The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-25

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 or photograph might lead to his former
 card or record. but the work of look ing over thirty thousand faces pre-
 cludes any attempt to find him in this way.
 The BeFtillon measurements. howev-
 CT, enable the dividing and classifying
 of collection of descriptions so that
 the work of looking for an individual
 in collection of thirty thousand de-
 scriptions occupies only a few mo-
 ments. About ten thousand of such a number will have small-sized heads,
 about ten thousand large-sized heads,
 and the balance of the thirty thousand
 will have medium sized heads. Thus,
 by securing the measurement of an in
 dividuars, head the figures at once tell
 whether he will be found in the divi-
 sion of ten thousand semall heads, in
 the division of ten thousand large heads, or in the division of ten thou
 sand medium-sized heads. In other words, by having the size of the head is saved the work of looking over twen- ty thousand cards, for if it is known by
 the size or measurement that the crim- l 4AAeAA SAetoothEu otttcAAes SItlctll
 it is not necessary to look through the
 medium and large divisions. Upon this
 principle each other measurement ta-
 ken enables a still further division or classification. The small heads, in
 length, are sub-divided or classified
 into three divisions of the head width, 1 or about three thousand small head widths, three thousand large head
 widths, and four thousand medium
 head widths: the large and medium heads. in length being subdivided in 1 the same manner. Thus it will be seen
 that, with two measurements, the head
 length and head width. is saved the i trouble of looking through twenty-six 1 thousand cards. Each head-width di- i vision is subdivided by three divisions of the finger, each finger division by
 three divisions of the foot; each foot di- vision by three divisions of the forearm, etc.
 The simplicity of the system is now | apparent. Without any measurements i it would be necessary to look over 1 thirty thousand faces: with one meas
 urement it is necessary to look over ten thousand, with two measurements | only about three thousand, with three measurements only about twelve hun dred, with four measurements only about three hundred, with five meas
 urements only about one hundred and fifty, with six measurements only about fifty. with seven measurements l only about fifteen cards.
 The system understood, the value of a national bureau becomes immediately apparent. It is, in sense, the clear !, ing house of criminal identification. At present is voluntary organiza- ton of all the leading cities and towns of this country and our northern neigh Dor, with the sole exception of New York city. The central offices are sup ported by contributions from the mem- Der cities, their quota being propor- toned to their criminal business. Whenever a man is arrested in any of the cities which are members his pho tographs and measurements are sent to the bureau, where the card is indexed and filed in accordance with the sys- tenn explained. First, however, g. oS0tNii tS lO SCC4 II IlG Ut dlTGduy represented under some alias, and when he is his various aliases, crimes and punishmen;s are at once sent to the off, flee sending in the card, so that they are put in possession of the mans com- plete criminal record.
 In the case of man arrested for the first time and two or three years later ppi nr,socfaI iy1 frtf i, tfnent from the scene of his first crime and on widely different charge, no sooner is his card received than the crime of two years before comes to light, and his past record goes to the office making the last arrest, and the new charge is also sent to the office making the first arrest. In this way the whereabouts and doings of each well-known criminal are kept in mind by the police officials all over the coun- try.
 Even death does not invalidate the workings of this remarkable system. Some years ago, when the offices of the bureau were in Chicago, and Edward A. Evans, the present superintendent, was occupying a subordinate position in the bureau, burglar was shot and killed at Fiftieth street and Prairie av- enue in that city. He was not known to the police of that city, nor was there a single paper or mark found on him that would lead to his identification. MT Evans was appealed to to see if he could find out who the man was. He took his camera and measuring in struments to the morgue and subjected the body to the usual process. Within ten minutes after returning to the of- flee. and without even developing the negatives, he found that the man was Elmer Reed, who had a short time be- fore been released from the Joliet peni- tentiary, where he had done a number of years for job of housebreaking. A half-hour's talk with Major Sylvester brings out scores of just such instances of quick and thorough identification.
 The national bureau is not an old concern. It was originated in Chicago, in 1S97 under the direction of a board of governors, composed of the follow ing world-renowned police chiefs: Col onel Philip Deitsch, of Cincinnati, pres ide1rt; Major William D. Moore, of Washington; D. S. Gastin, of New Or leans; Joseph Ripley and William A. Pinkerton, of Chicago; Jacob Frye, of Baltimore. George M. Porteus, of Chi cago, was the first superintendent, In TasN G,,Ix