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EVENING FUBEIO lDGBB-PHrdA33fBEPHIA, WBDiNESDAY, AyfftTST 28, J922
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SCIENCE PROVIDES E YES FOR BLIND JUSTICE
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TO TRAP LIARS AND PROVE TRUTH OF ALIBIS
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Professer JV. M. Marsten Perfects His
Sphygmomanometer, Which Tells
Whether Witness Is Prevaricati?ig
When Under Grill
r
COURT REFUSES TO TAKE
VERDICT OF INVENTION,
BUT FACTS UPHOLD IT
Constant Tests Upen Criminals and
Suspects Indicate Heart Action Is
Certain Barometer of Falsity of
Statements
OC1ENCE, which has explored many fields in the lat 100 years and wen
scores of victories ever disease and the elements, is new tackling a
problem as old as history viz., deception, or just plain, ordinary every
day lying.
Us practice, we are told, was started by old N'ick himself back in the
Garden of Eden. It spread like wildfire until by Jeremiah's time it had
become a serious problem.
He observed bitterly that "the heart is deceitful above all things and I
desperately wicked; who can knew it?" i
Lies go hand in hand with mis
helpful suggestion, nnd I proceeded te
work with that In mind. I then hurt
te devise some apparatus that would be
useful The earliest instrument caused
some pain when it was attached te the
human body, but this has been elimi
nated. ' Since that time considerable work
ha been done by me and ether upon
deception tests in cennectlun with the
PSioheIosic.il tasks undertaken for the
nb-fil tic. eminent during the recent
war."
Understandings and crimes of every
kind. The prophets and preachers
aince Jeremiah have inveighed
gainst them with all the thunder of
their eloquence. Warnings of hell
fire and brimstone have been shouted
for centuries from every pulpit. But
the habit is net yet uprooted, and
ciencc will see what it can de. It
believes it is finding the way te nail
a lie every time. Maybe in a few
hundred years it will demonstrate Bleed Pressure Gauged
the usclessness of lying te such an While Story Is Told
extent that people will net try any i pr. Marsten found besr
mere, but commit it te the realm of j through measurement of what
the lest arts. And the oath may net
have te be administered in the
courts.
An instrument, the "sphygmo
manometer." popularly called "the
lle detector," already has furnished I
Berne rather startling evidence of its
ability te demonstrate whether a
person is telling the truth or a '. e.
Early this month in Wash.r.irr
n experiment was conducted v.z
E. E. Dudding, ex-cenic: cr.i z-"
sent of the Prisoners' Re :cf ; : -"T
as the eluntary subject. Tr
detector said he waj tell .-.? :--. rr.-
about the allowed cr:.T.e :":r - '.
he was convicted, and t-.a: !- f
Innocent. At the same t.rr.e. .-
ver, it tripped him en 'err.i - -
matters, as he himself adm.ttei -private.
Science Says Confession
in Murder Was False
James Frye, who had cenfef: a
fcnurder, was found by the mach.ne
te hae confessed falsely and te
have been innocent. The unusual
evidence was brought forward that
be had made his confession in the
hope of sharing a reward, and al'e
In the belief he would be acquitted. I
Other instances are en record,
tome of persons who were found
guilty and ethers who were cleared,
e far as the lie detector is con-1
ecrned.
It is a machine that has long been
used, but applied only recently in
the new way. This new application
was discovered by William M. Mars
" ten, Harvard, A. B., L.L B., Ph. D.,
who is new director of the Psycho Psyche
Iegal Laboratory of American Uni
versity at Washington.
"What it ucturiliy 1"." h nn, "Is
an insti nun tit te ni'iis'irc- bleed pres
sure. It was developed by a doctor
fifty years age and hns been uvd lnc '
In medical practice."
Dr. Marsten is ii geed-natured young
dentist. He does net leek like a man
who has, toiled b sunlight and randl"
light for eight wars iiiit a pet theory.
