The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-09-10
Mr.. Al M. BEATTY,


or anything happens to him while In
prison. The number of his shoe and
hat, his education and drinking habits
are put down. He here signs an order
giving the warden authority to open
all mail that may come TO him. He Is
then commanded to take off his coat,
vest, shoes and stockings, and TO roll
up his left trousers leg to the knee and
his left sleeve. At a portion of the
room wainscoted with wood, on which
are marked scales of measurement, his
height is taken, also his width from
tip to tip of fingers with arms out.
stretched. Made to sit down upon a
stool placed against the scale, the
trunk of the body Is also taken. Stand.
ing on one foot on a box with his hand
against the wall, the left foot is meas.
ured. Placing the prisoners arm Hat
down upon table, the operator ascer.
tains the length from the elbow TO the
finger tips
The length and width of the head
are measured with a pair of callipers,
also the length of the ear. Next are
recorded the length of the second and
little fingers of the left hand, which
completes the measurements. The
various positions in which the body Is
placed as well as the different portions
of the same selected for measurement
under the Bertillon system are based
upon scientific knowledge. Certain
parts of the human anatomy never
change, and placed ina certain pose ii
is impossible for the prisoner to con.
tract or expand the muscles so as TO
deceive the operator. In taking each
measurement the operator calls off the
figures, which are repeated back by
the clerk as he sets them down.
Next comes the description, which is
very exact. For instance. there are
six shades of blue eyes known to the
system, namely, sla,e, lgnt sky, azure,
violet, murl5y. and greenish. In ex.
amining the eye, three portions of it
are taken into account, as there is
often variety of shades The fore.
head is always full, straight or reced.
ing. with characteristics in length and
breadth. In the nose the ridge, root
and breadth are taken into account,
also the breadth, width and project.
The ear is out or close to the head, and
is small, medium or large. No one re.
ceived at the penitentiary has black
hair except Indians, Italians. Span.
iards or Negroes. What is generally
known as black hair is called under
the Bertillon description dark chest.
nut The color of the hair is suscepti.
BILE of large number of classihcations.
The color OF the beard, or what it
would be if the prisoner had one, Is
also recorded, likewise the shape of
the chin and the character of the com.
plexion, whether light, medium, dark,
florid or sallow. Popularity and con.
dition of the teeth is also made mat.
ter of record. After being weighed
the prisoner is then stripped to the
skin, and the operator goes over him
carefully for scars, moles, birthmarks,
and India-ink marks. He is examined
from the top of the head to the sole of
the feet. All measurements are by the
French metric system, and the opera
tor, without resorting to line or rule,
locates a scar by glance as being SO
many centimetres from some feature OF
the body. 1t is a singular fact that
criminals have mania for lndia-ink
marks. The operator stated that seven
out of every ten are discovered TO have
design of some kind on their persons.
This is the very worst thing they could
do, as it is very great aid in identit-
cation. Any attempt to eradicate a
mark only calls attention TO 1t more
plainly.