ors oho,,, ,,o,,,nr, 200, ,,,o,,,ro ~
,ha rnost auorso 90 ra,i, ,,,o,nrs -
a. Oh Thoy o,,hau sro,d oonpidoraI,a IT,
In nra,,n,,nar,, ,ro,,aro,ie ~ oao ,,,a', s,.,,,
like tigers One Of tho fercest struggles
ever gone tbro,,ob In tbis hronoh 81 tho
II
resisted until sbe was forcod IN ston from
sheer locl, Of strength
-.
He wos fairly we,, dressed No IN bo, and
coat. hut his trousers we're had and his
sboes had M boels T, ,ba lonouono ~ tbo
s,r.s, mon a. rosnoo,,,,o se Inno, 90 ho