Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-09-29

small platform and bis height measure
ment made. One of the experts hllet
In an Identification sheet as the othel
took the length Of the prisoners arms
and legs, the circumference OF tht
trunk at the navel and the hips ane
the chest measurement With stee
compass the measurement between
the base Of the nose and the base Of
the skull was made. The expert called
off the length and breadth Of the rgh'
ear in droning voice. All the figures
went down in Ink on the identification
blank, a piece of white cardboard si1
inches wide by four in length.
The man at the desk put down MS
pen and left his chair. advancing to
the prisoner. He stopped directly be.
fore him and fastened his eyes on
Montgomery's as If to hypnotic him.
The prisoner returned the gaze, bis
pupils dilating as fear crept into his
heart-a fear that he could not define.
He had not slept in thirty-six hours
and he had not eaten in twenty-four'
He felt as If his body were swaying'
but the clear, searching eyes so close
to his seemed to hold him to his heels.
Suddenly the eyes Of the expert were
withdrawn, and Montgomery regained
control Of his senses. He saw the man
back ut his desk and writing. He was
putting into the record the color OF the
prisoners eyes. description of their
shane and Of whatever peculiarities he
had discovered In them.
In his weak and exhausted condition
Montgomery was easily bewildered
He was in a state Of mild stupefaction
as the man with the measuring instru'
ments again began work. Soon the
experts voice was droning out more
measurements. The length OF the nose
ut the bridge, its projection ut the high
est point and ut the nostrils. the height
and width and peculiarities OF the fore
head, the shape Of the chin, the nature
of the setting and filling Of the teeth,
their number and condition. the shape
of the lobe of the right ear and Its Dor
der, the color Of the hair and Its con
dition were all placed in the record
that would make James Montgomery
marked man and easy police prey FOL
the rest of his life.
Kearnsy unlocked the handcuffs
Take off your Clothes" he ordered
The naked lad was placed on the
scales and his weight taken. The left
foot and the little finger Of the left
hand were measured The two experts
then examined every square inch OF
the prisoners body and made note OF
every mark, mole. scar and cutaneous
popularity.
AS Montgomery feebly struggled
back into his home fashioned under
wear and poorly fitting suit of clothes
the Bertillon men studied him careful
ly and keenly, us II they were two con-
noisseurs at county fair passing upon
an especially interesting steer. They
were seeking material to fill In that
part of the record carrying the title line
Irregularities of Habit and Action"
They conferred in whispers and de
cided that the prisoner belonged to the
"dopey" class. He was Of good frame
but appeared listless and weak. They
were not medical men. and they could
not know that malnutrition was the
cause of the lads feebleness and that
misery of soul had sent his manhood
reeling over the ropes.
The prisoner was led to a desk on
which was long. white form ruled
into twelve rectangles. A Berdllon
man caught his wrists and pressed his
fingers down upon marble slab Gov
cred with printers ink. The prints o1
all the fingers Of each hand were made
in the record. and then prints OF the
first Joints Of the four fingers were
made In other rectangles A pen was
handed the prisoner, and he was made
to sign bis name to the sheet OF paper
AS he lifted the pen from the paper the
Bertillon man grasped his right fore
finger and made separate record OF
it just under the name.
The police no longer depended on the
name or facial characteristics as a
means. of identifying the prisoner. The
name james Montgomery meant little
If anything now. But the little whorls.
islands" parabolas and "breaks'
showing in the finger prints In that
record forever tagged their man. He
might grow old and feeble and so
change his appearance that even his
own brother would know him not but
the finger prints would never change,
and no other human born on earth
would have the same little circles In
the skin which nature 80 wonderfully
and strangely twists In separate de-
signs for each of the human species.
The police record Of James Mont
gomery went into the files and his pic.
lures into the gallery Of rogues.
Kearney took his man back to the
wheezy elevator and below to the main
floor. A short flight Of winding stairs
took them to the basement and a little
prison known as ''the barrel" This
| cramped and dark place would hold
Montgomery until he was arraigned
, before a magistrate and the slow proc
ess of marching through the courts tG
prison or liberty was begun. Here, be
meath the level Of the street, he could
send no word to lawyer or friend. and
he was as far removed from the saw
ing benefits Of the habeas corpus as II
he were existing before the signing Of
Magma Charta.
Pending his arraignment In cour,
this citizen Of the United States wal
without one single trace OF considera
ton by the law which was written fol
his protection.
It was noon the next morning wher
Montgomery groped about his little
black cell and found an iron shell
hinged to one Of its walls. he threw
himself on dirty, twisted blanket, hi'
body worn out and his mind blank
His stomach called for food. but h'
dared not ask for any. The luncl
! hour tramping Of feet above lulied hin
into oblivion. His tired eyes closed
and he slept - :,
A voice. sounding very ralntiy u
!. first but gathering volume until hil
ears ached. awakened him.
81 thought you was dead" he hear'
the turnkey say. Here, take this"
mi. -,,onar dronnod hfe legs owe