Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 03.pdf/566

 The Identification of Criminals by Measurement. system is as follows : Certain bones can be measured in the living subject easily and with extreme accuracy. The dimensions vary in different persons within very con siderable limits, and they do so in no defi nite ratio to each other. Consequently, if you take a sufficient number of them, you get an aggregate result, which is true only of that particular individual measured, and of no one else. During the eight years in which an thropometry has been used in Paris, it has been found that no two individuals have the same measurements throughout. The results obtained from a new subject in no case agree with any one of those previously taken, be they never so numerous. In fact, no two people are alike. Further, in the adult these dimensions are stable, changing little or not at all in the course of years. They therefore form a means of absolute identification at any time. The most important are the length of the head, its breadth, the length of the mid dle finger, that of the forearm, of the foot, and of the little finger. But to be of practical use, the results must be classified. This is done by dividing each set into three groups : Small, Medium, Large. For instance, two sizes of the head lengthwise are made, thus: (1) Those less than 184 millimetres (= 7 J to 7} inches). (2) Those between 184 mil limetres and 189 millimetres (= ~] inches and above). Suppose, now. you have a man measured and want to see if he has been up before : you have to find his card among, say, ninety thousand. Take the length of his head; a glance shows that it is 187 millimetres, and consequently comes under group 2. You at once put aside groups 1 and 3, or sixty thou sand out of the ninety thousand. Then take the breadth of the head in the same way; this will reduce the remaining thirty thou sand to ten thousand. And so on until you come down to a mere handful, when an ex amination of the minute differences leads you with unerring certainty to the very one you are looking for. By the arrangement of the drawers in groups, already mentioned, the

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whole search is reduced to a matter of two minutes. A Striking Illustration.— Having explained the system, M. Bertillon proceeded to illustrate it. A young man, who hail been arrested that morning for theft, was called up and meas ured then and there. The process is carried out by two men, one of whom applies the in struments and calls out the figures, which are entered on a card by the other, precisely as in a tailor's shop. The subject is bare footed and bareheaded. Ten measurements are taken in four minutes; they include those already mentioned, together with the height standing, the height sitting, the length of the arms extended, the length and breadth of the ear. This finished, M. Bertillon, card in hand, interrogated the prisoner. "What is your name?" "Albert Felix." "Have you ever been up before?" "No, never." "Quite sure?" "Perfectly sure," with jaunty confidence. As the young scoundrel was the leader of a band, this seemed highly improbable. He was removed, and we proceeded to the search. Section after section of the drawers was rapidly eliminated by comparing the figures on them with those upon M. Felix's card. At last we came to a single drawer, and then down to two cards. If he was there at all, it must be one of these. A look at the first at once showed discrepancies of one or more millimetres under some of the headings; and as the bony measurements are accurate to a millimetre, it could not be this one. There remained one card. M. Bertil lon took it up, hiding the photograph on it. All the figures corresponded exactly with those just taken of Felix. He was recalled, and again questioned. He repeated his for mer statements, but obviously with less confidence. M. Bertillon uncovered the photograph, and there the fellow was to the life, as he stood that moment before us. It was most startling. But the original of the photograph was called Alfred Louis Le