Observed casual!?, he has the appear
ance, though n tritl be.iy, of an ath
lete who bus spent the greater pnrt of
bis tlme out of doers instead of In tb!
laboratory. ,
He has simply taken nn old lnetru- '
taent, ndded some things te it, nnd ap
plied bin theory, lie dibclnnnii any pre-
tense te having originated tlic spbjgme- i
linemetcr.
l "I haw- just dei eloped the test," he1
aid. "My position is the s.nmi an if
you Should take jour lawn mower out
In the jard and discover that it was a
Bieful Instrument with which te meas
ure the dlstnnoe between the sun and
the moon This use of the lawn mower
Would be your discovery. "
Dr. Marsten started te work en the
freMera of deception In llllft-ll In
Harvard l's.wholegieai Laboratory tin-
in the direction of Prof. Huge Mun-
terberg. Like many another scientific
explorer, lie was studjing In general
way. The experiment wns te be a
erlea of "ps.u-hu-psysloleglcal prob
lems In Ihe Held of legal testimony."
Quite by necident his feet landed en
ae trail of the lie detector.
"I waa working," us Dr. Marsten
paid, "en absolution reaction time
twta, and I was getting some result,
kat nothing startling. My wlfu knew
( my efforts te study deception and
l ft Causes. She wrote me one day tell
' lafl of a woman doctor who could regis
vtw 4fWlen if her hand was en the
StUMtt' 0. feat T iua &
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"Lte Detector Picks Out
Truth In Uncanny Manner
IW42V confessed te murder. t,
"M Detector" said confession Wa,
false. Investigation showed n
had "confessed" te share a r.'
ward with detective te whom fa
admitted crime.
Weman accused of bootlegging
said, she had sold liquor only
three times. "Lie Detector" mm
"Netee." Investigation upheW
me spnygmomanemeter.
Convict denied crime for whith
he was convicted. "Lie Detector
upheld his denial, but said he hai
prevaricated ai te details. ,
later admitted these miner lies.
Weman shoplifter said 'i,
never naa stolen before.
He," said the detector. InvtiH.
gatien brought out e form
cnmxnal record.
llc calls JSSs&SSmmmK
iBKisiHiwffiy
" Iff JhiliifM ii jj llwilJ .WlttL Mill'l. , iL'JMLTii-l 3 J. .'... L .
E. E. Dudding, president of Prisoners' Relief Society, under "lie-detector" test. The "detector"
declared Dudding had been convicted unjustly, but pointed out several lies told by him which he
admitted later
two general descriptions it is in keep- who called four timei at the office of
lug with the way science undertakes the plijslelan nnd had finally killed him.
te simplify .matters. He calls them There was a rewnrd of 1100 for the
"positive" and "negative." i capture of the murderer. After the
The positive liars will lie fuster than i confession he was Identified ns the mur
they will tell the truth. That i. they derer and the evidence, seemed con
talk faster. The ether type blows up. elusive against him. Then he lie de
Tluit is, they take mere time In an- lector sum he jj, nt commit the crime.
swering a question or in innKing an .,.,.,, nl.n.l,1 . ,.,. ,,,. 1t,1,.lve
i te whom the confession was made said
If I'rye would confess he would have
thu forgery charge dropped and the
He,
In,
SHOD reward divided between Trje and
'association" framing the
ether wenls. Mr. .vinrsten iinds n
new negative type which can lie faster
than it can tell the truth.
He is positive about the skill of his
machine in reporting the true status
uf a subject's heart. All people have
emotions it seems, that are making
impressions en the bleed, no matter
bow calloused they may be In prevari
cating. "Couldn't a man be se reld blood
ed." )r. Marsten vvasasked, "thnt te
tell n lle would make no difference
with him nnd cause no change In the
machine?"
"Oh. ne: eh. no," he replied earnfst-
i- vA.. n.m A H.,n:.,n- .. i.i.
