Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

n Aguirre and "Arizona Jack" Allen
such a happening results in almost i'm
mediate capture.
THE invention Is wicked from even
military standpoint, but as an adjunct
to the armament of evildoers it is one
of the worst blows which have ever
been delivered to the foes of laWless-
ness.
Believes in Prohibitory Law
Il do firmly believe that law should
be passed prohibiting the manufacture
or sale of the Maxim device, and the
makers of such an adjunct should be
| held just as dangerous as those who
would sell dynamite or nitro -glycerine
bombs"
Many other we'll known county Off
! GERS connected with the sherffs imme-
diate staff voiced the sentiments of
their superior. and Under Sheriff r. T.
Brain stated that he could not say
enough in disapproVal of what may
prove a menace to the safety of all law
abiding communities
A more cheerful thing to consider is
the manner in which the guardians of
the law have arranged to safeguard the
lives and property of the citizens under
their protection.
If any reader of this contemplates
committing a desperate crime, he had
better take into consideration some of
the man-tracking systems and devices
which he will have to circumVent.
Probably the printing press is the
worlds first and greatest foe of crime,
for through the medium of newspapers
and police and detective bulletins a
grave crime is instantly heralded
| throughout the entire civilized world.
and all are warned to be on the lookout
for the man sought. In almost every
case where man-trackers can get any
idea of the person they want, the quar-
ry is captured ultimately. The descrip-
tion of the criminal is printed in bulle
tins sent to every police and detective
headquarters in the country, with in
structions issued TO officers which are
calculated to be most valuable in ef
fecting the capture of the person
sought.
Newspapers Lend Helping Hand
Newspapers Intentionally play up" a
crime story in a graphic manner so
that all citizens may be impressed by
the relation and be on the lookout for
| the person or persons who have COM
mitted the crime. Millions of eyes,
stimulated by zeal and horror and
urged on often by offers of reward,
search the crowds and gaze with suspi-
ciOn upon all whom they do not know.
A facial blemish, a bodily affiction, a
popularity of physical or mental make
up, is almost certain to land the sought
for malefactor in the clutches of the
law within a short time, or else he is
driven to suicide as an alternative of
capture.
The telegraph wires buzz with
descriptions of an escaping criminal;
detectives, public and private, take up
the trail. and all the arts of deduction
and intuition are acCentuated an nun
dred fold by the great aids Of electric
and steam lOComotiOn. Few If any
great malefactors have the use of auto
mobiles. and the police departments of
the great cities can tear through space
in pursuit of the fleeing quarry with
greater speed than railroad trains can
negotiate for the same distances. The
telegraph wires keep officers at every
railroad station informed of the quest,
and lynx-eyed men carefully search
every train which has come from the
vicinity Of a great crime.
Thumb Prints Are TabuIated
Suppose the evil-doer relies upon the
fact that there has been no witness to
his crime. A thumb print in the dust,
a bloody finger mark, peculiar meth
cd of procedure will often furnish a
clew, and if the perpetrator of the
crime ever has been held for a felony,
or mark with the carefully tabulated
measurements which they have con-
stantly at hand and, in many cases,
thev know the criminals name and
characteristics shortly after he has
committed the crime, and can at once
use this knowledge to work on.
Any branded felon has his picture
taken in three views, the two profiles
and one front view. The man Is not
permitted to comfort or distort his
countenance when the Photographic
work is going on, and the officers take
pains to record just how their prey will
appear if he makes any changes OF
beard or mustache. The ears are
especially pictured as no two men have
ever been found who have exactly the
same ear markings.
1t also is we'll known that no two
persons have ever been discovered TO
have the same vein maps upon their
thumbs Thumb prints are recorded in
indeIible ink, the hands are measured
height. weight, breadth of shoulders
peculiarties OF feet, muscular develop
ment No perfection or imperfectiOn
ESCAPES being recorded for future refer
ence. Forever afterWard the man who
has had his being so carefully tabu-
lated on the scrolls and rolls of dis
honor is marked, and his chance Of
trespasscs the laws, are inflnitessimaL
Fine System Exists Here
The microscope, the Roentgen ray
and aids chemical, mechanical and
electrical all serve the foes of crime in
their tirelcss efforts to make human
life safe and the community tranquil.
These things do not exist IN the
IMAGINATION; they are not only in dis
tant localities but right here in Los
Angeles the most expert system of
Identification and elaborate prepara-
tions for the subjugation Of criminals
are now in daily use. So excellent is
the Los Angeles department of identin-
cation that Chief of Police Edward f.
Dishman has been made a member Of
the executive committee in the Inter
national Association Of Police Chiefs
as a reward for and because Of the
results obtained by his department In
tracking and identifying malefactors.
"The percentage of wrongdoers in the
world is undoubtedly decreasing" says
Mr.. Dishman, due to better education
Of the masses, but also greatly due to
the zeal and discipline of crime re-