PHOTOGRAPHY AND FORGERY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 872, 3 January 1879, Page 3

PHOTOGRAPHY AND FORGERY.

. > Z , —° - Photography has long been employed by 1 the police to assist them in identifying persons who are “ wanted,” and the extensive use to which the art is put by the Paris authorities is evident from thedisplay made at the International Exhibition in' the pavilioti set apart fur the French capital. Here, not only a large series of criminal portraits are shown, but examples are presented of various other applications in which photography has been found useful to assist office” pf ; Justice. In cases of murder, for instance, it seems to be the duty of the police photographers to photograph the scene of the deed, and also to record by the assistance of the camera the position of the victim. There is a special branch of the Paris police who are photographers in uniform, and a place is set aside at the station fora stndio and dark closet. In a word, the occupation is now a part of the policeman’s dhty ; and in cases where we might employ a dark lantern they would have recourse to the camera. There is little doubt that the Paris police, have been able to detect many a crime by resorting to assistance of this kind. Several instances of forge) y upon notes and bonds, in which the original figures were erased and others written in their place, have been discovered in this way. We believe that the Bank of France has an officer of its own upon whom devolves the duty of examining any auspicious doiunents with the camera. In a photograph, it seems, ink marks, which a e invisible to the eye, are frequently reproduced, while an er sure, let it be ever so carefully smoothed over, becomes apparent in a finely-executed photograph. In a word, it is next to impossible to make an alteiation in the matter of writing or printing upon a paper surface without the photograj her finding you out sooner or later. Even upon the subject of style in handwriting, the camera gives a sharp criterion. By photographing a word or two, and cnlarging the up and down strokes to very wide dimensions, the character of the writing is more easily studied than inits original form. This instrumentality is some times used by inquisitive police agents anxious to get at the history of a doubtful document.—Daily News.