The morning call., 1891-09-06
MEASURING And
PHOTOGRAPHIC.
SarcGy Writes About the Anthr0p0-
metric System.
Persons Who Are Arrested Measured and Pho
tographed Without Their knowledge.
A Practical Demonstration.

vantage of it to make visit long promised
and long put off. One Of my intimate
friends, who has the pleasure OF knowing
NJ. Goron and his faithful Jaime, had PROM
ised me to obtain from him permission to
take me to the Prefecture OF Police, in
order that l might see the organization Of
the anthropometric service and witness its
operation.
Every Partisan Of to-day knows in gen.
eral way what this means. Formerly we
had no other system for the recognition OF
old criminals than that of making them
pass one by enc beneath the eyes OF the de-
teetives, who examined them and stroVe TO
get together their recollections. we know
how long and uncertain was this procedure
Even when detective thought lie could put
name on one Of the vsages, the criminal
could always say: You are wrong 1t was
some one else." And he generally made
out his case.
To-day, thanks to the procedures put in
operation by NJ. BertillOn, every one who
has before been in the hands Of justice is
Immediately recognized. Denials are USE
less; the measures taken upon his person
cause his photograph to be found among
$4,000 others.
PHoToGRAPHING THOSE WHO REFUSE.
"But," said l to NJ. Bertillon, the chief OF
the anthrop0metric service, now do you
manage to take the photographs OF people
who refuse to pose?"
He looked at me with smile.
before l answer your question" said he
to me, "be kind enough to mount the plat
form and have your measures TAKEN. That
done, you VIII have your record IN our
books"
l lent myself with good grace to the
ceremony. The measurer put me through
the same operations that l had seen prac-
ticed on the young scoundrel who had been
brought to us. The clerk wrote down the
length and width of my head, the length
of my middle finger, of my little hnger, OF
my forearm, of my ear, Of my foot aud the
color of my eyes, after which he passed the
card to Nj. Bertll0n.
=" Now, if you please" said III. Bertillon
to me, 1--WE will search together for the
types of criminals which approach yours"
Willingly"
We went. as we had done ten minutes
previously, from drawer to drawer, and
after successive examina tions, reached the
last.
Mr. Bertillon pointed to package of
dozen cards.
I'm that should be the rascal who resem-
bles you," said he. Look"
l opened the package and uttered cry.
1t contained my photograph.
1.-The fact is that 1t looks very much like
you"
The trick had been so deity executed that
we burst out laughing. The joke was ex-
ceedingly funny.
THE HIDDEN OPENING.
"And how on earth did you get my
photograph"
NJ. Bertillon showed me an opening hidden
in one of the corners of the room. They so
arrange matters that the delinquent who is
not accused shall pass in front Of it. A
button is pressed and they have an instanta-
neous picture which is quite sufficient even
when the prisoner Will not 90 to the photo
graphing-room or hides his face.
An amusing circumstance, SAID NJ. Ber-
tillon, Z" is that all of them have recourse TO
the same trick. The fear, If they should
tiatly refuse to pose in front OF the
appear suspicious and get them in
trouble. As they suspect, when they are
asked to go to the photographlng room. the
proposition that is to be made them, they
! enter utterIng cries OF pain and pressing q
| handkerchief to one cheek "Oh, my teeth
oh, my teeth! I've got that terrible ache
again p and they plunge their faces in their
hands, making horrible grimaces. VI course
| the operator cannot go on and Is put oil tlll
| the morrow. With some. the most cunning,
we never succeed and content ourselves win
| the instantaneous picture which nave been
| taken without their suSpecting 1t and even
| before they were asked to pose.
( One of the first results OF the anthropo-
metric service organized at the Prefecture
| has been to rid Us OF the English pick
pocket. The English pickp0ckets, as you
| know are very correct and even elegant
gentlemen. They never operate save In
| threes. The coup made, the first passes
| the porte-monuaie to the second, who Is
waiting for it and passes it to the third,
who gets away. The two others remain on
| a habauad Tho
policeman who is watching pickpocket at
| work cannot keep his eye on three at once
| He puts his hand upon the first r0bber, who
takes on lofty airs and threatens to complain
| to his ambassador. He is taken to the
station-house, but nothing Is found upon
| him; he furnishes excellent references. The
| policeman in vain is sure of his case; he
| dare not maintain an affirmation which Is
not susceptible of proof. They are obliged
| to release the rogue after making excuses
| to him.
| HOW THE PICKPoCKETs WERE GOT RID OF.
As soon as the anthropometric service
was constituted, il became the custom to
conduct these honorable gentlemen to the
Prefecture. They had no motive for refus-
| ing, since they were honest people, their
| measures and their photographs. Be-
| sides, at first, they saw nothing objection
| able about this, not knowing what was in
tended.
The first who was caught at a second rob
berry and recognized, in spite of his denials
and the perfection OF his disguise. was very
much put ont and had very hangdog look.
But he warned the others, for all these gen.
tlemen form vast free-mas0nry ard all OF
them promised never again to return to
Paris, which HAD become for them an emf
nently unhealthy city.
The majority of the European capitals
have borrowed from The Prefecture of Po-
lice the work-room organization invented by
RArtiilnn Nntlttnu nDnl6
ingeniously arranged. NJ. Bertilon
has arrived at extraordinary results
with means of a marvellous simple
ity. l keep, as an excellent souvenir
of my visit, the photograph he took Of me
on the chair in which have been seated turn
by turn both all the criminals of the present
time and all the savants or curious people in
Europe who have interested themselves In
the criminal classes.
A CoAIICAL ANECDoTE.
DR.. Lambroso has occupied it with the
rest. He has turned over the leaves of those
albums of photographs, from whence he has
drawn a flood Of singular information.
Others still, less celebrated, but yet ssvants.
Upon this head NJ. Bertillon related to me
the following comical anecdote:
A Swiss savant had come to visit the
workroom and they played him the same
pleasant trick they played on me. They in
yted him to find his own photograph in
one Of the drawers which he was inspect
ing.
He found it in fact. but instead of in
stantly comprehending the joke and laugh
ing at it he took the matter seriously.
He looked for long while at the photo
graph, and said to NJ. Bertillon:
"Why, this is against the theories of NJ.
Lombroso and against yours, for this photo
graph resembles me; | recognize it, and /
am a perfectly honest MANI
They had great trouble TO draw him from
his error. He could not admit that they had
resorted to such levity.
FRANcIsouE SARcEY.