The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-12-01
CAUGHT BY THE CAMERA
Criminals Often Brought 10 Justice
by Accidental Photography.

BY both accident and intention. on
numerous occasions. the art Of the pho
;ographer has proved 81 immense util-
iiy in rompa ssing the conviction OF
criminals.
An amateur photographer in Chicago
city cunnlngly concealed an automatic
camera in the tapestried wall Of his
drawing room. for the purpose OF Sc
curing some reliable evidence as 10 the
behavior Of certain members Of his
household during his absence from
home. One moonlight night a burglar
broke into the house by way OF the
apartment mentioned. In 50 doing he
disturbed tn. spring which set the hid
den machinery In motion. and left an
excellent photo Of himself upon the
faithful camera. which. when produced
in court. secured his speedy conviction.
In another Instance. a man who muir
dered his mother was arrested by the
operation Of the omnlscient camera.
The dreadful deed was committed in
a forest. where a student Of ph0t0g-
raphy was at work. 4 particularly
pretty glen was so admired by the art
list thar he took three copies OF the
scene. One OF these. when duly de-
yeioped and enlarged. portrayed the
details OF the terrible tragedy. aud by
its aid the eulprit was brought TO jus
tice.
During the Jubilee celebration we'll
known photographer In London took II
number Of street scenes OF historic in
terest. In one of these pictures. where
vast concOurse of people were assem-
bled near ST. Pauls Cathedral. the
camera revealed a pickpocket In the
very act OF plying his peculiar profess
sion. An old detective. who afterwards
Inspected the photograph. said that he
knew the man well He was badly
wanted" for frauds committed on the
continent. hut the officers were not
aware that he was in London. 4 week
later he was arrested.
A snapshot at n summer crowd on
the sands at Margate came out so clear
~ that the knight OF the camera show
ed 1t with satisfaction to number of
his friends. Among these was a Scot
land Yard officer. who discovered
among the mass OF faces the familiar
features of man whom he had been
hunting for months. Taking the next
train to Margate he haunted the beach
es until he sighted the fugitive and
effected his arrest.
4 Portsmouth photographer paid a
professional visit To large garden
party at SOuthsea where he took a
group OF fashionable visitors with sa-
lient success. During the process OF
development he observed that in the
holly hedge behind the group a rather
repulsiye human face appeared. A
fortnight later a lady purchaser of one
Of these photographs made the same
singular discovery. and averred that
the face resembled that of man who
had made futile attempt to rob theil
house few weeks prior to the party
1 The matter being mentioned to the
police the district was secured. and the
man-who was an old criminal-was
arrested and imprisoned.
1 An Irish housebreaker in Belfast, EVIL
IDENTIFY ignorant concerning the charac
ter OF the camera, found his way ont
night into photographers studio, OF
burglarous thoughts intent when 4
large Photographic apparatus attract
ed his attention. More by accident
than design the camera had been lef
ready for use, and the artless manipu
lation of the machinery, by the curiou,
thief, actually produced picture OF
himself. which was afterward employ
ed to bring about his convlction.-Tit
Bits.