Review: American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson

Sysnopsis: The story of the birth of criminal investigation in the twentieth century. , California, 1933. In a lab filled with curiosities--beakers, microscopes, Bunsen burners, and hundreds upon hundreds of books--sat an investigator who would go on to crack at least two thousand cases in his forty-year career. Known as the "American Sherlock Holmes," Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of America's greatest--and first--forensic scientists, with an uncanny knack for finding clues, establishing evidence, and deducing answers with a skill that seemed almost supernatural.

Heinrich was one of the nation's first expert witnesses, working in a time when the turmoil of Prohibition led to sensationalized crime reporting and only a small, systematic study of evidence. However with his brilliance, and commanding presence in both the courtroom and at crime scenes, Heinrich spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic tools that police still use today, including blood spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests, and the use of fingerprints as courtroom evidence. His work, though not without its serious--some would say fatal--flaws, changed the course of American criminal investigation.

Based on years of research and thousands of never-before-published primary source materials, American Sherlock captures the life of the man who pioneered the science our legal system now relies upon--as well as the limits of those techniques and the very human experts who wield them.

This is an excellent story of one of America's most prominent forensic scientist of the 1920s - 1950s. Suffice to say this is definitely one for all those who love to read about the development of forensic science as applied to crime.

The author introduces us - albeit briefly - to a man who has been lauded as one of the greatest forensic scientists of his time. A man who in his forty year career pioneered many forensic techniques still in use today; who opened his own private lab at his own expense; who became one of the first expert witnesses to be called upon; who was a father, husband, teacher, friend, and at times, curmudgeonly, arrogant and obsessive.

Kate Winkler Dawson comments that the "... archaic methods of crime fighting in the 1920s, procedures depending on hunches and weak circumstantial evidence, were futile ..... police were outnumbered and many times outsmarted ...". Here this mostly self taught man came into his own, with his knowledge of many disciplines that could be applied to the analysis of a crime scene.

The author looks at eight particular crimes in which Heinrich developed new techniques for detection or improved upon older ones. Each chapter is entitled "the Case of ...." (a bit like an episode of Perry Mason) and includes one on Heinrich himself, wherein the author delves into his personal history. All of the cases are fairly well known and take place in the 1920 and 1930s - so no spoiler alerts required.

The Case of Allene Lamson's Bath is spread over two chapters - one at the very beginning and one at the end. However, this first part essentially deals with the murder of said woman in her bath and the arrest of her husband (1933). Much of this case focused on blood spatter patterns, which he first introduced at a trial in 1925. The completion will be much later in the story, when we are taking through the trial of David Lamson - and the battle of the expert witnesses.

As mentioned, there is a chapter on young Oscar as he is known - The Case of Oscar's Demons. This is where (as mentioned above) we learn more about Heinrich and his entree into the world of crime and forensic science.

Chapter three - The Case of the Baker's Handwriting - focuses on the profiling of the suspect, the deciphering and analysis of handwriting, and .. the use of the first polygraph machine. In this instance, the case involves the kidnapping and ransom of a local priest, Father Patrick Heslin (1921). We are also taken through Oscar's rivalry with two other experts (he was third chair) and here we see the beginnings of his contempt for others whose skills are not in the same league as his own.

The notorious case of Hollywood actor Fatty Arbuckle is dealt with in the next chapter, The Case of the Star's Fingerprints. Obviously, it is the identification and analysis of fingerprints that sees Heninrich participating in this trial. It is also one in which his own credibility and reputation are called into question - and his views on Hollywood sees his personal feelings influencing his usually logical judgement.

The Case of the Great Train Heist two years later saw him brought in to profile suspects based on the evidence they left behind both at the scene and also in hidden caches. Again, handwriting comparison was a featured technique. Success was not immediate - the culprits were captured after four years on the run; however, business did increase and he was called upon as a criminologist.

Oscar Heinrich was not quiet in these years. He worked on many other cases from kidnapping, forgeries, murder - including the mysterious murder of Hollywood producer, William Desmond Taylor - a case still unsolved today. We also see a different side to Oscar - his fascination with writing detective stories, his obsessive compulsion with regards to data gathering and storage, and the collation of dossiers that he kept on both himself and his rivals.

Oscar's next big case was in 1925 and involved a noted chemist - the Case of the Calculating Chemist - who, after involvement in a sexual scandal, was found dead in his lab. Unfortunately not all was what it seemed, and saw Oscar delving into the realm of forensic anthropology - making some startling discoveries that would be more in line with an episode of the TV series "Bones".

