The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-22
DAVIS THE FIRST SUBJECT.
BERTILLON SYSTEM To BE AP-
Piled TO A HORSE THIEF.

Has Confessed to Several Offenses.
sold n Horse and Wagon and a
stallion at BIoomin Edale-StOIe "a
Horse From SOmers & WinkIer.
Detective shea Has just Received
JBIs Appliances, and Davis VIII BE
the First Savannah Criminal to
Undergo the Ordeal of BertiIIon
Measurements.
Henry Davis. self-confessed horse thief,
one of the latest boarders at the barracks,
will be the first Savannah criminal meas
ured by the Berdllon system in savan-
nah.
Davis will hardly know what is going to
happen TO him when Detective Shea gets
him in the little room up stairs to-day
everything about him from his hight down
to the length Of his big toe.
Detective Shea has just received instru-
ments for taking measurements under the
Bertillon system, and is now ready to be-
gin using it. These measurements are
made altogether by the metric system, and
they include almost every part of the
are breadth and width of the head,
length of the right ear. length of the foot
length of the arm, of the hand and of
some of the fingers. There are regular
prescribed rules for making these meas
urements and all sorts of measuring in
struments, such as rules, squares, cali
pers and several other necessary tools.
Morning News, went through a thorough
course Of instruction in the use of the
system in New York some time ago, and
viii be able to take hold of 1t without any
difficulty. The head office of the Bertillon
system is In Chicago, and copies of all
measurements taken are forwarded there
10 so on file When a suspicious character
is arrested in any part of the country, in
quiry at the main office win lead to the
discovery of his Identity without any trou-
BILE
But as to Davis Whether there is any
thing unfortunate in his being the first
man In Savannah to have the measure
ments applied to him. remains to be SEEN
Negroes are naturally superstltious, and
he may not like 1t, but like it or not he
will be measured
Davis has had a brief but somewhat
meteoric career in the horse stealing bus
mess. About two months ago he stole a
horse and wagon belonging to a negro
named Tony Gulford. This he took to
Bloomingdale and sold to a party named
ZeiSler The purchaser turned the outfit
over to another negro to sell for him. The
negro took the horse and wagon to Guy
ton and tried to sell it there. The marshal
of Guyton wired Chief McDermott about
the case, and the stolen property was thus
recovered. Davis got so for the outfit.
Davis next exploit was the stealing of
a stallion from a man who lives on Ninth
street. This he also took to Bloomingdae
and sold, or rather traded. for a small
gray mule and So to boot. He then rode
the mule on some distance beyond Mon
teith and sold II to a party for $14, re-
ceiving $l2 in cash.
Davis returned to the city and secured a
position with Somers & Winkler at
their place on the Waters road After
being there while he made away with a
gray horse belonging to them and sold 1t
for SIS. The police have been trying to
catch him ever since that time, but he has
proven pretty shrewd and managed to
keep out of the way. He was run down
yesterday, however, by Policemen J. ].
Clarity and J. w. Woods, who found him
in q house about mile and a half this
side Of Southover Junction.
Davis was questioned by Chief McDer-
mott as to his horse thieving, and admit
ted his guilt so far rs concerned the
three offenses named. There Is another
offense, however, which Chief McDermott
lays at his door. Several months ago
Davis was employed by Mai G.. M. Ryals
on his plantation About the same time
Mai. Rysls lost a mule The animal dis
appeared mysteriously and has never been
found. Chief McDermott charged Davis
with having taken this mule also, but he
denied 1t positively.
AT all events it looks as IL there is a
hard time ahead for Davis. He is first
to have his measure taken, and then he
will go 10 the penitentiary. If he should
escape, and Is picked up anywhere as a
suspicious character, upon application to
the Bertillon bureau at Chicago his ideu-
tity Will at once be made known and his
capture again will be comparatively an
easy matter.
Keeping WATCH ON WEATHER.