The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-14
SCIENCE AIDS JUSTICE,
Some Ways in Which Grimes Have
Been Detected and Proven.
From the Ruffaln Times.


From the Buffalo Times:
In no branch of knowledge are the
resources of civilization more conSpic-
uousiy displayed than i'm the increas-
ing perfection of the means now resort
ed to for the detection of crime. In
polSons, for instance, the marvellous
dellcacy of the tests employed is so
surely narrowing the choice of those
which can be used with impunity that
1t may be safely propheSied that when
once the action and character of every
known poison has been mastered by the
chemist, poisoning will not be resorted
TO, except as a last resource, by Grim
inals.
Up till now photography has not
fulfilled the expectations which We're
formed of it. But it is in microscopical
examinations, and after the photo
graphing of the object examined in
magnified form, that the value of the
camera Is likely to be demonstrated.
a well-knOwn French detective tells
or cose in which micro photography
mas clearly proved the innocence of a
man charged with murder. Several
hairs on the clothing of the victim
were found in color and texture to re-
semble the hair of a person who, short
~ before the murder, had been seen
when the aid of the microscope was in
voked it was seen that the ends of the
hair We're pointed, which showed that
they had never been cut. Upon this
the man was at once released. Then
some hairs were taken from dog be-
longing to another suspected man. On
being brought before the magistrate
the man was so confounded when 1t
was suggested that during the struggle
his dog sprang at the murdered man
that he at once confessed the crime.
THE SPECTROSCOPE.
In France the value of micro photo
graphy was also evidenced in the case
of Nj. Rogier, whose body some time
since was found i'm a cottage which
had been burned down, in such a char
red condition that no thought of foul
play would have been entertained but
for other circumstances which tended
to fix the guilt upon a relative. A drop
of blood was taken from the lungs and
examined spectroscopically. Its condi-
tion was normal and showed that death
must have occurred before the cottage
was set on fire. In this case also, the
prisoner. overwhelmed at the uneXpect-
ed nature of the evidence, confessed
his guilt.
the determining of blood stains by
micro photography will provide justice
with a new species of evidence, the
value of which it will be difficult to over
estimate: yet the powers of this new
aid are limited, and it is in the attempt
to show the difference between the
blood of man and other mammals that
its limitation becomes apparent
A medical friend says that a woman
patient of his had been feigning indis7
position by pretending to spit blood.
Had she known that under the micro
scope the blood of birds, reptiles and
fishes reveal in the centre of each
globule Il particle known as the nucleus
she would probably have chosen the
blood of mammal and not a bird. 1t
is not so easy to distinguish between
the various blOOds of mammals. To
begin with, the globules of both men
and animals are all circular. with the
exception of those of the camel, which
are oval in shape. The differences.
when there are any, lie in the size of
the globule. The globules of a horse
and mouse are nearly of the same
size. while those also of man. dog and
rabbit show no dissimilitude in dimen-
siOns.
a well-knOwn scientist says that on
one occasion he was able to prove by
the microscope that the stains on the
dN VI Ilidu tIlul ecu Will W tl'
those of a goat, because the blood
globules of this animal are smaller than
those OF man. Had the stains been
those of dog. however. the microscope
would have failed.
IN CASE OF FORGERY.
As forgery seems to be a crime on
the increase. it is fortunate that i'm
micro photography justice is likely to
find truly remarkable ally. An eX-
pert on handwriting who has discard
ed the old-fashiOned method of com
pairing loops. curls. tlourishes and other
features of caligraDhy. a short time
since was called on to decide which of
two documents was the original one.
| 1T seems that the writer whose cali
graphy was in dispute, used frequent
| ly. in sheer forgetfulness, at the com
meucement of each new year to write
the figures Of the old year-which in