Ij tun til km (i irhnici I'lifiiiiii . ., , , . ,.-
every time. The trouble is that you get , '," r:;cer "f,tlllll(' detector says rrye
, tee many reactions. '"'" l"' i " 'i l-eii-
1 fehMen was false. The deception test
Needle Gees en Rampage "'se proved the truth of his sterj as te
When He Flirts With Truth , nn,tnl,"',';fs thP illtMe,tiiis point. u this
"The needle will ily up when the connection, as te whether the lii ;
ninn comes te the point when he knows tivter may ever tu';e the pline ,of
lie is telling nn untruth, it happens juries. ni .viarsten emph.'itienli ilo ile
wheu he comes te what is the climax dared It would net, but thnt it would
en the strength of the testimony of a
Xegre from whom a ring was alleged te
have been stolen. Defendant during the
six months had net made restitution,
as she had been ordered. Examination
wai te determine whether or net she
stele the ring in the first plnce.
It. P. judgment: Innocent. Weman
telling the truth as te the ring, having
been given te her.
Verification : The Judge dismissed
the case, although probation officer ad
vised sK months' further probation.
him-elf. I'Yjp was assured the evidence N'cw evidrnee had turned up ii. dicating
that the Negro who nllegcd thnt de
fendant stele ring wnn a disreputable
character.
Weman, forty-six years old. Ar
rested for sale of liquor. Admits sale
of liquor this once, but says that she
never did It before. This statement pre
against blm would be tee weak te con
vict. The identifications, it is said,
were managed bj the detective along
with the ether business.
Lie Detector Is Used
in Severest of Tests
Krjp seen changed his mind and re
I pixilated his confession. His luw.vers
, did net believe him and sei.t for Dr.
.Marsten. The latter examined Five.
year-old boy. Upen being told that Utera
virna n fvilirf pePArd ncrnttiu l. &
..... v """'" urr iwtin.
year-old boy In the Juvenile Court, d,
thereupon said thnt It was the twelT'5
year-old boy she referred te and that
the fiftccn-jcnr-eld boy was Innocent
Evldcnce of neighbors nnd pollce fend-1
te show that oeth boys have bcea.f
gaged In petty thefts for years. 1
Man, forty-six years old. Defendul
arrested for larceny. (Kxnmlner ritd
no further details.)
B. P. judgment: Although defend
ant tells most Improbable story about
having found n pair of sheea In thi
uuiu ui biui iwiuiuen iie was wotkiet
B. 1. shows his story te be truthful.
Verification : Police discovered that
sevcral ether longshoremen, working j
the biime (ship had teen systcmaticaflj
stealing the supplies nnd it was further
found that one of these men lind taken
the shoes In question, but lind beei
obliged te drop them into the held t!
avoid detection. Defendant's eempu.
Ions testified that he wns Intoxicated
at the tlme he took the shoes and that
he shouted up te the foreman in cham
of the crew Hint he hud found a pair of
shoes In the elevator pit.
Dr. Mnrstpn's conclusions from then
and similar tests are:
"The bleed picture deception test
has demonstrable prnctical value in de
termining the truth or falsity of vurleai
elements in u witness' story, as well at
of the story in its entirety ; and also in
determining the general nttltudc of In
nocence or guilt in n person accused el
criminal acts.
"The bleed pressure deception test
seems te have value ns a substitute let
the oath new; used In court preevdurla
that confessions seem te occur imJef
the conditions of the ptycholegkal test
which It hnd been previously iraiies'ible
te extract In court or under tfie elimi
nation of the probation officer and m
lice. "By detecting guilty emotions fe-'
cused upon hitherto unsuspected peind
of testimony the deception tests appear
te open new nnd fruitful channels for
pnliee Investigation."
Reduction of Crime
Is Seen Through Discovery
Kventually he continued. It W
mean a 7.ri per cent improvement in the
reading of the humnn document en tin
witness stand. Just as juries bit
ucen determining whether n innn is in
nation officer suspects Is untrue. AM.nne en the testimony of experts se la
the next ten years they will be replying
en expert testimony of this character
te show whether men are liars or net,
whether they have n conscieumea el
evasion. . '
"As te the ether ramifications of tit
deception test, it will lend, of ceur
te reduction of crime very considerably.
