Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-21
HOW DETECTIVES
REMEMBER FACES
Salt Lake Police Officers Tell
lust How They
Do II.
EXPRESSION AND THE EYES.
They Seem TO say. You Know I'm a
Crook, But You can't Prove
IT." says Chuse.

How do detectives remember faces OF
crooks? Ask any thief taker and you
viii receive the answer:
ITS faculty. gift. 'hunch.'
Some can remember faces; some can
not. Some remember names and not
faces while some remember faces and
not names"
Oftimes. after a crime has been COM
mtted, the remark IL heard. The
police have a description Of the crim-
mai and ought TO be able to make a
capture"
Sometimes the police are able to APP
prehend lawbreaker through a de-
scrlption only. but the occasions are
rare. for the reason that a mere descrp-
ton Is a small thing to go by. A crook
mey be described as having dark hair
blue eyes. Roman nose and heavy eye
brows; Of medium weight and build,
men answer the description and Il
would be folly to arrest every man who
resembled the specifications.
THE EYES TELL THE TALE.
But when the crook is once behind
locks aud bars and the experienced de-
tecrives get q good look at him. then
conditions are different. There Is sure
to be some peculiar feature about him,
and the feature that Is most remem-
bered Is the eNpression-the eyes A
photograph Is seldom counted for much
FOR the reason that It is bound 20 be
indefinite, unless an extremely good
one. IL conveys little or no impression
Of size. build OF carriage Descriptions
are all right but few persons are cap
able Of giving an accurate description.
Scars are depended upon a great deal
but they are not often seen and fire.
quently are covered up by a clever
hue nj
positive as the humber on a watch or
bicycle
WHAT GEORGE CHASE SAYS
Detective Gorege Chase. who has had
a long and varied experience as a DO
lice officer, detective and prison guard.
man who has had to do with all
classes Of criminals for many years,
was asked the question.
What do you depend upon principal
ly in Identifying or remembering the
face Of a criminal7'
We generally depend on the ex-
preston" was the reply The eyes
give the expression to the face" he
continued Take a dead man for
Instance. The eyes are closed and there
IS no expression. II Is most difficult TO
identify a dead person for the reason
that the eyes are closed and the eN-
preston Is gone. / am not good at
remembering names Dut 1 seldom forget
a face. Sometimes I am impressed
with the general expression. Take the
man Demming. who escaped from the
county officials. II would be difficult
for me to give an accurate description
OF him. but I could pick him out among
a hundred men instantly. Why Be
cause OF the peculiar expression OF his
eyes. They seem to say. You know
I'm crook but can't prove it, sulli-
van has a scar on the eyebrow but
that might be concealed Garcia. OF
course. would be easily Identified be-
cause of his peculiar make up. Sulli-
van would be kno,.n because OF his
general appearance and walk rather
than from any distinctive feature. But
with 'cOons' All 'coons look alike to
me; likewise Cinnamon. unless I know
them personally. II IS difficult to dis
tinguish one from another. They
are smooth shaver. Their hair Is
cropped short and long confinement
bleaches them so that. from the wall,
they nearly all look alike"
Detective Sheets, former chief Of po-
lice. undoubtedly knows more crooks
than any other man who ever served
on the Salt Lake police force. He never
forgets a face-unless he wants to-
and II you ask him how he remembers
faces for years he will probably tell
you he does not know. Many times
he has been heard 10 remark: "Oh,
it's only a bunch"