Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10
PHOTOGRAPHS AS EVIDENCE.
Their Increasing Use in Courts Of
Justice-Identifying Chinese.


From the Scientific American.
Ever since its inception photography has
rendered. valuable assistance to justice by
the popular nature of the data 1t Is capable
of producing, One of It's earliest services
along this line was the improvement Of the
various "rogues' galleries. scattered
throughout the country, where efforts were
being made to keep a record Of portraits Of
leading laWbreakers. Prior to the advent
Of photography likenesses of criminals. as
sketched by the artist and reproduced by
the wood engraver, offered but little aid to
the officers of the law for purposes of iden-
tification. The camera, however, capable
of catching each facial characteristic and
fleeting expression, together with the ease
with which its results could be dupliea ted
without loss of any essential qualities,
proved most effectual help in the detec-
ton Of criminals.
The United States government endeavored
for many years to perfect system of 1den-
tifcatton by description merely In the mat
ter of Chinese certificates. But so many
frauds were perpetrated that ut last Con-
gress was compelled to adopt the amend
such certificate to have attached to its face
the photograph Of the person applying for
the same. This clause in the exclusion bill
was very dstasteful to the Chinese, who
country. but without avail.
When at last the Chinese found that they
must comply with the new regulation or
suffer deportation the photographers Of the
Pacific coast could hardly meet the de-
mands of the excited Celestials. all of whom
had become very anxious to be photograph
ed before the expiration of the time limit.
Certificate photographs are not retouched,
and any scar. or other prominent marking
upon the face Is made as conspicuous as
possible to aid Identification. The effect of
the new law'Wa most salutary, and while
frauds are still occasionally attempted,
they are rarely successful.
When the foregoing facts are taken into
consideration 1t is not at all surprising that
the camera Is held in wholesome respect by
those who would seek to break or evade the
law. This point was emphasized last win
ter during the great Transfers strike in
Boston, where policemen riding with the
drivers, found cameras more formida-
bic weapons than firearms would have
been. Somehow. when those bent on mis-
chief realized, that any act Of violence en-
their part would be duly recorded by the
all-seeing lenses, to be brought up against
them later. the very boldest among them
shrank from making a demonstration
Although the photograph has been used
for years as means of Identification, 1t is
still looked upon in many courts with a de-
gree OF suspicion. when submitted In gem
eral evidence. This is largely due to the
fact that Photographic negatives In. the
hands Of skillful manipulators are capable
of much "doctoring' and can readily be
made to bear witness to untruths
Yet realizing that all evidence is open to
question and must be thoroughly sifted.
and trusting to Photographic experts to
unearth attempted fraud, the photograph
Is being admitted in courts of justice as
evidence more extensively each year
Finding by experience that a well-taken.
untouched photograph bearing upon a case
in point often makes valuable evidence.
many railroads. steamship companies and
other corporations are making 1t a practice
to keep cameras within easy reach of their
employees to! be used when necessity arises,