Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-25
CRIMINALS.
THE METHOD NOW PRAcTIcEo IN
FRANCE or IDENTIFYING THEM
by Measuring the Head, the Foot, the
Middle Finger, and the Forearm
to the Elbow.
fInndnn Timas.1


Ireland on the method now practiced in
France of identifying criminals by COM
pairing their measures with those OF con-
victed persons IN the prison registers. MIR.
Francis Cation, +. II. s.. presided.
NJ. Bertillon said that the system which
he had come there to explain was an essen
TALLY practical one. II had for its object
the recognition of person ten, fifteen,
twenty, or even hundred years after he
had been measured, for by that method it
was possible to recognize person after
death. If access could be had 10
his skeleton. In Paris, when 100 900 photo
graphs had been collected by the police
it was impossible to turn them TO proiita-
bic account. Photography was now, there
fore, r,legated to a secondary position, and
only used as an aid TO Identification estab-
lished by other means. The basis of the
anthropometric system was to obtain mea-
suremmts of those bony parts OF the body
which underwent little or no change after
maturity, and could be measured with ex-
IRENE accuracy to within so small figure
as to be practically exact. These parts
were tie head, the foot, the middle finger,
and the extended forearm from the elbow.
To cl.arly illustrate the system let them
suppos, 10000 photographs of men to have
been collected. These would be divided
into thee groups of 80, 900. according 10 the
height sf the men. There would be short
men. men of medium height, and tall men.
That these three classes might be approx
matelycQual. il was evident that the limits
of menof medium height must be restricted
more than those of the other two classes.
Each oithese primary divisions should again
be diviled on the same principle. without
taking any further notice OF the height.
into three classes. according TO the
length OK the head of each individual. The
three classes of short, medium, and
long hads would each again be subdiyided
into thee. according TO the width of the
heads, md would contain narrow, medium,
and wide heads. Experience had proved
that with most people the breadth Of the
head vfried independently of the length
that was, that given that an individual
had certain length of head, 1t by no
means bllowed that the breadth OF his
head could be determined PRIOR.
The ltngth Of the middle finger gave n
fourth and still more precise indication by
which TO divide again each one OF the
packetsDf photographs; and these might
be DIVIDED again according to the length
Of the Dot, the length of the arms out
stretched at right angles TO the body, and
also according to the color of the eyes.
Thus liz these anthropometrical CO.
efficienti they would be able 70 divide
their collection of 10000 photographs INTO
very smill groups Of about fifteen each.
which they could easily and rapidly ex-
anime.
Nj. Berhllon then proceeded ogive prac-
teal demonstration of the way in which
the Measurements were taken. The IN
strumen.s employed by him were simple,
but vert accurate In their construction.
and the measurements were taken with
great e1ictitude. The lecturer explained
that tn, instrument for measuring the
head was so accurate that the measure
ment crlld be- taken 10 within one MILL
metre. 1t had been found by experience
that tSe length of the heads OF differ
ent Individuals differed more than
three centimetres (sav thirty mllll-
metreD. 1t was admitted that we had
no p)wer to lengthen our heads and
it was well known that the skull
developed very little after an individual
had arrived at maturity. With our stature
II W;e not the same. for rs years passed by
we lscame bent and our height became
less besides, II was possible TO cheat to
the sXtent Of two centimetreS without IT'S
beng discovered by the operator As an
instince of the exactitude with which
the.p measurements were taken, the lee
turer stated that three American gentle
mei had visited his brother in France and
reolested him 20 measure them in order
10 test the accuracy of measurements
male in Chicago, and it was found
that the measurements correspondent
TO the most minute detail. the
length of the middle-tinger was the best Of
th, indications, for it could be measured
10 a milimetre, provided that care was
token that the finger was bent at an exact
rlEht angle with the back of the hand;
There conld be no cheating with this, ana
II underwent no alteration from adult 70
old age. IL occasionally happened that the
nerson TO be measured was refractory and
declined to allow the necessary manipula-
ton of his person. In these cases by
means Of his shoes. hat, gloves, &c., sutii-
GENTLY near measurement could be arrived
at. Tho experience in Paris. however, was
that tks criminal made no objection to the
formahtv. Sometimes because he regarded
II as mere formally, and sometimes per-
hans because he Appreciated that any re-
sistance on his part might make the au,
thorities suspicious Of his past history ana
TINS induce them 10 make more careful
search. Besides the above measurements
and observations 8 photograph OF the
criminal was taken. This proceeding was
now. however, considered a. OF secondary
importance, and was used only as further
test TO secure absolute accuracy. All evil
dance Of scars, molos, or characteristic
indications of any kind was record
ed ON the backs of the photographs, with
anatomical precision as to their ma
ture, dimensions, situations, &c, and much
importance had always been attached 10
some Of these. Considerable stress wa!
laid by ". Bertillon on the Importance 81
the hand and the ear as marks OF re-
cognition. The hand, because 1t was the
organ in most constant use in almost every
calling and in many trades and professions,
became modified according to the partlcu-
lar character OF the work which IL had to
do. The ear was the precise opposite to
this. II changed very slightly, II at all, eX-
cent uerhaps in the case of prize fighters,
who developed a popularity OF the ear
which il was easy TO recognize. me ear,
therefore, was an important organ TO mea-
sure. inasmuch a. the results were not
likely TO be nullihed byachange IN Its con-
formation. -.
The examination Of criminals under this
system had been extending with great
rapidity in France. In 1882 there were 225
examined, and the number had increased
year by wear until in 1888 the number was
81 $40. OF this last total SIS persons were
recognized as having relapsed into crime
and gaye false names. The number 3l,si9
represented nearly the whole number OF
persons arrested during 1883 for offences
under the common law, ana having passed.
through the depot. A striking proof OF
the efficacy of the system OF anthropome-
trv wss furnished by the complete disap-
pearance of assimilation of identities in
the prisons other than the depot, so
that while in lss4-'s5 the number Of
recognitions made in the prison at
ter conviction amounted to 200 or 800
year, the number of cases OF tins class
in the whole year 1885 was IA, OF whom
no were individuals who never having
been measured before were Of necessity
uot recognizable by the service. This
left four omissions TO be distributed
among 81 900 examined in the year. The
lecturer explained that the system of mea-
surement required no further instruction
than was contained in a small manual, and
that If the directions were followed IL
would be easy To get records made in any
country. which might be in the highest
de0ree seryicpable in the detection Of