Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-31
FIRE AND L
DEPARTMENTS ARE
BUSY THIS YEAR
BertiilOn Bureau Has Proven
Highly Efficient in Criminal
Work During Year.

The police department las had an in
crease of work during the year, and
the number of arrests up to a late hour
today have been 1886, both male and
female. This is an increase of about
10 per cent. over last year. While there
have not been as many serious crimes
as in previous years, the number of
smaller ones are on the increase, and
show a marked tendency Of the popu-
lation to commit petty thievery. In a
majority Of cases brought before the
courts there has been a conviction. In
regards to the women there We're 1,246
arrests. O~ne-fourth of all the cases
brought to the notice of the police were
charges of intoxication. There were
but fourteen murders during the year.
The white slave law OF 1910 caused
the arrest of SIX, and in every case
there war a conviction.
The most interesting and probably
the pest factor in obtaining convictions
in the department was the Bertillon
DuTtdu, WUiCI " DC% Va OPO@
ton in this city for the past five years.
Under tbs direction of Expert Edward
II. Schwartz, who has been over the
entire globe fitting himself for the
position, our department has become
one of the recognized institutions OF
the country. Mr.. Schwartz, through
his connection with and knowledge or
the great French system, has secured
many confessions and admissions from
men and women who have come q
his notice. In all during h year there
We're Bertilloned, measured and photo
graphed 404 persons. In over % per
cent. of the cases there was obtained
from other cities information which
would show that the individual was a
convict from a foreign State. There
are many instances where men would
deny their identity. but would confess
when confronted in the bureau with
their fnger-prints.
Example of Finger Print Work.
One of the most interesting cases OF
the year was the capture of David
Spear and Reginald A. Westcott, who
were practically convicted by the aid
of the finger print system. The two
negroes were arrested and admitted
that they had entered and robbed the
homes of our w~ealthiest citizens during
the ummer. In the home of Uzal ii.
McCarter the men broke a china closet.
Mr.. Schwartz discovered finger prints
on the glass, and when examined
through powerful microscopes and the
measurements on the men taken 1t wes
found that the prints were those or
Svastcott. Later the men. who eaeh
had half d dozen aliases, confessed to
having served many terms in prison.
They were sentenced to fourteen years
for their operations in this city.
Another peculiar case in which the
S3ertillon bureau played an important
hart was the arrest and conviction or
George Hartmann. This man had
I broken into a jewelry store window late
at night and was about to make way
with a large amount of plumber which
he q collected from the window.
When arraigned he pleaded guilty, but
when questioned at the bureau smiled
when old that he was an old offend or.
Cards of the measurements and photo
graphs of the nan we're quickly sent
throughout the country. In the mean
time Hartmann was tried and sentenced
to eighteene months in the penitentiary.
A report from California reached the
city after Hartmann was sent away
thai the man had served over twenty
five years in Western prisons. Judge
Davis recalled his sentence and Hart
mann received a five-year term.
Many Children Lost.
A large item in the police department
has beer the number of children lost.
Sometimes lest children are kept at the
sta~tion-houses for several days befo,e
they are called for by their parents.
During the year 1,072 children were
found on the streets and returned to
their parents It was found that there
were 582 careless store-keepers who
went to their homes at night without
locking their doors. The department
has also noted that the electric lights
were out 1S.0s6 hours, while tho gas
lamps were not burning for 1888 hours.
The horses of the department
answered just s,720 calls during the
year. The police boxes also kept up
their work and 572,640 duty calls were
recorded. 1t was estimated that sixty
five calls were sent into the various
precincts every hour during the year.
This shows what an enormous amount
of work is lone by the sergeants who
are stationed behind the desks and are
compelled to keep watch that every
patroiman in his department sends in a
duty call on time.