Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1891-01-02
FACES OF CRIMINALS.
inspector Byrnes Discards the Sol
ence of Physiognomy. -
What Features Disclose-Iiow to Study
the es-Characteristics of the Mouth
Jaws and Ears-The Deceptivoness
OF Appearances.

| II IL a wise man who knows his own
! ignorance, observes Inspector Thomas
! Byincs, o. New York, IN tAe Philadelphia
! Tnnea
| an lyoycd to sWilc when | hear of men
81 o can not have mot ono-tenth . many
! people as have, or uldcr such various and
! peculiar cirVumslplces, asserting that they
understand human nature. ! doubt If even
one nal is thoroughly understood by any
body. lcust Of a.! ty h.snsof. For the pur-
poses Of nay business, long experience IN
dealing with ,.len aud wollcr 10 Of lnculcula-
BILE Vhlle; it enables the detective TO Judge
qrickly concerning the individuals and ac-
auaiuts him with nl,ry general character
iotics Of the human family; bu after all
this valuable experience teaches one most
important less0n-that Il viii never do to
janp TO conclusions on appearances. 1t
leads the detective t. distrust all general
hutions, al rules FOR discovering . mans
tendencies, all that so-calicd science, physi-
ognomy, and to depeud solely Upon facts
and evidence, meaning BY the latter term
things that will hold good in law court.
It is true that the cast of efRan's features
may be of ocryico, and that no detective will
examine suppos ed criminal with his eyes
shut; bat physioEnomy Is mercy tnctorin
Tie work, ot 4 guide to ii. II all nlen were
sayages, if they grew from infancy to man
hood aud old age with no artificial inilu-
cnces to bend their natures, physlognomy
might be reduced TO an exact science. |
DO not assert that II could, but admit that
IL might In the complex civilization of
to-day il Eeyer can be. For education mod
lies the lines OF the face to remarkable
4, al H. I'm.
parts not only n new, softencd expression
10 The face, but actually changes its ap
pearanco to IN extent that wili inevitably
throw the rules OF physioGnumy mo COZ.
fusion. Not that crooked nose may be
come straight, or large mou Il sindil; but
wise habits and tie desire 10 appear well
In the world may erase the Ggly, vice-borp
wrinkles about the eyes Ggd on the fore
head, and effect other changes OF cimi.ag
nature.
While the lines may be modified and the
natGre refined, the brutal or criminal ten
denotes are not, unnalp.Y. erlditaicd.
They nay lie dormant throughout a life
time, and they may break oui, il lhe provo
cation arires, at any moment II this hap
pens the criminal Is hard cnae Tor the dc
tectiyos. His education has taught him
some things that his less fUfl2nate brother
in the dives can not make available. II
sometimes happens tlat vicious Tendencies
remain dormant 1or generations, during
which the lines OF u mHu ) tac 1--we been
subject to constant improvement. sncascs,
however, when boy Of viclu"s I'arontaBe
grows up i'll vicious furrola,inRs, where
hls animal nature is given tuli awing. he
grows to manhood marked criminal and
can be picked out ut sight. JcctN hat direc-
ton his llu.u.e taxes, however, whether to
burglary, swndling, murder, iicentlousnoss
or petty tA.cyinG, can not be ueterE.aed
with accuracy at glance.
have said that physiognomy may be re-
garded as q factor in cliiaual do tectng.
Even then it mast be applied with caution,
ard never lie depended Un vi hoat evidence.
1t 10 good plan TO get evidence I.rst and
then back it up, il yuu Ike lhe Giiersion,
with an Gua.yai3 or thc features OF
the CRIMINAL. In dcn.Mg Win sus-
p.ets | try tc set hints OF tAclr . aracter
by observing the mouth, the cyeai Jaws and
ears. From the laouth 8. tcir estimate may
be obtained of tie subject cuuiactcr as to
discrimination or weak N1.l lWer, brute
courage or tiiA,G;iy, chastity or heentious-
ness, gene ob.iy OF selfisanoss, cruelty OF
kndnSs5
III Will 90 DDatfVId ttiias lttin AC'S uVb ~
so far Us to make Il suapect tat,y u criminal
or honest naii it Simply sue"c':s sns tel
dohci,s $. In 20, king 10 GAttit.me whether
Ii person is telling The truth depend a good
deal upon the eyes !iot, however. u 5on their
general pl.1Glauce, Tor the lAost evileyed
person IN the world may lc the truth NJ
Times, aud SONS cl ,he b,a, CT mtu ,Eay
prcvaricate upon opcasiJns Gf great renlpta-
lion IL is ra;ner ane ac.iun q tic c,cs tnat
tci!s the secret. Try t3l.dN@ ttlc leison
who Is in question 70 ttlJ lac ltgllt SHINES
rIl4y into his face. Vhon caH Cv lhC pupils,
and IL they waYog OF contract moro than
the light would cal Ter feel pretty conf
dent that ! am Gcaing with "A lar. IL u
practically impossible 10 c0.trul The papH.
One whose eyes do not wa;,r When be is
deccivipg detective usuaAy betrays hiGl-
self by the very effort, which gives 70 his
face an appearance OF oper-oonldcnco, and
his assanptiou Of iRrocclt CANTOR becomes
cain stare.
There is not u great deal to be learned
from an inspection of The jaws and cars, but
/ have noticed that heavy, wide jaws usually
90 with small cars that lie close 70 tho head.
Criminals OF this class are generally dosper-
ate characters, hard to handle, who are lit
Tie amenable to reason, aud pprcciato cnly
the argument OF forces On the othcr hand,
men with lantern jaws and faPpy ears pro-
sent littio difficulty.
a striking proof OF the uncertainty Of
physiosnomy In determining a nau's Char
ucter, TO say nothing Of the nature Of
his doods, may be sepn at a glanco at the
rogue's gallery in this city Three pictures
were placed before visitor one day. He
knew from tho circumstances that they
were criminals. Ouc he fixed upon unhesi
as brutal murderer, another as n
swindler, aud the third looked so much like
u benevolent clergyman that the visiordis-
liked to rate him any where, but finally put
him down as a thief.
"iIe might have a mania for stealing
books from libraries," said the visitor,
alphabetically.
Turning to the backs of the photographs
the visitor read he summarized records of
the three. The "murderer's" worst crime
had been the snatching of money from
lady's hand as she was carelessly display
ing it in the street; the ''swindlern had
committed an atrocious murder, and tho