The deception test will turn up chia
sns the only drinks whisky nnd milk
three times a day ; never drinks any
ether sort of alcoholic bevernge. Proba
tion officer suspects this Is untrue.
It. 1'.,. Judgment Lied as te only
drinking milk and whisky three times
a day. Probably drinks heavily when
ever she can get liquor. As te sale of
liquor, lias feeling of guilt ; probably
knew when she sold it thnt It was i The test will show when suspects H
against the law. Telling truth ns te hew lying en certnin points. It simply put)
she get the liquor nnd ns te never hnv- the state of his mind en a sheet e!
lug sold It licfere. I paper te be read.
Verification Medical examination, "hisurance companies and comp&'
The "lie detector" being ucd en a witness
' the systolic- bleed pre -sure" of a ii
pee; while testlfjing.
"The systolic bleed pressure test Is
te be regard'-d." he said, "as a psyche-lu-iial!y
complicated indicator of de
ception requiring pxp'rt knowledge and
-kill In its application and interpreta
tion "The phvgmomanemeter is attached
te the Kubjei-t's left nrm above the el
bow, the mbjict being seated comfort
ably before a table with ids left arm
resting en the top within easy reach
f the operator, who then proceeds te
take the subject's bleed pressure from
tune te time v bile the witness Is being
cress -examined either by thi bleed pres
sure operator, or, preferably, by a ser ser
ernl operator who may be called the
examiner. The effectiveness of the te-t
depends almost entirely upon the con
struction and arrangement of the ernss-
f Tin inntien nnd it proper correlation
viih the bleed pressure readings, a
s.vstem of signals between examiner and
blen, pressure operator being neces
sary." The machine, as the examination
preu-res-rs, makes n jagged line, high
or low, in cording te the effect of the
emotions en the bleed. The excitement
of Attaching the npparntus caues the
line te start high, but the varying emo
tions, Ir, Mtreiten says, never rise
above this point.
Deception is indicated when the line
suddenly sheets upward. The effect of
a He en the bleed Is te rai.se the sys
tolic bleed pressure sbnrply.
Like Geerge Washington,
It Cannet Tell a Lie
"Net that the heart bents faster,"
Dr. Mnrsten explained. "It is the
trciigth of the heart bent that counts." '
"Is there any chance," he was asked,
"that the machine itself can tell ni
lie?" '
"Se." he replied emphatically. He
added that three elementu may cause
a rise of the testimony line, pain, anger
and fear. If a witness should see an
enemy enter the mom he might become
enraged nnd thus cause a rise in pres
sure. "Hut anger is swamped out by fear,"
Dr. Marsten paid. "Practically, pain
i and anger de net mean as much te a
witness ns the general surroundings of
the court or as the fear of cress-examination."
In the future It may be necessary
te forget that old adage that gees some
thing like this: "There are three kinds
of liars geed liars, bad liars and damn
1 ii,,.,. i
i""''- ..
Dr. Mar3ten is cin'-'ulylng them in
160
150
40
130
110
MO
Quiet
(Sdbjedb tdld
netH
nq c))f bejsb)b)3CrimCeife
S
Maruyearseld (Under indictment for ..Degree Murder
,yum, rjru.e .v. i en his own -Confession)
5
uestieh.
IMevai
'-
Preliminary
Questie;
nsefh
Siert
Su
bjectt repudiated
aAd tills raTHFUlL siAiyHSuBject
v-Vv-:
of
his
act
Cerifess
ions
hen
Quiet
iL
xs
KA:
told
evem
tes
T"r
4 SPHYGMOMANOMETER
! LRUBBE-R TUBE COVERED . X,
A t &K WITH CtOTH WRAPPED J J!
