Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-06-09
by Raymond r. F'osdick. Author Of
.Eurnneau Police. SNSi ems"

~ nay ~. n. W.
european Police Systems"
On a night in May. 1913. an unknown
nan was shot down in Potsdanmerstrasse.
scrlin. .Appa lently nobody saw the affray
VI heard the shots. A patrolman on his
BEAT at 4 O'Clock in the morning. stumbled
icross the dead body. Similar circumstan-
:es In an American city would have re-
tuited in the following procedure: The
,atrolman would have notified headquar-
lers: headquarters would have notified the
~soroner's office: the coroner would have
ssued orders TO have the body removed
% the morgue, an autopsy would nave
'ecn performed: the coroner's jury would
aave declared the man murdered by a per
ton or persons unknown; and. finally, eth
.r at the end of these proceedings or CON
currently with them, the police detectives
you'd have set out to establish the iden-
MY OF the guilty party, armed only with
she knowledge that the murder had been
committed on a certain night in IA certain
street.
Now what happened in Berlin when the
ine street? First, without in any way
touching the body. he raped with his
twordhiit for the patrolnian on the neigh
boring beat. This officer he dispatched
70 the neares, telephone TO notify head
quarters. Headquarters Immediately sum
noned from their beds the members of
we murder commission. Now a murder
commission Is a small group of specially
picked men under the charge of a ranking
of1icer In the detective department. 1t
consists of three or four officials of the
N'~Ns'' iVi't. a DOilt'' surgeon anu IL
photographed, assisted by as many plain
clothes men as are necessary for the case.
A new commission is appointed each
month In the Berlin depa ri mcnt to handle
murder cases which may occur I'm that
period. But no commission Is allowed to
handle more than one murder at a time.
AZ the existing commission already has a
case, a second commission is Immediate
ly appointed.
Within half an hour from the time that
the patrolman notified headquarters. the
NOR HAra nj th, 49,, -
scene OF the murder, brought there in
Automobiles dispatched from the nearest
police station to their homes. Several
mem Rn%wo OF he commission carried What
satcheis. arranged like a doctors bag or
valise. contained such articles as might
ne necessary for their work: microscopes
IN different shapes and sizes. special in
rnmen for measuring footprints. lit
mus paper. acids of various strengths,
powder to reproduce ~fingerprints, plastic
cray to model the Impressions left by
Weapons or INSTRUMENTS, measuring tapes.
etc. Inese bags. carefully packed and
ready for instant use. stand at the bed
side Of every member of a murder com
mission.
upon arriving at the scene of the crime
the detectives went methodically to work.
First they drew a chalk line in a great
circle on the pavement and sidewalk 20
feet around the corpse. Then placing a
BOARD In the circle to step on SO as not to
h disturb n footprints that might nave
w " ny III InuFOeref. tney made u
superficial examination OF the body to de-
ttermine the method of death. The BODY.
however. was not touched or disturbed
IN any way. After ascertaining that the
man had been shot twice in the head and
mat the motive was apparently robbery.
as his pockets had been pulled
inside out. they sent their plain clothes
ilen al through the neighborhood to APP
prehend II suspicious looking persons
VINO could not give a satisfactory account
OF themselves. Meanwhile they waited
Tor daylight AT the first crack OF dawn
tncy began a minute search of every sin
gle inch of the area within the circle.
Nothing was apparently too small or trty-
fal to escape observation. The corpse was
photographed from both sides and from
above, Tho photographer standing on a
step'adder to obtain the LATER picture.
The exact position of the body as ii Law
across the curb was determined by care
f1ul measurements. And what did this ex-
!haustive search bring to light? Apparent
- nothing. A single burnt match. which
mad been torn from a paper block Of
matches: was the only tangible thing
found. The footprints were blurred and
confusing. Evidently a scuffe had taken
place before the shooting. but no cine
seemcd to offer itself. So. armed with
lhetr measurements and their photographs.
the detectives withdrew to headquarters
taking the body with them. They also
took with them the burnt stub OF the
match. carefully wrapped in cotton!