HANGING BY A HAIR.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2645, 14 May 1923, Page 2

HANGING BY A HAIR.

Efforts are being made by police microscopists fo determine with accuracy the composition of minute quan-, tities of hair oil or other dressings adhering to stray Hairs. This interesting problem has received much attention in t'hc United States and France, but so far no infallible method has been worked out. When a hair is examined while immersed in water the fat or grease adhering to the outer case floats away in a filmy cloud. If one could determine its parts or contents accurately the problem of the detcctive-mlcrosco-pist would bo much simplified; no other, test can be applied in a critical sense without injuring the ham The structural features of human and other hair arc now so well classified that the modern microscope is: one of the most valuable aids to the solution of murder mysteries and other crimes. A stray hair left behind by a wrong doer will quickly yield its secret*. Is it the hair of a child, youth, mature, or aged person ? Is it the hair of man or woman—black man, white man, or yellow man ? Is it dyed ? Is it naturally curly or artificially waved ? Is it the hair of a close-cropped or long-haired individual ? Is it's owner healthy 6r otherwise ? . , The detective-microseopist Can give-; the answer to these and many other’ equally important questions, all of, supreme moment in the fracking! down of a suspect. Once the real culprit is laid by the heels the hair clue is infallible.

The nature of the hair pith and the pigment granules present give flic approximate ago of the owner of the hair. Measurements by micrometer largely determine from whence it came, but valuable evidence in this respect can be got from the outer ends of the hair. A split hair can nowadays furnish enough corroboration to hang a man.

In a murder case a hair found adhering to any weapon in the possession of a suspect can now be examined simultaneously with a hair taken from a victim. Should they 1 belong to the same person the construction of the hair, the granular patterns, and their form and Size will be found identical. For this delicate examination two microscopes are used fitted with a comparison ocular. This gives such accurate result's that it has greatly simplified the detection of murderers. The. smallest fragment of hair is sufficient to work upon.