The Washington times., 1907-07-28
USE Of THE CAMERA
TO DETECT CRIME
Remarkable Revelations Of
Evidence Made by Pho
tography.

A recent exhibition in Vienna, insti-
tuted by a Berlin chemist, Dr. Paul Jes-
erich. vito cevotes most OF his time tc
legal and criminal matters. has fairly
astornded the press OF that city by It's
demonstration of the value of photoEra-
ply In the detection % crime. Every
large city now has it's rogues' gallery.
and spreads broadcast photographs OF
suspects The photOgraphinE OF the
scenes OF crime for the enlightenment Of
juTfeE IS still another development with
which the general public Is familiar.
But few people realize that in many
other ways photography has become OF
enormous value IN the actual detection
cf criminals. To Illustrate this remark
able development was the prime object
OF DR. Jeserich's display OF the eighty
enlarged prints which constitute his ex-
hibition.
The sun sees everything, however fal-
lible the human eye. Even when re-en-
forced bY the microscope or the mRgnl-
fying glass. the ordinary observer Is
apt 10 overlook little things IN them
selves Of great importance Moreover.
detective, or an expert employed by
the police. might behold through mag
uiAer something which he would re-
4
jury naight fail to take his word. By
means of the enlargement Of a negative
proof OF . crime may often be shown TO
jury which would otherwise be Dracti-
cally unavailable. This is Dr. Jeserich'B
contention. and his demonstration OF ir
impressed observers as convincing. For
instance. he exhibited two letters which
had been received without their inclo-
sures- To the eye. they had not been
tampered with IN any way, and there
was nothing to show whether they had
been sent without the mone- or
whether they had been opened en route.
An enlarged photograph solved the mys-
terry. IL showed plainly that one OF the
envelopes had two lines OF mucilage.
while an uuevenness IN the pOstoffice
stamp on the flap showed that there
had been a slight variation in the re-
sealing. Il gss Obvious that this letter
had been tampered with; the other
proved not TO have been. for the paper
sheets inciosed In place OF the money
showed. when photographed. the imprint
of the pOztoffice stamp. which II had
received through TIE envelope
The tell-tRle hsot-er has figured in
many novel knd play. Hitherto IL has
been read by means Of a looking glass
DR. Jeserfch won a divorce case BY first
photoEraphinE the blotter and then en-
largins the print; the resulting evidence
that the defendant was guilty BY itself
sufsced 70 convince the court. A mur-
derer was convicted b. means OF the
cord with which he gtransled his vic
tim; piece oE It was found IN niE
pockets. but not until photography Was
called in was the fact beyond dispute
that both pieces OF cord had originally
beer one Another victim Of a murder
er clutehed n his hand a mere scrap OF
a linen mask: a search OF the rooms Of
the suspected criminal revealed another
pleco of linen. When both were photo
ET1phed. IL was found that 1hs weaving
was identical: IN each piece four dark
threads were always followed by four
teen light ones. A stolen pTetdIng ring,
when found on the thief, bore the num-
Der L. IA. 50 C s. magnifying glass
revealed nothing. but the camsra
brought out the original mark, g. s, 2,
Of the postoffioe stamp which IL hES
otherwise discernible are also revealed
by the photographic plate.
Not even the most careful expert has
aa yet been able TO rephotograph that
picture Of the murderer on the retina OF
the victims eyes, which has betrayed
the criminal in mora than one novel
But DR. Jescricn was able to c6pture
one criminal who used part Of an enve-
lope bearing his address N an extra.
charge in loading his old-fashfonsd r.
volVer. The paper Eas apparently char
red beyond hope, but the camera ended
speculation az to the identity OF the
criminal by furnishing his name ana
street number. IN the same way, a pzG-
tograph or q bullet that had ended q
life showed very faint markings. which
could only come from 8 slight uneve.l-
EeeB In the barrel OF the revolver fr,sr,,
which & was fred. The weapon Of sIns
suspect Was used again, and a<afn. Rnl
each bullet Aired ehoW'ed the same faint
lines In the discovery Of forEerfeS
handwriting experts have long resorted
lied sons startling examples CT che ease
with which the work az the cleyerAst
fOrGers was reTea1ed.
All Of this shows clearly that II neSv
furnish new weapons to the criunfnaI
they IN turn make IL hardsr for him to
escape punshinent. Some daY we nav
yet zee men Ike Dr. Jessrieh irelsJdesa
IN the detectiFe stats % cur great cisles
and not only photography, but aH the
other sciences. VIII contrihuts to the e.
tectlon nf Trcngdoera. Not even IN
Scotland Yards navs the poiiee eoss
INTO partnership with scientists 70 shs
extent possible. In this city Cur de4e~
dves. when not corrupt, are ofSen IN
Competent or wholly behind tha f5r,~s
When they have scored succesaaa "a haa
generallT been BY good luck. 6reakine
down the prisoners nerve thro9wh
methods OF torture OF because AZ rBs
stupidity OF the criminal General Ysgn~.
ham has dreamed OF the time vvhe-, Re
could appoint civilians to his detective
coTrps, but ne has not yet asked for that
" nsch modern Developments make feas- 4.
'efe'-Sev York Evening Post