The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-05

Yankees call "his own hook lie on
cages officers, is employed upon private
cases and makes mis- living just Ike "a
lawyer, or any other professional man.
Private detectives are often employed
By the government TO render service.
in which case they are paid for the
work
The government gradually adopted The
BertillOn until now IL U.s. used in nearly
an parts of the country-and to some
extent I'm every section OF the United
States.
VI. Bertnon at the time Of his discov-
cry ln 1883. declared that the system
would be of little use unless it could be
adopted by all countries ass an mferna-
tional method OF Identification. IFS .sys-
tom WAS founded upon the physical pc
Culiarities OF the criminal. He made
many measurements of the head hands,
height and physical peculautles OF the
man. all of which were recorded under
the proper classification. If the prisoner
disappeared. 81 record Of his measure
mcnts was 90 be forwarded TO every
foreign country in the world. AS soon
as a suspected person appeared he was 10
be measured by the same system and ~
the figures agreed there could be no
doubt OF his identity.
BertillOn admitted that he was guided
20 this scheme by the works OF Peter
Paul Reubens and Sir Joshua Reynolds.
who made anthrOpOmetry study. These
two great painters found a close survey
OF the family traits or the utmost im-
pOrtauce I'm painting family portraits.
Both Rcubens and Reynolds observed
the shape Of the ear, the tip OF the nose.
tho height Of the cheek bone. the size
OF the chin and tho development OF the
forehead. They also looked closely al
the length of the head. which IN fami-
lies, Is strlkngly alike. They found that
the more they studied the general shape
of tho family head the better they could
paint pictures.
From being a student Of anthropometry
Bertiilou gradually began 20 adapt his
knowledge 90 the identification OF criml-
mails lie found that he could measure
she human head so accurately that mis-
takes were out OF the question. and hav
inc convinced the police department or
France of the accuracy OF his discovery
he had the pleasure of seeing ID adopted
in his own country.
There IS no class of criminals upon
whom the Bertiuon system works as well
as upon tho anarchists These men have
well developed heads from a Bcrtlon
standpoint. with very pointed chararcter-
istics. and 81 is easy 10 apply the meas
urement to them.
Another business which might be bene-
fted by the Bertillon system is that OF
life insurance. one Of the chef officials
Of the criminal department of the United
states suggests that II life Insurance
companies would adopt the Bertlllon sys-
tenn IN their examinations they would
never be deceived by the bogus deaths
which often disturb life insurance COM
panies.
The system could be used IN many ways
where identification Is desirable. A gen
teman travelling in q strange country
such as Russia. where a passport is so
necessary, could take along his BertiIlon
measurements. which IN case OF arrest "a
an unknown stranger. would be found 20
correspond with tho measurements held
by the government.
Or. Bertll0n I'm explaining his system
TO d reporter OF this newspaper said:
"ln the other branches OF human ac-
tivlty. especially IN electricity. con-
crosses have. in proportion 20 the necs-
sitv. supplied this want of a universal
understanding. II is thus that the cleo
trical units-watt, ampere. volt etc
have been created and unanimously
adopted Why should not the police OF
civilized (0r policed, for u IS all one)
countries 10 as much for the description
and notation OF the different shapes OF
forehead. nose. color OF the eye. etc?'
The Hon AfT. Asqulth was the nrst 20
take up the study or the Bertillon sys-
TEN or England. He appointed a COM
mission for comparing the methods OF
identification and description. This conf
mission found anthropOmetry by far the
best method OF Identification Bertillon
IN describing the system said:
"Ons is able, BY means OF the metri-
cal information supplied by g. 70 CLASSIFY
several hundred thousand individual non-
doations. But let me hasten 20 say that
these notifications should themselves al.
v'ays hs accompanied BY an abstract OF
particular marks found upon the person