Evening star., 1898-11-18
Opening-Phili Defense.
POLICE CIRCULARS,
characteristics OF Fugitive Criminals
Aids in Identification.


Among the curiOsites in the detective
branch of the New York police depart-
ment is small collection of scrap books,
such are used in business houses to file
invoices and by collectors of newspaper
clippings. Visitors to the detective bu-
reau see the rogues' gallery hear the grew
some tales connected with the men and
women whose pictures make the collection,
and they pass out of the room through
the wire screen which leads to the door
they pass but never the scrap books
To the detective department these books
are of great service, because they contain
the circulars which have been received
from other police departments giving de-
ScrptiOnS of fugitiveS from Justice and
people who missing"
The collection contains the names and
descriptions of men who have been captur-
ed and are now doing time" for their
misdeeds and of some who are still at
large lodging and hiding and living in
constant dread of being arrested. There
are pictures with minute details as to per
sonal appearance, habits, manners and pc
cuLarities of men in all walks of life who
are wanted for all Imaginable crimes, and
a glance at the circulars shows how COM
pleteiy the fugitive criminal must disguise
himself to escape the detective. Boards
may be taken off or allowed to grow, Visi-
bic scars may be conc ealed and new scars
may be made, the use of glasses may be
dispensed with in some instances and
glasses may be worn by those who do not
require them. for the purpose of disguise
features may be changed so that it would
be difncu ult to recognize the person, and
defects in speech or pronuncia ton may be
concealed. but there are certain charac-
teristics about most people which cannot
be laid aside, and these are usually looked
for in the police circulars by those who are
on the alert for the fugitive. One of these
circulars describes runaway thief, giving
all points as to age, height, complexion,
eyes, etc, and contains also this remark:
Walks with head down and long stride;
talks always in a deep, coarse tone and
very slowly. He always strangles in drink
ing whisky
A murderer is described as an "all-around
bad man, who would steal lead pipe or
blow a safe, and uses an oath with most
every word.
loud and put on bold front where he
thinks people are timid but when corner
ed he is a coward. He is a coward
Under the picture Of brutal looking,
bur!y man who is wanted for murder is
this information: He will apply for 1-ork
as a horseshoer and work a few days and
then go on drunk.
A careful description is given If a mid
dle-aged man who is wanted for forgery
and under the head of General Remarks'
the circular states: Walks fast, with lop-
ing step. Will raise his shoulders and
throw his head back at intervals while
engaged in conversation"
A man who was once wall known in So
cial and financial circles in the city where
he lived. and who is now wanted thare for
embezzlement, is minutely described in
long circular which contains also a we'll
executed portrait of the fugitive: He has
the ways of gentleman. While sitting he
often places one foot under the chair
Among the hundreds who are spoken Of
in the circulars the following is a sample
of the easy kind, because the fugitive
can by no means conceal his identity:
=, t< -;
lips. His ears have no lobes. He lrags
his feet when he walks. and has great
difficulty in looking one square in tn, face
He has never been in prison, but looks like
a convict in citizens clothes"
THAT man." said police official .m,,st
leave the country to keep out of the pen"
This mans weakness" reads one circu-
lar, is neckties and jewelry. He will 20