DETECTION OF LYING.

Mataura Ensign, 24 February 1909, Page 4

DETECTION OF LYING.

A .MAKVELLOUS -MACHIXE

A machine that, will indicate when a man is lying may seem mereiv the product ol imagination, but it is claimed that such a contrivance has been indented by two specialists ol high reputation and undoubted integrity. 'lhe electric psychomotor, as it is called. i.s described as "a galvanometer, plus an apparatus lor measuring and recording the llurtuations produced in the human organism by the emotions." The subject to be experimented on rests one iiand oil a zinc and another on a carbon plate. An electric current is thus established and by moans ol a lamp and mirror-glass scale, or upon a measured -oreen, a beam is thrown tlint Aul move in .sympathy with every ■motional tremor. The eminent psychologists who have inevnUsd this machine claim that a uii-.u cannot ■ie without an emotional tremor, icing set up within him, which ■nil be registered by the machine. Take the case ot a man who has stolen a watch, it the word "watch" is pronounced in his hearing, among a number of noii-signilicant words, the • bailees are 100 to 1 in favor of him ■lOtraying himself bv means of the machine.

J)r Peterson, the American co-inven-tor, obtained astonishing results with a voting minimi!, who wns given a guarantee tliat nothing that was discovered would be used against him. lie had been out on parole and the points :o be ascertained were whether he had broken his parole by leaving New York, whether lie had beifci arrested nnd whether lie was concerned in certain ihefts. lie denied having been out of New York and having been arrested the beam of light moved six inches each time. A number of cities .'.ore mentioned and by all but one the light was deflected. Further questioning established his guilt bevoiul doubt, I hough be maintained his innocence. In another experiment Dr Peterson is said to have ascertained by means of the psvehometer which one of three men whom lie had never seen before was in possession of certain information imparted to only one of the three by another person. The man with the information came prepared to resist eveneffort to extort the secret from him, but it wns to no purpose. At all the significant words propounded bv J)r I'eterson the light-beam moved from three to six inches; at the indifferent ones it did not move more than two inches. It is said tlint tho coolest and most accomplished liars are powerless against this contrivance.