Evening star., 1915-03-07
The Observer Submits to =-
q Bertill0n Measurement

been a retiring adjunct thrown IN.
gratis. with the head. Yet here it was
posing the most important member
Of the facial family.
THE shape oil man nose ma
change" went on the COLONEL, and the
loss of /, few teeth transform his
mouth. but his ear is always the same
How about the cauitiower ear. asked
the Observer.
"Of course" said the colonel. eff the
ear is mutilated badly the system o.
Identification might fail. But then We
all have our limitations. If man We're
cremated it is probable that the entire
Bertillon system would fail to estab-
lish his Identification
Realizing that his last question had
fallen fiat. the Observer sat for time
in silence. meekly awaiting the colonels
next move In a moment the colonel
approached. and taking the Observers
head firmly in both hands proceeded to
twist it over sideways for all the world
as though he intended administering
hair cut In silence he raised the meas
uring apparatus and fitted it to the
north and south ends of the Observers
left auricular appendaGe. Then he made
an annexation He was the greatest lit
tie annotator the Observer has ever en-
countered
Now. said the colonel. lis the time
to tell you little story"
Three photographs which lay on his
desk attracted his attention. He picked
server.
What do you think of them" he
asked. How would you size UP those
three mem?
Il would say, replied the Observer.
that the first man-this fellow with q
muStache--iS d seccnd-story worker.
The man with full beard has thug
gish look. But the third
The Observer paused. Confronting
him in the photograph was an elderly
man possessed of monocle and those
short side whiskers which are SO dear
to bankers. Respecta bility shone from
every feature
why this fellow looks like an Eng
lishnan who had somehow gotten a
title on him., said the Observer.
He called himself Sir Reginald Mon
tague. volunteered the colonel
The observer famed the air. Momen-
tarly the Bertillon measurements were
forgotten.
"All three of those photographs" con
tinued the colonel. are pictures of d
noted bank swindler in his day. You'd
hardly suppose that those We're three
portraits OF the same man.
Yet there was little or difficulty
i'll Identifying him. That ear"-he tap
ped the profile view of the doctor
gave him away whenever he was
wanted by the police
Well. why not ears" What could be
more distinctive than the long, furry
ear of the street masher, or the CULVER
ing. rabbitlike ear of the man who is a
chronic borrower? The ear has been
neglected. that is all.
After the colonel had ended the exer
cises and oratory apropos the ear, he
bade the Observer stand on the stool
while he wheeled the trestle toward
him. Followed d course of Intricate
gymnastics. The Observer leaned for
ward with one hand resting the edge
of the trestle until he had achieved an
angle of forty-five degrees. Then cau-
tiously and with trepidation he thrust
his right leg backward until his atti-
tude became suggestive of an en-
feebled flying Mercury.
Hold that pose ordered the colonel.
after the manner of photographer.
He prepared to take the foot measure
lnent.
The Observer held the pose; but while
he did, many things occurred to him.
Should this trestle slip from its place
Gt had moved slightly when the OBJ