The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-25
FAvoRS BERTILLoN'S SYSTEM.
POLICE COMMISSION MAY ADOPT III
FOR SAVANNAH.

The Identification of Criminals by
Measurement the Method Now in
General Use-Chief McDermOtt
VIII Recommend Its Adoption
Here-His observations at the PO-
lice Chiefs Convention.
Chief Frank McDermott returned yes
terday morning on the steamer Berkshire
from Baltimore, after an absence of
eighteen days, spent in attendance upon
the police chiefs convention at Pittsburs
and in visiting several OF the northern
cities.
Chief McDermott has considerable to
say regarding his trip and the chiefs con-
vention. The subject to which most at
tention was devoted at the convention, he
said, and which was the most important
subject discussed By it. was the general
adoption of the Bertillon system Of identi-
fcation Of prisoners by the police depart
ments of the country, and the establish
ment of a bureau of Identification at Chi
cago by the Police Chiefs Association for
the operation of the Bertillon system.
The bureau is to be supported by the
police departments of the country, and
all the cities of importance are expected
to enter into the arrangement. The cost
is to be 800 year 20 the larger cities
and $50 a year to the smaller cities, in
which class Savannah would be included
Chief McDermott is very anxious to have
Savannah become member of the bu-
reau, and will present the subject at the
next meeting of the police commission.
The Bertilion system has been describ-
ed IN the Morning News on various occa-
sons. 1t is the invention of a French
man, and is now in general use on the
continent and in the large cities of this
country. The system does away entirely
with the old method of describing a Grim
mai by appearance, and depends upon ex-
act measurement. The dimensions and
size of the head and other portions of the
body are taken by specially constructed
instruments and recorded for future ref
erence. To do this, the criminal must
first be caught, but 1t is wei understood
that a criminal is subject to frequent ar
rests, ana that all the noted criminals of
the country have been under arrest at
various times. The plan heretofore has
been to photograph the criminals and
place their pictures in the rogues' gall
lery, but this has proven far from salts
factory.
'ehe criminals Of this country are get
ting smarter every day." said Chief Nc
proved methods to keep up with them
The plan of the police chiefs association
Is to put the Bertillon system in opera
ton, nationally as well as locally. With
the Identification bureau in operation de-
scriptions of all the noted criminals of
the country will be kept on file. If we
arrest man here as a suspicious charac-
ter, believed to be a criminal we can take
his description and send to the bureau,
which will notify us If his description is
on record there. An effort will be made
TO nave congress make an appropriation
for the bureau, in which case the bureau
Will be transferred to Washington. A pa
per was read before the convention by a
Mr.. Poythress, an electrician connected
with the Chicago police department, who
spent some time in France studying the
system, and afterwards put it in opera
ton in Chicago. He will be in charge of
the national bureau"
The convention was in session In Pitts
burg practically a week. 1t was Welcom-
ed by the mayor and afterwards enter
tained at banquet by the mayor and
council. There was an excursion on the
river and other attentions paid the visit
ing chiefs, including parade of the Pitts
burg department in their honor.
After leaving Pittsburg, Chief McDer-
mott spent several days in New York and
also visited Stamford, Conn. The latter
city, he says, is the prettiest he has ever
seen, with the exception of Savannah. If
Savannah had the beautiful green lawns
which are to be seen in Stamford he said
no city in the country could compare
with her In beauty.