However, Heninrich would not be so lucky in his next big case of that same year - the Case of Bessie Ferguson's Ear - which despite his profile of the suspect, soil and particle analysis, forensic entomology, the killer evaded authorities. On a more personal note, Oscar teaching methods were being called into question by his friend and confidant John Kaiser whilst at the same time he himself was compiling a long list of professional enemies, people whom he felt were encroaching on his territory of forensics. I guess bringing the science of forensics into the public forum was a bit of a double edged sword - it made the science more accessible but also created more scientists thus reducing his lucrative casework - and for Oscar, with his eye always on the financial bottom line, this was most distressing.

Again, Henirich was still called upon to work on many cases which saw the use of utra-violet light to reveal blood, the use of toxicology to reveal poison. However, when it came to presenting his findings in court, he more often than not put the jury offside, confusing them with his explanation. Unfortunately, his extreme hubris was also turning other experts against him too. Whilst Oscar's lab was funded by him privately, many new forensic experts were creating fnancially lucrative partnerships at labs funded by universities - and the competition for their services was quite vigorous.

In one of the final cases presented - the Case of Marty Caldwell's Gun - it is in the areas of ballistics analysis and his use of the comparison microscope (developed by Calvin Goddard and Phillip Gravelle). Up against his old rival and the conflicting information presented in court, Heinrich set up his equipment in court and invited the jurors to see for themselves - this was the first time such a thing was done.

We finish with the conclusion of the Alleme Lamson case, one in which we find Oscar on the side of the defendant rather than the prosecution. It was a messy case that went on for years, and saw the accused writing a book which was adapted into a movie. This case also called into question the bias of the judicial system, the harassment of jurors, and for Oscar, he too learned a valuable lesson - jurors reject what they don't easily understand - something which can make or break a case.

This fascinating read concludes with a follow up on the major players of the time; discusses the many methods developed by Oscar which are still used today, including his meticulous cataloguing of evidence; and gives us a brief run-down of his son's careers. Oscar was a rarity - in his own time and quite possibly even now. He was a mostly self taught man whose expertise encompassed many disciplines. I guess we must thank his life long confidant John Kaiser for ensuring materials of scientific interest were continually forwarded onto Oscar for use in the development of scientific methods.

This biography is presented in an easily read and understood manner - exploring all facets of the life of this unique man and also his methodologies. A highly recommended read for those with an interest in the development of forensic science and detecting techniques.

The Cases:

Allene Lamson's Bath

- People v Lamson

- State of California v Lamson

- People v Lamson

The Baker's Handwriting

 - People v Hightower

The Star's Fingerprints

- The Many Trials of Fatty Arbuckle

- The Fatty Arbuckle Trial

The Great Train Heist

- Southern Oregon Historical Society - Ray DeAutremont

- Southern Oregon Historical Society - Roy DeAutremont

- Southern Oregon Historical Society - Hugh DeAutremont

- DeAutremont Brothers

The Calculating Chemist

- Northern Life Insurance v Schwartz

- The Malefactors Register

Bessie Ferguson's Ear

- San Francisco Chronicle

Marty Colwell's Gun

- Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology (1926)

Further Reading

- Forensic Science Review (2017)

- CrimeReads

- OAC - Heinrich Papers

- Kate Dawson Winkler

Review: Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom

Synopsis: On bookshelves around the world, surrounded by ordinary books bound in paper and leather, rest other volumes of a distinctly strange and grisly sort: those bound in human skin. Would you know one if you held it in your hand?

In Dark Archives, Megan Rosenbloom seeks out the historic and scientific truths behind anthropodermic bibliopegy—the practice of binding books in this most intimate covering. Dozens of such books live on in the world’s most famous libraries and museums. Dark Archives exhumes their origins and brings to life the doctors, murderers, innocents, and indigents whose lives are sewn together in this disquieting collection. Along the way, Rosenbloom tells the story of how her team of scientists, curators, and librarians test rumored anthropodermic books, untangling the myths around their creation and reckoning with the ethics of their custodianship.

A librarian and journalist, Rosenbloom is a member of The Order of the Good Death and a cofounder of their Death Salon, a community that encourages conversations, scholarship, and art about mortality and mourning. In Dark Archives—captivating and macabre in all the right ways—she has crafted a narrative that is equal parts detective work, academic intrigue, history, and medical curiosity: a book as rare and thrilling as its subject.

For those with a macabre interest in death and dissection, this will provide you with a suitable overview. For those, like myself, who were wanting a bit more, then you will go away slightly less fulfilled.

My interest in anthropodermic bibliopegy dates, back to 2011, I was looking into a series of sensational murder cases dating back to the 1800s and what was the ultimate fate of those arrested. My interest was so sparked that I was compelled to write a blog post on it entitled Cadaver Books which touched on a number of books created from those executed. 

