The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-20
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM TION
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAszZIr. Dfrsc&sg.
washingGen. .. C.
BUREAU OF MISSING 1asRsoNs.

BUREAU OF MISSING PAsRSONS.
New York, Oct. 13.-If you feel that
you must run away from home, don't
come to New York. OF course, If you
are just planning a little trip to spite
the family, it isn't SO bad, except that
end by splitting yourself. But, if you
wish to drop completely and quietly
out OF sight, don't come here The
bureau of missing persons is certain
to find you and. report your where
abouts.
The old days when a man could
disappear as mysteriously in New
York as he could in a quicksand are
gone forever. Now it is the worst
place in the country to hide; it is SO
highly organized to find you Even
death is no longer a safe means OF
losing your identity. Someone is GER
tain to come along, investigate the
laundry number on your collar or
shirt, and succeed in clearing up the
mystery.
body of a young Italian was found in
a thick strip of woods on the. out
skirts Of the city. 1t was obviously
case of suicide on the part of man
who obviously wished to conceal his
identity Doubtless with much trouble
tale marks from his clothing. But
one clue remained-a small brass tag
ON a riband, which was turned in to
the bureau of missing persons. The
case was considered closed when only
the other day an Italian came into
the office of the bureau, hunting for
his missing brother. Some instinct
led one of the detectives to get out
the curious brass tag and show it to
the visitor.
soon as he saw it. That is my
brothers,
But this is an insignificant example
of the bureaus Identification talents
compared to a case which happened
couple of years ago. which is still
the prize exhibit of the office. This
is a wax model of a mans face and
head built on the basis of a few pieces
of skull which were dug up from
beneath a building. On the skull are
to be plainly seen the marks left by
an axe. Thru this model the bureau
of missing persons succeeded in
identifying the victim of murder
and in experimenting the murderer.
The murderer could not be convicted,
however. because of that law which
provides that the corpse must be pro-
duced as evidence that murder has
been committed. The few pieces of
skull were not considered sufficient.
The Identification of unknown dead
persons. or of persons picked up un-
conscious about the city, of which
there are, on an average, $50 cases
month, is so highly systematized that
it is now relatively easy. The bureau
succeeds in 95 per cent OF its cases. 1t
is not a matter of scientific deductions;
it is merely one of patiently tracing
small articles, of which laundry marks
are the most important. The bureau
has a file of cards in its office. which
contains the record of every laundry
mark used in Manhattan.
see this collar" said one of the.
detectives the other morning. as the
visitor was examining this file. He
held up a soiled collar, which con-
tanned few inexplicable hero
gIyphics in the center Now look
mere" and he turned to the same
mark in the file.
whose collar is that?' inquired the
visitor curiously. "A missing per-
son's?'
Yes he's missing all right replied
the detective, but they'll find him.
It's bank hHldup case"
Besides laOhdry marks, the bureau
also relies extensively on marks in
shoes and upon the numbers found on
false teeth. Fingerprints also help in
many cases. Unless a man is quickly
identified by other means. his finger
prints are always taken and compared
with those on file in the army, navy
and criminal records. Much to the
relief of the police department. many
criminals are identified in this manner.
Often a man picked up dead on the
sidewalk turns out tosbe a prominent
second-story man. who has relied a tri-
file too much on his agility and has
fallen off a roof One man killed by
a motor truck not long ago turned
out to be a notorious criminal who
had just been released a few min
utes before from Blackwclls Island.
IF we could only have legislation
passed requiring everybody to have his
fingerprints taken.'' declared one of
would have no trouble identifying any
body"
do you know" added one of the
policewomen, that the average wom-
an cannot tell you what her child looks
like? And that the average married
man coming here looking for his miss
ing wife cannot tell you what color
whenever possible. because we find
that the average human simply lacks
power of description
During the past year the bureau of
missing persons has handled over 49,
900 cases. This is a great increase
over the number handled the year be-
fore, due, the bureau believes. to the
widespread restlessness occasioned by
the war. The majority of these are
young people, 65 per cent of them
males, Who ran away from home.
New York not only has a big runaway
problem within it's own limits, but it
appears to attract most of the wander
lusters from other cities. 1t never has
less than two thousand of such strang-
ers thrust upon its streets every year.
These cases the bureau divides
roughly into four groups: The wilfuI
runaways, who come here to escape
the consequences of their conduct at
home, and who constitute a difficult
social problem because they cannot
always be returned. Sometimes the
policewomen employed by the bureau.