HEARS CONFESSION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 39, 15 February 1930, Page 20

HEARS CONFESSION

Talkies In New Role

The talking: film has assumed a new importance in the United States, with its admission as evidenco in a Court of law, writes tho New York correspondent of the "Daily MaiL" Harold N Boiler, an alleged housebreaker, is on trial in Philadelphia before Judge Gay Gordon, junior, who haß admitted a ta-lking film of the prisoner taken in gaol by the police as tesimony. for the. prosecution. The Judge paid: ' • .

"I see no grounds on which to exblude_.this, picture. .? Still', photographs, when properly identified, are always admitted as evidence. The Courts have always recognised the use of a scien-tific-invention;"* '■ "' ■'■■'•■■■ ■■ I'

Aftervthis decision the picture was shown on a screen, while Boiler sat in Court with his head down.

.' He was shown sitting in an office of Inspector Connelly;s bureau/ and:; as tho picture proceeded Boiler was represented in the act of confessing to this robbery of 24 homes. ;

Counsel for the defence, Mr. John Whitakcr Lord, junior, objected to the Judge's ruling, his chief points being that a,.* .talking film could not bo subjected' to cross-examination and might be capable of recording errors.

Mr. Schplefield, the Director of Public Safety, in Philadelphia, who initiated the talking film as a Kqbot detective, proposes to make it a regular, although unsalariedi worker in his police department.