Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 23.pdf/641

 The Editor’s Bag that the defendant stood with a revolver

when the other man approached, and ﬁred it, and when he ﬁred it the man fell dead. On cross-examination of a witness who saw it counsel said:

“ ‘Did you see this defendant?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Where was he?’

‘Well, he stood so-and

so.’ ‘Did he have a revolver in his hand?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Was it pointed at the de

601

PHYSICAL MARKS OF IDENTIFICATION RIMINOLOGISTS of France and Germany are discussing a plan for placing physical marks of identiﬁca tion on habitual criminals. Branding, of course, would not now be tolerated, and an offender, after the fashion of Balzac’s Vautrin, is no longer to be

ceased?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘How far from him was it?‘ ‘Twelve feet.’ ‘Did he ﬁreit?’ ‘Yes.’

identiﬁed by the bringing of red letters

‘Did the deceased drop when he ﬁred it?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Did you go to him?’ ‘Yes.’

to view by a smart slap on the back. Nevertheless some means of certain identiﬁcation might be of some aid in

‘Was he dead?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Now, sir, I ask you to inform the court and the jury on your oath whether you saw any bullet come out of the barrel of that revolver.’" Pettigrew sat down, and as a tremor of laugh ter went round the Senate cham

ber there was no further objection from the Senator from South Dakota.

the administration of justice. German criminologists suggest tat tooing as supplemental to the Bertillon system, the character and location of

the mark to show the nature of the crime. Taking a hint from the beauty doctor, a French savant suggests the injection of parafﬁn under the skin of the offender. The paraffin in hardening forms a lump and if removed, even then the mark of

the knife would leave a scar that would AN ANECDOTE OF MARSHALL T

IS related that once, as

John

Marshall was traveling toward Raleigh, North Carolina, in a stick gig,

answer in its stead.

Justly, of course, a serious objection to this practice lies in the fact that such marks would stand in the way of a crimi

could move neither to the right nor to the left.

nal desiring to reform and redeem his past. This difficulty could be obviated, it has been pointed out, by placing the marks in such position on the body as not likely to be observed.

As the Judge was thinking up a way out of his dilemma an old negro came along. “ ’Scuse me, sah," said he, “why don't yo' back yo’ hoss?"

A POPULAR PREJUDICE

his horse went off the road and ran over a sapling, so tilting the vehicle that it

The jurist thanked him for the sug ing gestion, to leave backed a dollar the horse, at theand inn promis— for the

good advice, went on his way. The negro called at the inn, and found

the dollar awaiting him. He took it, looked at it and said: "He was a gen’l'man fo’ sho’, but" — tapping his forehead signiﬁcantly, "he didn't have much up heah!”

“It is not generally known that in order to be admitted to the bar in New York City it is neces sary to show moral ﬁtness as well as legal train ing." — Hartford (Conn.) Times.

It is possible that the public, after all, may infer from what it sees and hears that a moral standard is not deemed nec essary. But we did not know that so strong a popular prejudice against the

lawyers of New York existed.