From: clough@texas.net   
      
   rgraham wrote:   
   > I'll still have to check out the show. Sounds interesting as long as it   
   > doesn't turn into CSI meets the wild west.   
   > From what I understand, the main way they tried to identify suspects was by   
   > measuring their body. They would measure the distance between their eyes,   
   > facial features and such. Plus height, weight and body build. This   
   > information along with a picture was taken when they started their prison   
   > term. I can't remember now which prisons did it? Have to do some digging to   
   > find more specific information on the subject. But from what I remember it   
   > was very detailed and for the time top notch.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
      
   Bertillon System. It was the scientific standard for identification -   
   until a famous case in which two men of very similar names (Will and   
   William West - probably twins) were identified as one man, until both   
   ended up in prison at the same time. It only took one case of identical   
   Bertillon measurements to wreck the System. It would take only one   
   proven case of two identical fingerprints from different people (or even   
   different fingers on one person) to destroy fingerprints (including palm   
   and foot prints) as a legally accepted method. No such case has arisen   
   in more than 100 years of examinations.   
      
   --   
                          Gerald Clough   
                         clough@texas.net   
   "Nothing has any value, unless you know you can give it up."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)