The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21
Police Not Associated
With Dishonesty and
System and Favor.
itism Are Absolutely
Unknown-Low Sala-
ries of the Force

For this purpose, third degree
methods are frequently resorted TO.
Sometimes these methods take the
shape merely Of threats; occasionally.
at least. more drastic eXpedients are
employed. and the stories which one
hears-often uncorroborated. to be
sure-of the operation OF this system
In certain German cities would not
make pleasant reading. Certainly the
system IL one which. except IN judi
cious hands, is capable Of great abuse.
Similarly the powers ~ the German
police in the matter of the right Of
search simplify the detective prob
lem. The right tn order a search rests
with the courts, or IN case OF urgency
with the public prosecutor and his
assistants. Under the German law,
however. the entire detective force Is
an auxiliary to the public prosecutors
Office, with the result that the RICH; Of
search, as far n practical purposes
are concerned, lies entirely within the
discretion of the police, and elaborate
searches for evidence. in n manner
and to a degree unheard Of in Eng
lana, are customary compartments
Of German crimina! cases.
I'm Berlin any police lieutenant II
charge of q precinct, or officer of
equal or higher rank. can order a
house searched and property seized.
No authority IL required in the shape
Of a writ or a warrant. All that II
necessary is a suspicion that incrimi-
mating evidence exists. II a seizure
is made. the police oficial must, within
three days. apply to the court.
through tho office of the prosecuting
attorney. FOR authority TO keep the
evidence in question. II the appl!ca-
ton is denied. the seizure must he
returned. but the victim whose hoise
las been searched is without redress.
I can search my ~neighbor's house and
lock him mp for twenty-four hours:
although no may be as innocent a. a
lamb n Berlin lieutenant told the
writer"
Then the German detective bureau
= far better equipped thar the average
! English bureau. Its Office methods
are greatly superior. "a Berlin de-
tective in Scotland Yard would find
mono OF the thoroughly elaborated me-
chanical aids in the way Of criminal
indexes and registers to which he has
been accustomed To resort IN his own
country. Indeed, such is the differ
encc between England and Germany
in this respect that a quiet little city
like Stuttgart. with 800. 900 population.
has better crime indexes than scot
land Yard, while Dresden. with $50
600. il so far ahead Of Scotland Yard
in mechanical co%ntr!vances Of this
kind that comparison IL almost ont Of
the question. In the scientific aspects
~ detective work. Germany has de-
veloped beyond England
u The prime requisite in the "nice
y equipment OF a detective bureau is a
u criminal record file. For this purpose
4 Mr.. FosdiCk pronounces finger prints
or daCtyloscopy superior 10 the Ber-
! til,on system Of anthropomctry or
bodily measurements The after svs-
tenn Is used in France and Mr.. Fos-
dick remarks:
The inability Of the Par.slan police
= authorities to discover the author of
= the theft ~ Mona Lisa was due not
to any fault in tho finger print sys-
' tenn. hut t o Bertillon's peculiar method
e OF classification. The thief. Perugia
( by name. had been In the hands Of the
" Paris police on a previous occasion,
: when his finger prints wer" taken.
'. Finger print Impressions were left on
- 1 Wv Atttf' vi N'' pANA 70 49, hAF "
, ord in the Ale was not found, because
" measurements. rather than finger
prints, constitute the primary clas-ih-
; cation. Under pure ds~ctyloscopic
system. such az il employed in Rome
Vienna. Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Lon
don, or any 81 tho provincial cities OF
England. the Identity Of the thlci
" could have been established in half ar
:, hour"
with the finger print system 81
u Identification firmly established IN mos
- II the European police departments
the next step has been to devise SOM
system either Of GENERALIZATION or OF
. distribution by which the records OF
!" one city can be available for all. After
W that should come an intarnationa
II system. simplihcation of diplomat,
Is routine and a common police cod ol
IL cipher 10 enable the officials Of on,
y country 10 communicate Hccuratei,
! and rapidly with the officials Of an
j. other. A universal eNtradition treat.
D. is also needed.
~ European authorities are o~egiuuin.
r. To classify their so-called "Rogues
r. Galleries" according 10 tn" methods
Thy which crime Is committed on IN
I, theory that professional criminals ten,
10 to commit their special offences II
'ertain regular modes. What is prob
ably the most ambitious plan Of GRIM
a. classification by methods has been mi
!, tiated in some OF the counties and Dor
- uahs Of England. This is the 40
" called M. O." or Modus Operand
!, system devised ny Maj l.. W. Atch
- crley, Chief Constable Of the West Rid
30 ne Of Yorkshire C~onstabulsry. Nj
Fosdick says Of 1t:
e. briefly. II involves The establish
40 ment Of a number OF cooperativ
o. clearing houses OF information 70
os certain areas comprising a number Il
OF counties OF b%oroughs, In these clear
e. ing houses facts relating To Grim
methods are collected, slf'cd, surtc
OF and stored for future reference an
OF use in the investigation Of suhsequer
~ offences. This plan necesSitated
u" new classification, a difficulty whic
es Was successfully met BY the adoptio
OF of DR.. Mercier's arrangement OF OF
Is fences employed in his VOL know
book Crime and insanity
"Inasmuch as offences against prop
ne erty constitute approximately 90 pc
ea cent. Of criminal work in England tn
OIL system has been limited for the tim
=" being to this category. although II