The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-16
ALPHoNsE eERTLuoN,
IDENTIFYING CRIMINALS,
o.. -, ..

and when he has learned mental photog- |
raphy,' the detective will return In near |
ly every case with the right person. Two
photographs are part of the Bertillon
description. One is the direct front view,
the other profile. From these a good |
mental photograph may be made.
M Bertillon has contrived other sys-
TENS for the detection of criminals One
Of these is the identification of handwrit-
ing by series Of measurements but most
curious of all are his experiments for
Identification Of criminals by their thumb
and finger marks. For instance. suppose
that man has been murdered by chok-
ing. A chemical prepa ration. devised by
Bertillon, when applied to the skin of
the victims throat. would bring out clear
ly the prints of the murderer's fingers,
showing the fine parallel ridges which
are at the ends of the thumbs and fingers;
and if the lines in the finger marks on the
throat of the victim correspond to the
same sort of impression made by the
fingers of the suspected person, then this
| would be considered good evidence of
| guilt. For the swirling lines in the sur
face Of the skin at the ends of THE thumb
and finger vary with each individual just
| as the ears differ. In England, where the
Bertillon system is not used. the thumb
| and finger impressions of criminals are
| taken and are used for Identification. Be-
| sides being employed in France and the
| United States, the Bertillon system has
been adopted In Germany, Austria Switz-
erland, Belgium, Holland and Roumania."
| In another way France has taken the
lead in the treatment of criminals. This
| is in the isolation of its short term pris-
| oners-the class including those serving
sentence for their first crime or those in
prison awaiting trial. In the prisons of
the United States such persons are usually
crowded promiscuously together in jails
w 0pr oh mo oil 81 t1,o
be seen by them. AS has been pointed out
by Superintendent Collins, Of the prison
department of New York, such prisons
become schools Of crime for beginners
where those who have committed their
first offense are brought under the in
tuence of hardened criminals. 1t is to
avoid this that short-term prisoners in
French prisons are entirely isolated
One important feature of the Bertillon
system, making it practically discouraging
to the professional criminal is the keep
Ing of the record of each convict on the
same card which bears his photograph and
description. This record Of crimes has
been useful in preserving the classification
of the inmates of the state penal institu-
tons in New York. Conv1cts are now d.
vided into four groups-A. B, C and D.
Group A contains those who are serving
their first term and who appear by their
conduct in prison to be less vicious and
more suspectible to reformatory influences
than the others. In Group are the bet
ter class of those who are serving their
second term in prison In the third group,
c, are prisoners serving their third term.
And in the last group, D, are all convicts
, who appear to be incorrigible and who
have vicious habits and criminal tenden-
: cfes. The purpose of the classification is
to prevent prisoners from associations that
would tend to fur Hler degrade them or dis
courage reformation, and also to deter
mine which should be given the most ia
5 vorable treatment and most pleasant labor
during their period Of incarceration, the
preference being given always to the first
term convicts Until the Bertillon system
: In New York determined so definitely the
> records of criminals the grouping Of pris-
/ oners was often unfair, those who had
, served the greatest number Of terms. by
their very knowledge and experience OF
: prison methods. being able to put them
! selves in the first class and secure the
: most favorable positions. The Bertill-or
: record prevents this.