Wssi&IPABOUTABM LIKE y '
illilM 5TETHESCOPE IN ,' A
I &59ff PHYSICIANS EARS , ., '
BULB INI -A '
PRE55E0 CjQ . -s. Cig
1 ) FOREARM RE5Ti(iaONTA8Lfe , . . "'
. -- . . - iJmjiiSmkmm
v Chnrt of fiphj'Kmomanemetcr test shewinjj flu ctuatien of line as witness answered questions
PHYSICIANS
HAND TO
INFLATE
THE TUBE
te lit in the eiin-inl liemt. When we
get en the question where he n.ust
tell the truth or nn untruth, if he
lies that needle, In tlif meter will jump,
net ten ur twenty points, but up te
'-'(HI or he.Mind. lie rnn't conceal It
or control it nnv mere thnn he can
control Ida heart bents
play the role of an expert witness te 1
help the juries in arriving at the truth.
Here aie some lnstnnces showing hew
the detector has ciposed the false and
defended the Innocent. (It. 1. means
bleed pressure.)
Colored wemnn, thirty-one years of
age. . nested six months ng.i for lar
by thi doctor showed without question
thnt defendant was a confirmed alcoholic
who is new drinking heavily and con
tinuous!, r.vldenci) by detective who
made the arrest tends te show defend
'.V,1' ,m '"'r n(,t ln K'HIng liquor was
illegal: also Ills evidence temls lr. clmiv-
0oief diagram si 1! detect
tlioHe petntB and admitted inuKiug cer
tain inlHstatementH relating te biislnesa
matters.
The 1'rye cate attracted much atten
tion beeaune .Tustlue McCev, of the Ils
trict hjiipreme Court, declined te per
mit the readings of the lie detector as
evidence,
The cnae rends llke a mystery detec
tive story. In November, 11120, a
Negro physician wn murdcicd, nnd the
1 man who committed tiie crime escaped.
I A cur Inter Krjn wns aricsled en u
I forgery charge. Whlle In jail he mid-
WtalycenftBKd that lie was the maul
Plain or Fancy Liars Are
the Same te Detector
ANGER, pain and fear are the
three emotions that are'
watched unerringly by the "Lie
Detector."
Fear of punishment or of de
tection flashes through the mind
of the witness as he starts te tell
a falsehood and the chart indi
cates the corresponding change in
his heart beat. "It's a lie" is the
report.
"Positive liars" lie faster than
they tell the truth; negative liars
take mere time te frame their
answers.
wile of Ihpin- by defendant and us te
new cleiejulnnt get liquor in question,
there was absolutely no evidence.
as B
A rnan may be a skillful liar, but ! cSnj of a ring and placed probation R"?,, '"1 V.?. ""T"L"?.
1, will Imuiw l,en l,n l,n. fr.1,1 n.. en. I "l .,1".." "",'". "' ''
truth and there will m a wave, of fear
that will send his bleed pressure kiting.
l.Vnr, n 111, I,. Ii,. I., ., 1 1 1 .. I, 1 .1 ,,
.,'. ,, .Ll,U J, IT I, I, Ml. , linil ,', . f . m V-a-a X T J A Wr a -
In the cxnmlnntien of Dudding a pe- " flw te ucivviur Oman's Steril False
ciiiiar circiimsinnce niiecieu tun record. ,t e...- . ,,
He lstieubled with what is described as tx,nnn - ., "'" ettt-' IS V pilCKl
"flironie IllbtllDlllty et the emotions." ".., ,.. urai,.r ura ma We'imii fert-hU vnrs old Defend
huh caiiBCd inn urn- 10 waer iiiiu line- --three emnlinna thnt. aa' ant arrested fop Hiniiifih.i. .....i iu
. . .. t e . .... ... !... . - '" " " . w I .... . ; -','......, ...ii .a
tunie hi iie.,.i.-,u .,.-, HiH. et uier... t,,,ri.,rf .,; ;,., th T.i """eW suspected of having stolen be
were certain places w lien; tne nne snot "-" . '-u " "- " i lore. .lce Is kiiNeeeieil .f ,iPii,i.,
,... nlmn ..11 .1... I.lnl.n.l 1ii-.l,.u Afl.. 1 -1 1- " li.il.l.ll. ..11 , , '. . . . ''"-l'l
ni, uiiw.-- in. in.- inhK- - ji-'iiin. ..ii.-. .v.sv...,. ..v.i.ii.., luuieug i denies tils iitiMi utelv
uiu eAuiuiiiuiien jiui wiin Mium. in i nn, h'enr nt nnnii)iii.t .. nt J i It I' niVmr.i.t i i., i . . , , , .
