Evening star., 1933-09-24

~ crime QeL6CllOIl WOulQ llOI NC
nearly as effective as they
are today More and more
are the enforcers Of the law turning
to the microscope and chemical analy-
sis for help in solving puzzling criminal
mysteries.
When plans for reorganizing the
police force in England were being dis
cussed a short time ago. 1t was sug-
gested that a police college be estab-
lished for the higher education OF men,
bers of the force. Should such an in
stitution materalize, it would provide
the means for giving every policeman
at least some elementary training IN
scientific methods of crime detection
a knowledge which has become esen-
tial in modern police work.
The job Of the scientific detective
consists not only Of tracking down or
identifying criminals: occasionally he
Is asked to discover whether any crime
has in fact been committed.
Dust Important.
As the science Of chemistry advances,
1t is able to identify and analyze an
increasingly wide range Of materials.
The analysis Of dust is now one OF the
problems of considerable importance in
crime detection. II 1t can be identified,
the dust in a suspects clothing may
provide convincing evidence against
him. For example, a French police
laboratory made an analysis OF the
metallic dust found in the clothing OF
a man accused Of passing false money.
The metallic particles were found to be
of the same composition as the alloy
Of which the coins were made. This
tended to show that he had actually
coined the money and that he was not
merely attempting to pass it.
Not only dust but mud may have
story to tell when subjected to chemical
analysis. Only few months ago
pair of shoes heavily stained with mud
were submitted to a police laboratory
with the request that the mud be COM
pared with a sample taken from GER
tain neighborhood. The analyses
showed conclusively that the two speci-
mems agreed closely in their principal
constituents: there was very little
doubt that the mud on the shoes came
from the suspected neighborhood. the
scene of crime. Confronted with this
evidence, the suspect confessed.
Starch Proves Case.
The miscroscope is much used in
conjunction with this kind of eXamina-
are to be found in the clothing, in the
wax of the ears and in the nostrils of
those who work in flour mills and
bakeries can be detected microscopic
ally even when present in minute
quantities Not only can starch be
distinguished from other substances
but different types of starch can be
distinguished from each other. In one
instance wheat starch was actually dis
covered mixed with the mud on the
boots Of a suspected man. This fact
went a long way to prove that he had
entered a certain flour mill.
Chemical science has recently been
developing what is known as micro
analysis to very high degree. With
specially constructed apparatus it is
possible to examine chemically minute
quantities of many substances and ar
rive at a definite decision as to the
composition Technique Of this kind
greatly increases the scope of criminal
investigation. Science can follow up
clues invisible to the unaided eye. so
that 1t is becoming increasingly diff
ficult for the criminal to outwit the
modern scientific detective.
Rays Play Part.
The scientific examination OF docu-
ments is a branch of this kind of in
vestigation which has probably been
more completely studied than any
other. A study of handwriting itself
is hardly ever completely satisfactory
or conclusive, but irrefutable evidence
of fraudulent manipulation can often
be supplied by means of the camera,
the miscroscope, the ultra violet ray
and the use of special chemical
methods
The aim of the scientific witness In
criminal cases is always to produce
evidence which shall be as far as pos
sible self-explanatory. This Is one OF
the most important uses Of scientific
photography The miscroscope can
also be used in conjunction with the
camera to produce highly enlarged
photographs. Minute faults convincing
the most skillful forger can be demon
strated in this way. An enlarged
photograph will often reveal certain
kinds of forgery, such as the altera-
ton of a naught into nine or a one
into a six or some other figure. The
enlarged photograph will also show the
imperfect joining of the forged as ccm-.
pared with the genuine stroke. and
often so clearly as to made the fraud
quite evident to jury.
Photographs Testify.
A recent example Of the use Of the
miscroscope in the detection of forgery
| is supplied by the litigation arising in
| the matter Of the transfer of f100 900
| worth of Canadian Pacific Shares In
| 1881.
The signatures appended to the doc
uments relating to the transfer were in
dispute and Mr.. Gurrin and Col. Mans
field, we'll known British handwriting
experts, gave evidence. Photom1cro-
graphs of the suspected signatures were
shown upon a screen near the witness
chronological reason that they are far
closer to the Asiatic in temperament