Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
THE BERTILLION SYSTEM.
A Story Showing How Mercilessly Sure Are
Its Measurements.

| A Story Showing How Mercilessly Sure Arr
Its Measurements.
A young man who had been arrested
| measured then and there, says Chambers
two men, one of whom applies the instru
ment and calls out the figures, which ART
entered on a card by the other precisely al
in tailor's shop. The subject is bare
footed and bareheaded. The measurements
are taken in four minutes, together with
| the height standing, the height sitting
| the length of the arms extended, the
length and breadth of the car This fin
ished, Mr.. Bertillon, card in hand, inter
rogated the prisoner:
What is your name?'
"AIbert Felix"
"Have you ever been up before?"
mo never"
Quite sure?''
"Perfectly sure" with jaunty conf
dence'
As the young scoundrel was the leader
of band this seemed highly improbable.
He was removed, and we proceeded to
| the search. Section after section of the
drawers were rapidly eliminated by COM
pairing the figures On them with those
upon NJ. Felix's card At last we came to
a single drawer, and then down to two
cards. If he was there at all it must be
one of these. A look at the first at once
| showed discrepancies of one or more MILL
meters and some of the headings, and as
| the bony measurements are accurate to a
millimRter, it could not be this one. There
remained one card. Mr.. Bertillon took it
| nm HIDING the rhOt0 rranh on If
| All the figures CORES pond exactly with
those Just taken of Felix He was recalled
and again questioned. He repeated hi.
for4-er statements, but obviously with less
confidence. NJ Bertillon uncovered the
| photograph, and there the fellow was to
the life as he stood that moment before US.
1t was most startling. But the origin of
| the photograph was called Alfred Louis
| Lemaire, and he had been in jai two years
| before. The card bore details of certain
scars and marks on hand and body; they
! correspondent exactly with those On Felix.
| Our friend, the detective, edged up and
watched the prisoner with professional de-
| light Again questioned, Felix stuck to
his story, but the composure was gone; his
| eye was troubled, his lips trembled, and the
muscles of his face twitched. The photo
graph was shown him.
who is that?"
Not me; some one like me, out very
shakily.
This is Alfred Louis Lemaire, and he
was arrested" etc.
The fellow was down in an instant as
limp as wet paper. ''Ol,, c est non nom,
adding Il knew you would find it.
The astonishing thing was that, out of
the great roomfuI of cards, not single
one corresponded, or anything like cor
responded with the measurements Of the
youth before us, except that particular one
his own. Mistake is impossible.
is the soil in this neighbornood rich 2
asked visitor.
'Rich!" exclaimed Farmer Medder-
grass. Il should say l it was. A man
plowed up a tin can with $50 III it the
other day
Be not stuck up in your work. Always
try to help another VIE the time comes.
1t may not come but you will feel better
when you are ready to help if it does come.
One cannot help himself always, and at all
times be ready for any work that may be
placed upon him.