The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-18
SCIENTIFIC" CRIME DETECTION,

There is being exploited just now
a theory Of scientific" crime detec-
ton. A few writer's of fiction have
written stories based on the new idea,
and a few men more or less eminent
In the world of science have discussed
the possibility Of employing it.
The theory is a combination OF
psychology and physiology. and is has-
ed on the recognized fact that thought
and muscular action are closely asso-
ciated. Thought requires the expen-
diture Of nervous energy. and that.
in turn. calls for increased heart ac-
ton. Fear, anger, surprise and other
emotions are therefore held to be re-
Elected in appropriate heart action,
muscular contractions and other move
ments. especially those of an involun-
tary character.
Because Of all this the theory has
been built up that by means OF GER
tain d%elicately adjusted recording in
struments it is possible to get a rec
ord of the thoughts of an individual,
and, by means of a series Of skillfully
framed questions. and the application
Of the proper Instruments. the per-
sons thought is recorded.
As the plan is supposed 10 work
out in practice. the suspected person
has the instruments properly adjusted.
IND then leading remarks are made
TO him, some Of them having relation
TO the crime under investigation. The
thought of the individual being direct
ed to these things, if he is guilty there
will be a reaction which is recorded
by the variation Of a needle or a pen
Gil point, and there you are.
All Of this sounds very plausible.
ls speculative as yet, and we know
Of nc really practical application Of
Of the principle hat has been made.
But the professors and the fctionists
who write about these things feel
quite certain that 1t will not be long
oefore the mind of man will be made
as an open book to the skilled in
v%estigator.
This is probably all nonsense. 1t is
admitted that thought stimulates
hear action. and that it may cause
Involuntary contraction Of the muscles.
as Of the hand. But there is not the
slightest reason to suppose that any
machine that was ever made, OF that
can be made, differentiate between
the reaction from the emotion of fear,
en~ Instance o~l <hok R.e-.
ton of anger or surprise. 1t would
be practically impossible for such
tests ever to be made with the SUBJ
ject under normal conditions. The
mere fact Of preparations for a test
being made would disarrange the
thought and the pulsations of any in
divfdual, and the kind and degree Of
arrangement would not be alike with
any two individuals. There are all
kinds of temperaments to deal with.
There is the nervous individual whose
heart hutters wildly If the simplest
question is suddenly addressed to him,
and there is the stolid individual who
could face a cavalry charge without
the flicker Of an eyelash CT the tremor
OF q muscle. It lie nonsense to
that with those differences unknown
n unknowable in advance, a ME-
chanical device ran We made whic;,
will faithfully interpret thought.
The me who have builded these
theories maize the mistake so common
With their t]ass. Of ~lecv:-.. out Of a..
count entirely TIE individual equation.
thu thing that makes one person diff.
fe'ent from a:aether, and witch males
1t Impossible to generalize concerning
them except very broa:ly and inclu-
eively.