The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
MEASURING CRIMINALS.
How Science Aids i'm Apprehending
Notorious Law-Breakers.


Notorious Law-Breakers.
Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Man-measuring first became a science
about thirty years ago. Mr.. Quetelet, a
Frenchman. wrote the first important work
on the subject and soon after this book was
published the French penal. authorities took
up the system and made practical test OF
1t by applying II to the identification and
registration o. criminals. Since then the
system has been improved upon year after
year ana adopted by the penal authorities
in civilized countries practically all over
the world, says journal OF science.
AT first no fewer than 1d2 measurements
were taken Of each single individual. As
may be imagined, this took up a great deal
of time. and year or two later DIR. Rene
Collegnon reduced the number to only twen-
ty. Since then still further reduction has
been made. and now there are only eleven.
These measurements are made OF certain
bony portions of the human frame. which.
after attaining full age, practically never
vary.
The five most important measurements
are the length and width OF the head. the
length OF the left middle finger, the length
of the left foot and that Of the left fore
arm. These measurements, are easily and
rapidly taken. and two cases have been
found in which they all conceded. This
system, now known as the Bertillon. in
cludes a careful observation Of the color
of the prisoners eyes. The twelve records
are entered in duplicate on two cards. one
of which is pigeonholed iE an alphabetic
register and tie other in the anthropometric
or classified register
The beauty OF the Berltillon system il the
extreme simplicity OF this classification. BY
dividing and subdividing the many thou
sands of cards are reduced to groups, hold
ing not more than sixty cards apiece. These
are finally divided according to the color
of the eye into still smaller packets, which
hold not more than twenty apiece.
Thus, when a criminal is arrested, wheth-
er he admits or denies that he has been
measured before. II Is always q simple
matter to find out and hunt up his record.
The five primary measurements are always
sufficient to make quite easy the location
of his card, il one exists.
One great triumph Of the Bsrtillon system
was the proving that Salso. the man who
attacked the Shah In the streets of-Paris In
1898, had been imprisoned as an Anarchist
five years before under different name.
The criminal authorities OF Great Britain
have adopted system which has IN some
respects distinct superiority over the
French. They identify hatitual criminals
by means of their finger prints.
These prints are taken in India ink on
white foolscap paper. The system OF TAX
Ing them is absolutely simple that a
Pentonville warder who had never before
heard or the science OF finger printing took
in AN hour thirty-five perfectly legible
three-hnger imprints
The Bertillon system, on the other hand.
requires the services OF experts TO take the
necessary measurements.
1t might be supposed that there are but
few slight differences between the finger
prints OF different individuals. Examined,
however, beneath a magnifying glass, the
differences are seen To be amazing. Mr..
Cation, originator OF the. system, has
proved that the chances are 64.Uoo.Oc0 TO one
against the prints being the same In two
different individuals.
Finger prints-those delicate, curry lines
on the skin OF the inner tips OF the fingers
do not change appreciably during a ME-
time. Even hard work does not alter them.
All Impressions can be classified under four
main types. known as arches. loops. whorls
or composites.
In the first of them the tiny ridges run
from one side 10 the other OF the finger
without making any backward turn. Tho
loop shows a single backward turn. The
whorl is more complicated, In this the turn
runs through circle or a. duplex spiral.
Composites are mingiings OF two or more
OF these simple forms.
The print OF one finger Is quite sufficient
to Identify an individual. but three myers
are usually taken in order TO make quito
certain.
In 1898 the manager OF a tea plantation
In northeastern India was found lying muir
dered in his bed. The house had been
robbed and the dispatch box riied. But
there was clew TO the thief and muir
derer.
A few days later. going through the scat
tered papers. two brownish marks were
found on the edge of a page OF a Bengal
atlas. A magnifying glass. showed them
TO be finger marks registered in blood The
office I'm Calcutta. and there ghe marks
were compared with the finger record Of a
noted criminal, who was suspected OF the
crime. The correspondence was absolute.
The man was arrested, and eventually
hanged.