Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-01-09
A THIEF'S JAW.
WHY 1T is MEASURED so CARE
FULLY.
It Nay Aid in Detecting Him Bye
and-Bye.

IL pfOfcS LhOIS cuSCtsc. Just fOOA u
it.
This system is a trife more complex
in the different measurements required
than the old one, but this extra WORT
is more than equalized by the ease viii
which a certain criminal can be identi.
fled and the superior accuracy of the
identification. When the person to be
identified is brought in he is photo
graphed in two views, front and side.
He is then stripped to the waist and
any marks on his person carefully
noted and recorded in a description
book lie is then Invested of his
shoes and stockings and backed up
against the wall on which is hung the
measuring apparatus, similar to that
in use in Boston at the present time
pole graduated into feet and inches,
on which is arranged a side-and his
height in feet, inches and fractions of
an inch taken. The person being
measured is then seated on box un-
der the last named machine and the
height of the trunk taken.
The next piece in the apparatus is a
pair Of calipers, something on the
principle of u carpenters compass,
used in measuring round bodies,
which is finely graduated and by which
the measurements of head, front and
back, and sideways are taken.
Perhaps the simplest instrument of
all, and the one used the most, is a
piece OF apparatus which greatly re-
sembles the monkey wrench in its
operation. This is also finely graduated
and is used in making the measure
ments of the right ear, left foot, left
middle finger, left little finger, and
the left forearm. In measuring the
foot the person is placed upon box,
and throwing his whole weight on the
left leg, the foot is then measured.
The forearm is measured by laying the
arm from the elbow on the table and
measuring from the back of the elbow
10 the tip of the middle finger. The
length of the ear is then taken, as is
the length of the different fingers for
measurement. The length of the out
stretched arms is then taken, from the
tip Of the middle finger of the left
hand to that of the middle finger of
the right.
This completes the measurements.
A thorough examination of the prison
er's person is then made for scars, tat
tooed marks or any other means of
identification, which, together with his
general appearance, the color of his
eyes, the shape of his nose, the color
OF his hair, etc, is recorded in book |
for that purpose. This book is, of |
course, carefully preserved, and care
full description taken from it and placed
upon card, on which is pasted two
views of the person to whom the mea-
surements correspond, which can be
sent to any desired place.
II is proposed to have large Bertil-
Ion bureau at Chicago, placc which
shall be in reality a detective head
quarters, to which the description and
classification of criminal arrested in
any of tho large cities will be sent, and
from which description of any de-
sired criminal may be had, making it,
in short, q sort of cooperative head
quarters to which informadsH shall DO
sent and received, to the mutual beRe-
fit of the correspondents.
BY the old method, when seeking
description of criminal, photograph
with written description was sent.
This necessitated an examination of
5000 or 10000 photographs, process
which required great expenditure of
time. and one which was unsatisfactory
in the end, inasmuch as in looking over
such number of pictures the memory
would naturally become somewhat con-
fused. and, even under the best of con-
ditions, only person skilled in physi-
ognomy could determine on a close
question with any degree of accuracy.
Here is where the simplicity and eff
icency of the Bertillon system is mani
tested. Surprising that there are TO-
100 photographs in the bureau. In the
in large, small or medium
n height, this number would be reduc-
ID to one special class, thus making q
he number 1888. Then in the subdi- :
-ision according to the length of the o