Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-01-21

his chief He was a detective or ex-
perience and one who could safely be
trusted to clear up any case.
Ranscombe turned to the pile OF doc
uments on his desk.
Take him to the Identification de-
partment and go ahead with the case
he instructed the detective.
The fingers Of Kearney's right hand
gathered up the folds Of his prisoners
sleeve until his grip became viselike
He wheeled about and started for the
corridor, the boy half staggering along
with him.
In the main hall of the building they
took rafting and palsied elevator TO
the top floor. Here they entered
small. dingy room where were scales.
a large tripod with camera topping
IL and an iron frame for holding In
position the head of the subject to be
photographed.
Two Identification experts in uniform
took the prisoner in hand and photo
graphed him. profile and full face.
Montgomery was then placed on a
small platform and his height measure
ment made One OF the experts filed
in an identification sheet as the other
took the length of the prisoners arms
and legs, the circumference of the
trunk at the navel and the hips ana
the chest measurement. With steel
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 right
ear in a droning voice. All the figures
went down in ink on the Identification
blank. piece of white cardboard SIX
inches wide by four in length.
The man at the desk put down his
pen and left his chair. advancing to
the prisoner. He stopped directly be-
fore him and fastened his eyes on
Montgomery as if TO hypnotic him.
The prisoner returned the gaze, his
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.
DuI luc Nltul, SCAi Hills NstS ~ N'OSN
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withdrawn, and Montgomery regained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 at his desk and writing. He was
putting into the record the color OF the
prisoners eyes. a description of their
shape 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
at the bridge, its projection at the high
est point and at the nostrils. the height
and width and peculiarities of the fore
head. the shape Of the chin. the nature
Of the setting and filing 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 for
the rest of his life
Kearney unlocked the handouts.
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, as If they were two con-
noisseurs at n 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
Keeling over the ropes.
The prisoner was led to desk on
which was long. white form ruled
into twelve rectangles. A Bertillon
man caught his wrists and pressed his
fingers down upon n marble slab COW
cred with printers ink. The prints of
all the fingers of each hand were made
I'm 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 his name 10 the sheet OF paper
AS he lifted the pen from the paper the
Bertillon man grasped his right fore
finger and made a separate record OF
IL just under the name.
The police no longer depended on the
Nv~K-N-1~E-a a.