Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-21
a Soul Probe

DIR. Peterson that almost the onl,
ground for hope In diverting A
from a life of crime lay in his affec
ton for his mother. who was woman
of good character A had been Civ
en- MIR. Byers' promise that nothins
the psychometer might reveal woult
be used against him: and. as the In
mates Of the House OF Refugees know
that the superintendent word is new
err violated he answered all GueS
tons put to him.
Being seated at the end OF the
ig writing table in DR.. Peterson
consultation room, another screen
shutting eff his view of the measured
screen. A was directed to pat his
hands on the copper plate connected
with the psychometer. TIE light
beam immediately moved from the
left edge to a point half way across
the l2-foot screen, as the result Of the
contact of the subjects hands, and
| stopped on the seventh foot mark.
The extern OF its detection from that
point to the right thereafter was the
measure of the strength of the emo
lions aroused in the subject. The ex.
| periments began with Superini endent
Beers questioning the young man
about his conduct while he had been
ON parole. and were based on the re-
ports of his criminal operations dur
ing that period.
| Have YOU been under arrest since
! March g. ,Ihe dav he was paroled)
was the first question.
| mo sir was the prompt response
| and the light beam moved six
inches,
| THE question. Have YOU been un-
der baii?' and Are you now under
bailo' to both OF which the answer
was No produced no movement Of
the light beam. The question. Have
YOU been out OF the city, which the
subject answered in the negative caus-
| ed the light beam TO move six inches
again. He was then asked the ques-
tions successfully. Have You been
in Philadelphia? In BOSTON? In
Providence? In Buffalo, In Wash
ington?' In any other city, The re-
Spouse was No. in each instance.
The light beam did not move at the
word: Boston At the word 'Phila-
delphia' and Providence it was de-
| Elected four inches; at Buffalo two
inches; at Washington one AMI one
half inches; at any other city, two
inches When Mr.. Beers now asked
the subject Have you lied about it,
the response was in the negative but
the light wave slid IL inches and
another DETECTION of eight inches fol-
lowed Immediately indicating unusual
perturbation.
As response to DR.. Peterson,
and the record OF the psychometer
during the work-assOciation test, were
even more marvellous in demonstrating
the potentiality of the value OF the
instrument in the detection of crime.
In series of thirty the following sig
nificant words were introduced at
regular intervals as calculated to sug-
gest incidents in As recent
career, knowledge of which he did not
know TO be in possession of Mr.. By
ers or Mr.. HELPING: Steal travel
Boston, pickpocket, shirt waist.
catalogue" telephone ITO steal the
subject answered car. after time
reta rdation of nine fifth-secOnds. with
galvanometer wave of twelve inches.
the association probably being the
picking of pockets on a street car.
To travel he responded bag. with
eight fifth-seconds' retardation. and a
wave of only four inches. However.
the next word was Boston, about
travel TO which city he had been
questioned and had answered before.
and this time there was a retardation
~ rel
could think of the word 'Massachu-
sets while the light-beam moved
eighteen inches 'Pickpocke,' brought
the response watch. with fifteen
ffth-seconds' retardation. and eight
inches DETECTION Of the psycnometer
index. Rug. after twenty fifth-seo'
onds' retardation. called forth car
pet and the light beam moved twelve
inches, sliding out again and again
as the thought surged through As
mind that crime he believed TO
be undetected was known. To shirt
| waist the boy responded popular.
after fifteen ffth-seconds' retardation.
and the ga'vanometer wave was de-
fected first eighteen inches. and then
/ sixteen. The double movement was
accounted for this time t., the circum-
| stance that the first word came into
! his mind in association with shirt
waist was the name of the company
he had robbed. the Popular Shir:
Wsis; Company and the word having
slipped from him unconsciously. he
was seized with second interval
spasm when the thought flashed upon
him that he had perhaps COMMITTEES
himself. Florida Times Union.