My little blog post was by no means in in-depth study which led me to request a copy of Dark Archives as a means to further enhance my knowledge on those books not created from criminals executed where " ... a dead person's skin had become a byproduct of the dissection process ... ' - dissection being a part of the sentence and a form of public humiliation (a fate intended to deter criminal activity). 

To be honest, I personally, was left a little flat. Whilst I appreciated that the author traveled throughout the USA to the libraries and universities that held these treasures, I was looking for a more broader study. The majority of tomes covered are American based, with some case studies are from the UK (ie: Burke & Hare, Red Barn Mystery) and France. 

" ... each old book is like a mystery quietly awaiting its detective ... "

I also appreciated the author's intent on seeking out those said to be cadaver books and having them tested, which often put paid to their origins when results came back in the negative. 

As I mentioned, those with a passing interest will find this a fascinating book which often looks at the mythology behind the antecedents of each tome; age-old myths surrounding the production of such tomes during both the French Revolution and Nazi Germany are debunked; and the science and methodology behind the production is discussed. Unfortunately I found more than one chapter waffling on before finally getting to the point in the last few paragraphs which resulted in my interest waning.

The author finishes on the matter of skin art and choice wherein today's generation with their beautifully crafted tattoos are looking at a means of preserving these post mortem, and also the current regulation surrounding the possession and display of human remains, and usage of donation to medical science. At the end there is a list of where 17 confirmed books are located.

This is a short book - barely 180 pages, with the rest made up of extensive notes. An entry level read into the subject of anthropodermic bibliopegy.

The Vaccine Race by Meredith Wadman

From Penguin Random House:

Meredith Wadman’s masterful account recovers not only the science of this urgent race, but also the political roadblocks that nearly stopped the scientists. She describes the terrible dilemmas of pregnant women exposed to German measles and recounts testing on infants, prisoners, orphans, and the intellectually disabled, which was common in the era. These events take place at the dawn of the battle over using human fetal tissue in research, during the arrival of big commerce in campus labs, and as huge changes take place in the laws and practices governing who “owns” research cells and the profits made from biological inventions. It is also the story of yet one more unrecognized woman whose cells have been used to save countless lives.

From Star2:

The book weaves its way around the morally ambiguous and morally repugnant history of vaccines, from their commercialisation – something that was quite unusual at the time, and which brought Hayflick a lot of flak, ultimately derailing his career – to the horrific testing and experimentation carried out on people without their knowledge.

Despite writing an entire book on the subject, Wadman suggests that rather than revile the actions of the scientists of the past, we should take the opportunity to look at what is being done at the moment.

Women in science: 50 fearless pioneers who changed the world

Women in science: 50 fearless pioneers who changed the world | Chemistry World

Does science need to be pretty? Some say the facts’ inherent beauty should speak for itself. Others believe it needs a powerful picture to get a story across to a wider audience.  

No matter what you think, Rachel Ignotofsky’s bold illustrations are certainly eye-catching. She has penned serious scientific drawings, illustrations for The New York Times, as well as hilarious anatomies of Godzilla and Sharknado. Ignotofsky’s first book, Women in Science, is a celebration of her art and is as delightful as the rest of her work.

However, that doesn’t mean the book lacks content. Ignotofsky dedicates each double page to one of 50 women in science, from ancient Greek philosopher Hypatia to neuroscientist and 2014 Nobel laureate May-Britt Moser. The author recounts each scientist’s life story, combining aspects of their personal life and scientific discoveries. While the usual suspects, Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin, make an appearance, the book also features many scientists I had never heard of: African-American chemist Alice Ball, for example, who developed a leprosy treatment in the early 20th century long before antibiotics became commonplace.

Many of the situations the female scientists found themselves in – not being allowed to attend science classes, or having to sit behind a screen in lectures so as not to disturb their male colleagues – seem inconceivable from today’s perspective. However, a statistics page serves as a reminder that a severe gender gap still exists in science, though the author leaves it to the reader to find out why this might be the case.

The Invention of Science by David Wooton

Book review: ‘The Invention of Science’ by David Wooton - The Boston Globe

David Wootton offers a kind of justification for his lengthy chronicle of the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries. “We still live with the consequences,” he writes in “The Invention of Science.’’ The “scientific way of thinking has become so much part of our culture that it has now become difficult to think our way back into a world where people did not speak of facts, hypotheses and theories, where knowledge was not grounded in evidence, where nature did not have laws.”

Wootton fears that we don”t quite appreciate what an intellectual leap forward the revolution was, and he proves himself a worthy tutor. The University of York history professor is a dazzling explicator of difficult ideas whose relish for his material is evident on nearly every page. He writes well not only about key figures like Isaac Newton, Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Galileo, Francis Bacon, and Robert Boyle, but also dozens of lesser known scientific minds — Italian German, English, French — from the era.