The New York herald., 1922-06-18
Heart Beats Measure Guilt

Of a big banker, rated as multi
millionaire. They are aristocrats
superior persons. To ask them to
submit to a criminal examination
impossible!"
Il can find the guilty person in a
few hours if the girls will cooperate
I said, ignoring the furry in her
manner. Without it ] can do moth
ing"
"Just what do you propose?" asked
the woman stiffly.
"a sphygnomanometer test for
each Of them. Put it up to them as
a sporting proposition" replied.
Mrs. Brock laughed uncertainty.
However, when DIR. Larson ap-
pealed to the girls to undergo the
test and which he explained was
simply listening in or their hearts
when they were asked question to
detect the false from the real, a
laughing. chattering group of goods
swarmed the Berkeley police station
and filed its unusually stale atmos-
phere with the odors of perfume and
the crinkle of silks.
All the girls, with the exception Of
Miss Small. dressed as if for a
holiday.
Marjorie Small was the first one
to be called into the captains room,
where the apparatus was set up.
She was seated in a big chair. A
rubber tourniquet was fastened over
her chest and another was placed
around her right arm.
DR.. Larson explained the working
OF the instrument, and suggested to
Miss Small that she breathe deeply.
Larson then pointed to the zigzag-
ging Of an linked line on roller in
the machine which marked the beats
of her heart.
Now l will ask you a few ques-
tions. Please answer yes or no,
only. Do you like college. life, Miss
Sman?"
The girl looked from DR.. Larson to
myself. surprised at the irrelevancy
of the question. The two needles,
working up and down on the paper,
actuated by the beating of her heart
and her breathing, showed no devia-
ton from the normal as she an
swered in the affirmative.
Other conventional questions fol-
lowed:
Are you fond of dancing? Do
you enjoy books? Are your sur
roundings congenial?'
The Damning Question.
The slight girl with the eyes of a
dreamer sat in the chair with down.
cast face, answering the immaterial
queries in a low tone The prelimi-
nary remarks tended to quiet her.
The steady monotonous bass voice
of DIR. Larson droning on so kindly
caused her to lift her head and at
tempt to smile.
For the first time in my life I
found myself hoping that Larson
would not ask that damning ques-
ton. Yet he must, sooner or later.
I took stopwatch readings and
marked the time taken for answer
ing each question on the blackened
paper.
Then, suddenly:
did you steal Miss Hopes dia-
mond?"
Both indicators jumped, vacillated
and settled back TO normal. 1t was
the ordinary reaction that might oc-
cur if any one were charged with a
crime-about a five millimeter rise
in blood pressure. The answer came
without hesitation, a soft. barely
audible, NO"
The stopwatch Indicated no delay
over the normal in answering.
If the girl had been thief her
heart would have beaten much more
rapidly and her breathing changed
considerably.
Then when the machine had ac-
quilted Marjorie Small / took up the
questioning, asking more inconse-
Quential questions to restore normal
blood pressure and respiration.
Are you lying to me?" I asked,
without changing my tone.
This time the nen marking the