Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-09-05
TAKING THEIR PICTURES.
HOW CITY CRIMINALS ARE OFF,
CIALLY PHOTOGRAPHED.

HOW CITY CRIMINALS ARE OFF,,
CIALLY PHOTOGRAPHED.
They object strenuousiy at First, but
the Agony is Soon Overflow the
Women Feel About IL.
The aid lent by the photograph in
the capture of thieves and criminals gen.
orally is we'll known TO readers of news
papers, as il also the fact that there is o
'Rogues' Gallery" in the police head
quarters Of every large city. But it is
not so well known that many difficulties
attend the photographiug of criminals,
and ludicrous results are often the out
come. A large picture hanging in In
'pector Byrnes's room exempli6es this
TACT. 1t represents the photographing Of
Thomas Featherstone, noted burglar.
de is forcibly held in a chair by four off,
GERS, and is struggling as violently as
nan can struggle under the circumstances.
dis head is held up By one OF the officers,
whose hands are entwined in his hair,
and the other officers arc straining their
muscles to hold him in a sitting position.
Nine rogues out of every ten strenuously
object to having their pictures taken, and
L Is mainly for this reason that the
whereabouts of the official photographer
Is kept profound secret.
This introduces the fact that there is
photographer under q standing con-
tract with the Police Department Of this
sity to take the pictures of rogues, and
Il is stipulated in his contract that he
shall give no information to newspapers.
The predecessor in Office of this artist
was discovered in the act Of doing lu-
crative business by selling copies to the
rogues themselves of the photographs
taken for the department, and his official
career was brought to 4 sudden tsrmina-
ton.
The present incumbent is very differ
.ut sort of man. His place is not in the
Police Headquarters Building, but it is
conveniently near by. Detective Ser
geant Adams, the custodian of the photo
graph and record department of head
quarters, is charged with the duty of
preparing the subjects for their sittings.
His first step is to measure the subject
and examine his body for any scars or
marks, tattooed or other, all of which are
carefully noted and recorded.
Then the man or woman, as the sub
ject may be, is politely informed that it
will be necessary to sit for photograph.
II any objection is made, and, as before
said, objection usually is made, the
prisoner is invited to look at the Feather
stone picture or one similar to it and told
that he can have his choice and be photo
graphed in that way or so as to make a
respectable appearance. Then he is es-
corted to the gallery, when he is brought
face to face with camera that Is only
used as foil il the prisoner is obstreper-
ous. The camera that does the work is
concealed.
The prisoner hangs his head, say, and
refuses to look up when asked to do so
or shuts his eyes and distorts his face.
The photographer makes afeint with the
camera In sight, takes out the plate and
eIclaims, "Oh, pshaw Thst is spoiled ~
or words to that effect, and walks hur-
riedly out OF the room. The prisoner
raises his head at once and looks pleas
ant. He has outwitted the photographer.
Then the concealed camera gets in its
fine work and the rogue is still more sur
prised and pleased at being told that he
can go.
"Many Of them actually leave the
place." said Detective Adams, "undel
the impression that we have failed to get
a picture, but We also seldom fail to ge,
q good picture. Most of the bad pic.
lures in our collection come from west.
en cities, where, I presume, the facilities
for taking them are either not so good as
ours or the rogues stand in less dread Of
the police"
Women often begin by protesting vio-
lently, and declaring they will die be-
fore they will allow their pictures to be
taken, but they are frequently Modified
by little persuasion, aud then they end
by asking for comb and brush Ia
"primp" up for the sitting. Often they
ask for copies of the photograph to send
to their admirers. Some of the argu.
ments that influence women are curious.
A noted offender in the "panel line,
after strenuously objecting, was finally
persuaded to have a good picture taken,
by Inspector Byrnes's suggestion that
tho picture would be seen by great
many persons, and might be the means
OF securing her an admirer. And YET
she was not handsome woman.
1t is a suggestive parallel that the An,
archist, Johann Most, after he had been
captured hiding under bed, protested
vehemently when the Inspector proposed
to photograph him, but finding it inevi.
table, called for a comb and brush and
smoothed his hair. Most, it will be re.
membered, threatened to bring suit
against the department and everybody
connected with it for putting his picture
on the "Rogues Gallery, but eventually
he changed his mind.
Among the noted female offenders
whose pictures bear evidence OF their ef-
forts to defeat the work of tho Gamers
are Annie Herman, shoplifter, whose
head is thrown saucily on one side, with
her eyes shut and her mouth distorted tc
grin. Maria Burke, partner Of the
former, assumes more modest attitude
with her head held down, eyes shut
mouth screwed up. Mag Morton, ,
panel thief, has her head down and hel