ii,. .. .,u .,i.i...i ., 1,1. .,.,.. ... rear ej puntsnment or of de- ' -i augment I. led us te drinking
,.i- un .-Iiiiii- ,, in e ,i,,n.,,in iifc ... n . .. .... fkilll I! s,l liu t,, ,.n. nR I I ,-. , ' ,.
cnll.t l,...l., . i,m, in- irre.1t -'
.....uii iiuiiiiii ill,; rin,nn - .,
Inrn.l In ll, I ... I Tl ...ill HI 1,1(1 U'11'
..'-.fc III 1IIC IVAli 41 II II- !.--
te them cettln? iicciirac.V lit n ft''
llminnry state of facts, ami
InnllTiireritii.
rPIwi iu .. r,,..,H,l' te llflVO t"
.,,.11 Id f IllUtklllVII, -
lALf n.nn.- Uv ihn 1 ell!l ft IllCIlt
.. ii. imiliil uj mvi i .
Jitstfce. Willlnm J. Ittirns is cre"
nterested. A erlllli of IPsJCIIOHV
,luclle
iis n resuli n( tests l.v the National '"J
group
sts liv
search Council udvlsed Its Iritrului
iu the department, the .liidp' w,j.
(Ji-iii-rul's efflcu mid Ihe .Military If
ligencc. That group contain'"! WJ
Hubert M. Yerkes. chief el "e,':'pjl
logical iiivisiiiu, i). .-5. .v., "",, ijm-
Sc-ett, piesldent Mirtnwe,i en . j -
Ynle I'nhersity; Dr. T 1I-,,W". Di
iiiernuiive, leiiiinuiii i ', i i,,-tt
.-... ...j.., hi i. neicr Having stolen lie- i I Jr. Herbert .Sydney l.nngni". ""Bth
fore. Alse led ln testifying that mm.. Harvard I'hj ;hoegical l.l",rl.,,u?.' ,u
of her children had eer stolen an- iJr. MnrMen. On the legal M, U
tlli'!''-, , ' work was actively indorsed ami $
erlllcatlen-Medical cxamliiatleii by Jehn H. Wlginere, probably W
snowed that defenduiii wns u confirmed eminent nutherliy en inliU'ine i"
and liemj dl llker. On tl,,. ,,i.,i f l'nlt.,1 ,.,... .i,,,,,, ,.f NnrtUf.V
I'nhersity Law Scheel; 'l"-'"n;uttrt
Hal... of the Husten bar, ami "'
, I. .....1. nnil Liu.
premiueiii iiiemuerH 01 ui-m-n ," t tf I
nrm' I
iiadw
liuicnti
previous theftK, no crlinlnnl record wn
tllllllfl ll(.ll.i... .I...' t . ... . ..
..., , mi eeieiiuaui, nut tint policy i nine
...... .,. i-viiieiice cunt defendant had
iL... i'1'1""" t;t'tlfiilly and en' .lust new there Is being own"'
- in ,.,,,'"i"i ,l(;",,"llll" wh found Washington tlm American '
rid,' 'l",l;';,l1",! l"-"lj''tl". Uw . Society. Kfferts will bf i
ni'leudlllit aduilttei II, i .,,,,, ..c I,.... ...... ' ..... 1....1 i........ e ,.uinlilisl IllC
I,..,.,. .,i 1 v " '" " " k' 1 11 Kisiimeii no we' " , ii.,j
."i." lul '""'."'''.'t-'d ferwtcallna iind.i I he lirst uiev.- el 11 Hitreuu of His1
UViU U81tu wui), suld Uie JUUea- ( in tUe Uepurtiaeut of Justice. ,
" Y
MSt,
I
f
y
nt.
1-. .!.