The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-22

Island. in which it was perfected. I
stood by the side Of K. NJ. Turner. the
man who invented It," a q writer
IN worlds Work; AT his direction I
took up an earpiece from a work.
bench. while he turned a switch.
Then Mr.. Turner. speaking merely In
to the air as II he were talking to an
other man in the same room. said in
an ordinary conversational tone:
Mr. Hat. there is a gentleman on
the line here in the laboratory who
wishes to have you demonstrate the
detective photograph. Will YOU please
talk to him and show him how it can
be heard through various materials?'
AT once i heard a perfectly distinct
voice answer:
"'Certainly. Mr.. Turner. I am now
talking in an open room. with nc OBJ
struction between me and the trans
mitter. though ! am standing about I
feet from it. Now 1 shall turn a
switch and talk to you through an
other transmitter that is Enclosed
tightly In a wooden box
Here the voice began to sound
more remote but exactly as distinct az
before as it continues: I shall now
switch to still another transmitter that
is imbedded in a solid block OF CO.
ment.' and now the voice seemed very
far away. but still perfectly audible
and distinct. l asked the voice sew
eral questions and received its an.
swers.
Then Mr.. Turner led me out Of the
building in which the laboratory Is.
across a yard to another building and
there introduced me to Mr.. Haff, who
at once continued the conversation
that we had just broken off and show
ed me the wooden box and the con-
crete block containing the several
transmitters.
The operation Of the detective die
tograph is perfectly simple: the trans
mitter is readily hidden-as in the
cell in Los Angeles or as in the space
between the back panel Of a desk
drawer and the back OF the desk in
the ironworkers' headquarters in In
dianapolis-and the fine wires that
lead to the earpiece are as easily car
ried away through a followed table
leg and a tiny hole In the floor or by
some similar device.
I'm a room Of ordinary size it gath
ers every sound, even whispers from
the farthest corner. and transmits
them. magniied in volume. to the re-
ceiver. In ordinary detective use the
receiver Is in a room next door or on
the floor below. but in one case the
Burns detectives have used it over a
wire a mile long. In such cases. of
course. the circuit has to be connected
With one or two extra batteries like
the small. dry cell that is used for
short distances.
The photograph has bee employ
ed for other such odd uses as these:
BY Prof. Frank Perret to study the
minor activity Of Mount Vesuvius be-
tween e%ruptions: by William Boyce Of
Chicago. during an expedition in the
jungle of Africa to hear the sounds
made by wild beasts when undisturb-
ed by men; in the Metropolitan opera
house and in the Hudson theater. New
York. to enable the managers to hear
the rehearsals on the stage from their
private Offices: to enable representa-
tives In congress, while sitting In their
rooms in the Office building, to hear
the debates on the floor of the house.
But the most promising field for
the detective photograph is in aiding
the execution of the laws. Mr.. Tur-
about the obtaining of evidence: Re-
verse the VIZ method of working up
confessions Of criminals. That meth
cd was to put aceomplices in separate
cells, and then to deal with them one
at a time. telling each hat the other
had given way, and urging him to get
even by telling his story on the other.
Inc new method should be to I'M
bed a photograph in the concrete wall
Of a large cell. put the ~accomplices to-
gether and have the officers keep
away from them. but to let their
friends and kinspeople visit them
freely. Sooner or later. when they
are alone, they are certain to talk of
their crime and to give plenty of
clews from which conclusive evidence
may be worked up. Human nature
cannot endure to keep such secrets
locked in silence. And when they talk
a stenographer in the warden's office
can take down every word they say.
Confront the criminal with the literal
record of his most secret conferences
and he will break down.
There may be abuses Of the dicto-
graph as we'll as worthy uses. 1t has
been used in one instance to steal
stock market quotations from a brok-
er's office. 1t could I've used for black
mail. For this reason the detective
apparatus cannot be bought: it can
be leased only. and by no one except
persons who prove their character and
motives to be above question. Prac-
tically its use is limited to reputable
detective agencies and to officers of
the law"
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