The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-03
From the London Globe.

From the London Globe.
 IN Virgil is to be found the first re-
 corded instance of the use of hand \ cuffs, for the poet tells that Proteus WAS thus fettered and rendered powerless by Aristaeus, who apparently knew that even the gods themselves were not prooI against this form of persuasion In the fourth century B. c. an army or Vic- torious Greeks found several chariots fuil of handcuffs among the baggage Of the defeated Carthaginians, and It is highly probable that the ancient Egyptians had some contrivance of the kind
 The word is derived from the Anglo Saxon .handcop," whence comes evi- dently the slang term copper. III earliest Saxon days "handcops were used for nobles and .'footcops' for kings' but in the fourteenth and fifteenth cen turies the word Is supplanted by the terms "shackbolt' and "swivel-menacle' and the instruments themselves are as cum barcome AS the names by which they are known.
 Tn to the middle of the last century there were two kinds of handcufs In asnaral use. One. known as the flexible" was very like those which are still used; the other kind. called the figure s,' was used to restrain violent prisoners. It was so fashioned that the captive coulo not move his hands, and was universally dreaded for the pain caused by hmo immoyably confined is almost unoear able. A simple but powerful device for secur- ,nr prisoners was the "twister, now abolished, owing td the injuries 1t in- a,cted. It consisted of a chain with ham, dies at each end. The chain was put around the wrists the handles brought together and twisted, until a nrm srip was obtained. The least struggle on the mart of the captive and the chains plt daen into his wrists. Of the same nature hut made of wire is ia ligote," while in an emergency whipcord has proved per fectly satisfactory.
 The manner of use Is as follows: uake' niece of whipcord and make double running knot, tie one moose around the nr,soner,s wrist, then, making him put his hand in his pocket. lash the cora around tho body, and, bringing IL pacM' s,ip it through the moose again. The prs oner is perfectly comfortable so long as he does not attempt to take his hano o,,t of his pocket. A still more efficacious ,,,a,bod was once employed by London oo6stable. Being without his handcuffs, and having nothing which could possibly take their place, he simply took his knife and cut off all the prisoners brace but tons. This absolutely prevented rapid fight and gave the man something to do i besides.
 The handcufr used in some parts or | eastern Europe is most primitive N consists of g. v-shaped piece of metal , in which the wrists are inserted, the open l ends being then drawn together by means | of A. cross hook. which must be kept taut the whole time. The most handy | form of cuff which Is in general use at present comes from America; 1t Is lighter and much less clumsy than the old TICK ible."
 If ia no easy matter to clap the brace
 let's" on a person who is struggling VI olently. Inventors should turn their at- tention to the subject, for much rematf's
 to he done before the fighting prisoner can be quickly and strongly secured witn- out harm to himself or his captor.
 One hardly realizes that a manacieo man has been provided with a very TOT
 midable weapon; yet such Is the case TOT
 he has but to raise his hands ana bring
 they down heavily on the head or his
 captor to stun or even Kill him. For
 this reason dangerous prisoners are gen
 erally handcuffed with their hands behind
 their backs. The police also nave to
 reckon with the fact that all handcuffs
 will not fit every prisoner, being often
 either too large or too small If they
 are too large, they provide knuckle dus-
 ter of great proficiency
 It is always painful to see number , of manacles prisoners being put Into 1 train. and almost worse to see single captive, followed by . constable, enter [