New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-15
URGES D|CTACRAPH AS
CHECK ON THIRD DEGREE
Judge Dixie Also Favors School
for Detectives to Study
Special Crimes.
REVIVE DAILY LINEUP
Tells Aldermanic Committee
Finger Prints Should
Be Taken of All
Officials.
REVIVE DAILY LINEUP

Judge Norman s. Dixie. Of the County
Court. OF Kings County. who has studied
crime and the methods Of tracking 1t. oc-
cupied the witness chair before the al
dermanic investigating committee yester-
day. He recommended that detectives
should sneciallze as did tho criminals
they were detailed 10 catch, that well
equipped school fer detectives should be
established that the morning Lineup OF
criminals be resumed. and that despite
the opinion 10 the contrary OF the Mayor.
ell officials should have their finger prints
taken as well as all persons who had COM
United serious crimes.
Tho use Of the dictagraph. he declared,
would do away with much OF the innuendo
and suspicion Of the police third degree
Judge Dixie said that the problems that
confronted the police In New York were
create than In any other city. and added
that having studied the work OF detoc-
tives under sir William Henry. In London.
and NJ Leplne. In Paris. he believed that
although our detectives were greatly han
d,capped. some Of them were quite unsur-
passed.
I'VE should have In New York city a
school," he said. "where the specialization
of crimes Is taught. In that regard VIC
are wofully behind the times.
Would Specialize in Crime.
Harold : Deming. an Assistant Dis
,rict Attorney. then asked him II he would
make the detection Of crime career, n
profession. The Judge replied that he GER
taluly would. but would keep the detec-
tivcs each to his own department. He rec
commended that ample memoranda OF Pc
culIarities Of conversation and build Of
criminals be kept by the detectives. II
should be within the power OF the Com
missioner 20 rcduct "A man only when he
proyed himself inefficient, he added.
Judge Dixie then told the aldermen that
there should be "A constant interchange or
information between detectives Of the va
rious precincts in the city.
There should be morning meetings
after the lineup. where opinions and in
formation might be discussed among the
Detectives" he told them. The head Of
the bureau should pick out about dozen
Of the most dangerous criminals and have
the detectives look them over.
'There are waves of crime that some
times take place I'm one district. Detec-
tives who have specialized In that partlc-
ular crime should be sent 10 work upon
those casca. In such crimes as kidnap-
ping. bomb throwing and extortion II is
absolutely essential for specialization y
Judge Dixie referred tn Lieutenant Tony"
Nacris. who took command or the old
Italian squad after the murder Of Lieu
tenant Joseph Petrosino IN Italy. as "a
most efficient officer and an able success
sor - that great detective, Petrosino.'
Something should be done to replace the
squad, he said
Mr.. Deming asked him II he thought
that receivers of goods were responsible
FOR many Of the thieves in the city. The
Judge replied that hc was sure OF II. He
added that he considered "second-hand
men" the most vicious characters in the
CITY" He suggested that the penal laws be
amended to make 1t Illegal for them TO
receive goods until they have made GER
tain injuries. Mr. Deming then asked
nun III nc hll'N iiis't of''' f'''"'N' III 'i'S
Rogues Gallery had been destroyed with
out application since the first OF last year
Finger Prints Of Officials.
"if So" the judge replied, Il regard it
as a most serious and solemn loss to our
city. ] regard the finger print as a won
derful method OF detecting crime. II
should be carried into other paths. Every
official should have his prints taken. The
Rogues' Gallery should be kept to It's
highest form. too.
Judge Dixie then said that the Commits
sioner should have a special squad Of ex-
merit detectives who would not have TO
qualify I'm the civil service physical ex-
animation.
There arc many brilliant men," he
said. who cannot become detectives oe-
cause they are not tall or strong enough
That's too bad" lie said that since the
automobile had come to stay. as an as
sistant TO crime. the public should demand
that there be a complete identification OF
chauffeurs. That was work-crimes In
which autos hgure-where special men
were required. he said.
He said that liquor was responsible for
three-quarters OF the crimes committed.