Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-12-08
CROOKS FOOL YOU
WITH DISCUSSES
Clever Criminals Alter Their Ap-
pearance Before the Crime.
IDENTIFYING MARKS ARE FAXED

that as general rule the amateur crook
commits a crime and then attempts to
effect q disguise, while the profess
sional DISCUSSES himself and then com.
mits q crime. The novice tries to es.
cape while in disguise, while the pro.
fessional relies upon his natural ap.
pearance to escape detection and ar.
rest.
Years Of experience with criminals
have taught the police throughout the
world to be suspicious Of unusual facts
when personal descriptions of crimi-
mails are presented for their informa.
ton and guidance. Crooks know II
they can make it appear that they have
a long cash on the right cheek and
can expose that cash frequently, that
that mark will make such an impress
sion that when a description is pre-
pared later nothing else can be re-
membered. And, of course, after the
crime, the crook removes the "gash."
Years ago when boards we're COM
mon, false whiskers and false mus
taches were used great deal by GRIM
inals. Today tight-ftting wigs have
taken their place. A criminal is de-
scribed as having coal-black hair. The
removal of his wig reveals him blond.
Crooks also know that nine per-
sons out Of ten cannot describe either
/. q man or woman. If any details are
remembered they are usually details
about dress, which mean nothing.
Unable to Agree.
Prof. Hugo Munsterberg, the famous
Harvard professor, who was one Of
the profoundest students of crimi-
nology this or any other country ever
produced, conducted numerous expert
ments to prove that most men and
women can't report accurately what
they see. One Of his favorite expert
ments was to have two men unex-
pectedly stage a mock fight in his
classroom. After the men had been
elected from the room and all was
quiet, Doctor Munsterberg would ask
his students to describe what they had
seen. And the conflicting details that
were submitted were startling.
Criminals have been known to dis
guise their walk. Policemen particu.
larry know that mans walk Is an
easy method Of Identification. Grim
lnals have been known to 60 into
banks and stores. with a limp and
with some definite mannerism which
would identify that person personally
II the method Of walking was real.
The unusual walk Immediately at
tracts attention and other facts are
ignored.
One Of the keenest students Of GRIM
inology in this country, Charles f.
Robb tells Of forger who was al
ways described as a very full-faced,
fat man. He was frequently Swallowed
only to be lost in buildings. Detec-
tives would wait on the outside for
the return Of the fat man, little know
Ing that the thin-faced, thin man who
left while they were watching was
the man they wanted. 1t developed
that this man wore a rubber poncho
beneath his overcoat and that with a
hand pump he blew this up, giving
him the appearance of an enormously
fat man. With the aid of cotton he
made his face look full, also. He
stuffed cotton in his mouth over his
cheek bones. A study Of the rogues'
gallery pictures Of this man is very
amazing.
Crooks have been known to pretend
that they had clubfoot, stiffened arm,
deformed hand, and, of course, these
details caught the eye Of the persons
they came in contact with and other
details which should have been re.
membered escaped them.
Marks Faxed.
The average person will Immediate
~ notice a birthmark, a wart, or tat.
tooing on ones face, neck or hands
Crooks know this and have succeeded
in throwing police off their trail by
taking such marks
A well-known railway pickpocket in
England, at the moment Of effectina
a big theft, made on his cheek q
large mole with carpenters glue mixed
with grated leather.
Criminals who have had real iden
tifying scars have been known to com
init crimes and then to have gone te
dishonest so-called beauty doctors, ant
had their scars removed. This re
suited in certain studies being made
In France, which led to the discovery
that If the skin is beaten with the
palm Of the hand gently but firmly fol
few minutes any old scars will b.
revealed. The old scar will appear
white and in it's original shape, while
the skin around the scar will be red.
Whenever criminal commits
crime he usually watches the papers
for description of himself. H,
notes every detail and then proceed
to alter himself so that the descrip
ton will not fit. 1t has been long de
bated whether it was wise to publish
descriptions of criminals because sucl
descriptions always fall into tn.
hands Of the criminals themselves.