Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-12
TO DETECT CRIMINALS
Robert, Watchorn's Plan For Pho.
tographing Immigrants.
FRONT AND PROFILE VIEWS.

Scheme Of immigration Commissioner
at New York Is to Provide Police
With Means to Catch Persons Who
Should Bs Kept out-Methods Sus-
gested For Taking Photos Of Aliens.
The question Of photographing every
immigrant Is now being considered by
1mmisratto9 Commissioner Robert
watchorn s.whether the work shall be
done by, a moving picture apparatus or
by an fordtpary camera is still in de-
bate. The Immigration commissioner,
however, acting ION the suggestion of
Deputy Police Commissioner Wood Of
New York. decided to. hay the feasibil
ity of the project before the depart
ment Of commerce and labor in the
hope Of getting . favorable decision.
The project has been stimulated ow-
ing to the murder Of Detective Lieu.
tenant Petrosinl In Italy. The police
department Of New York city keenly
realizes the necessity of getting a pic
luAc VI SNeiS ihipisAaAe WihO po>s'S'7
through the port Of New York into the
United States Many criminals for
whom the police are: looking run away
to foreign countries for few years
and then rstuNf under assumed names
They take up their abode In different
part, Of the county here and, never are
caught. The police think sthat under
the new system they can detect many
old criminals. Furthermore, Il pictures
Of immigrants pre-. sent to the Ameri.
can consul in gthes city or town from
which the Immigrant has come special
Investigation Of his record can be
made, and thus old criminals can be
kept from the United States.
II believe there should be front
and profile picture of every immi-
grant that lands in the United States"
said Deputy Police Commissioner
Wood the other day. "While the NOV
ing picture method is rough and
ready way Of Cutting the picture, 1t
would be a vast improvement over no
method at. all"
Several methods Of taking the pic
lures have been discussed by Watchorn
and Wood One. heme is the installa-
ton Of moving pictuSn machines In the
examining room at Ellis islund. There
the immigrants can be caught as they
come before the medical inspectors
The immigrants form in lines, and 1t
will be easy to get a profile Of them.
After the examination they are re
quired to walk down narrow lane
and turn sharply to the LETT. A moving
picture apparatus at that point can
catch the full front Of the immigrants
Each immigrant can be tagged with q
number that will show in the picture
The tag will correspond to the mans
name on the ships steerage list.
Those films could be duplicated and
sent to the police Of the different cit,
les In the United States and Europe
Furthermore, they can be printed and
copies sent broadcast. 1t has been
suggested that the women and chill.
dren can be kept separate, SO their
pictures are not taken.
The other method discussed has been
that Of ranging the immigrants on
rows of benches and taking photo
graphs Of hundred or more at the
same time. Each picture can be In
de1ed and a complete record Of the i'm
| migrant. prepared- York Press.
Mr.. and Mrs. E. A. Francis returned
home Saturday evening from a few
days visit with Mr.. Francis parents
at Muscatine