The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-09
VICTIM OF his own ART
forte0us Finds Himself Photographed
as q Criminal.
cosMoP0LIrAX's BIG SUIT
a Scientific Gentleman Who Prints
Photograph Of Himself in Disguise
Il norrified to Find Reproductions
In Magazine Wants $4,000.

New York, Dec. s.-The Sun prints an
amusing account Of the circumstances
that have been responsible for suit
for damages that has just been begun
against the Cosmopolitan Magazine by
George NJ. Porteous, the agent of the
Bertillon system OF Identifying crimi-
mails. Delaney Nicoll is Porteous'
counsel, and filed the papers In the case
yesterday. Mr.. Porteous has been at
work introducing the system of identi-
fication in this country for several
years. His idea has been to establish
q central bureau in New York or Chi
cago, in which would be kept collec-
tion of photographs and measurements
of all the criminals in the country. IL
Is his contention and the contention OF
the advocates of the system that pho
tographs are generally useless for iden-
LITIGATION, because of the possibility or
disguise; that is, a man may grow his
whiskers in any number of styles. each
one of which makes him different
man, so far as q full-fa picture goes.
Partly to prove this and partly from
curiOsity, year or so ago Porteous had
D lot Of pictures taken Of himself There
were twelve In the set-six front view
and six side view. He says he had only
three or four sets of these made, and he
got the negatives, so that no more could
be made. He gave one set away. That
was to Major r. w. McClaughney,
superintendent of the prison at Pontiac,
Mich, who was formerly chief of police
of Chicago. None of the other sets, he
roV 1aft b;c ,,occaccinn
About q month ago he was walking
IN Chicago with a friend, when his at
fention was attracted by set Of pho
tographs in a book store window
Under the set was a legend, "Photo-
graphs OF a Famous Criminal" He
stopped to look at them, and identified
himself. He rushed into the store, de-
manding where the pictures came from,
and commanding that they be taken
from the window. The store man said
the pictures had been clipped from the
November number OF the Cosmopolitan
Magazine. Porteous bought a copy,
and then started off to find Major Nc
Claughney. On the way he was stopped
by q professional criminal who greet
ed him effusively and told him what
tough luck it was to have his picture
printed like that. Porteous didn't
know the criminal he says. but the fell
low identified him by the pictures.
This added to his unhappiness.
Photographs Were Loaned.
Major McClaughney told him that q
man named Crofton had borrowed the
set of pictures for use in the Cosmo-
politan, but had agreed that before the
story that was to accompany them was
used a proof Of It should be sent to the
Major, SO that he might revise it. No
such proof was ever sent, and the Ma
jor was as surprised. and indignant at
the publication of the article, as was
Mr.. Porteous. After this explanation
Mr.. Porteous took time to sit down and
read the article. Nowhere in 1t did he
hnd e assertion boldly made that the
pfceU4 uthose Of a criminal. The
article was headed identifying Crimi-
mails; by A. F. B. Crofton." In the
course of 1t there was this which Mr..
Porteous concluded might be mistaken
to mean him:
"The similarity Of two photographs
may often be confusing to the uniniti-
Ated observer. and may even cause an
expert to hesitate When they both hap
pen to be taken In q full-face pose
I'his hesitation is impossible where a
profile portrait is adjoined, for, even
EhOuld there be a resemblance between
the two prOfiles, there will invariably
he a distinct difference in the formation
Df the ear, supposing that the originals
are really different people. Nature
anakes no duplicates. and there are no
two ears in the world which are abso-
sutely identical: there is. indeed, diff
ference between the right and left ears
of the same person. Owing to the great
variety Of its curves and hollows, the
ear is by far the most important factor
of Identification Of the human features.
1t seems to undergo no modification of
form from the time Of birth until death,
and this immutability, which prevents
It playing any part in the changing ex-
pressions Of the face, causes it to at
tract less notice than any of the other
organs. Our eye Is as little accus-
toned to observe 1t as our language to
Aescribe 1t.
In the various photographs of pro-
Sessional criminal, taken at consider
able intervals throughout his life, the
expression Of his face. the form of his
mouth, the arrangement and abund-
ance OF his hair, all change, but his
ear remains unalterable, and the iden-
fity Of its formation in different photo
graphs is sufficient to affirm the iden-
tity of the individual. In the set of
photographs shown, the apparent dis
similarity of the various portraits is
denied or offset by the evident identity
OF the ear. The photographs in reality
are all Of the same man, who was taken
at various times in different disguises.
1t would have been almost impossible
TO demonstrate this fact had the pro-
file portrait not been adjoined to that
of the full face. But in the side view the
81 nilarity Of the forehead, the angle
of the nose, and the formation of the
esr proclaim the Identity OF the original
Dtyond a doubt
Episode Of shs Clearing House.
But Mr.. Porteous didn't see what he
0Duld do about 1t, and he had about
made up his mind to drop the matter.
He came to New York on visit, and out
of curiosity he visited the clearing
house. A couple Of minutes after he got
in there he noticed gentleman eying
him curiously. Finally the gentleman
came up to him and said, my friend,
what Is your business here?" and he
said II IN - way that made Porteous
think Of the gallery in the Cosmopoli-
tan. Mr.. Porteous said at once that he
WAS Mr.. Porteous, who was introducing
the Bertilloh system Of Identifying
criminals. II thought saw your picture
in the Cosmopolitan" said the gentle
man, and he added significantly, "and
4 had my eye on you"
Mr.. Porteons IL q friend Of Mooney
- Boland, who own . detective agency,
and be visited their ONCE. Mr.. Boland
oaked him how he came to be