SWEEPING CHANGES

Evening Post, Issue 113, 10 November 1930, Page 17

SWEEPING CHANGES

FINGERPRINT SYSTEM

EXPERT'S DISCOVERY

A Scotland Yard secret just revealed is expected to revolutionise ilio fingerprint systems of the world, says the "Manchester Guardian." For some time past Chief Inspector Harry Battley, who has charge of the ringer-print Bureau at Scotland Yard, has been experimenting to find a simpler ■way of catching criminals through fincer improssiona left at scenes of crime. Under tho existing singlo fingor-pnnt system tho task of searching, ior a duplieato in tho bureau collection ot some forty thousand single impressions was found long and difficult, and sometimes entailed a search of three-quar-ters of tho collection. The few identifications made did not justify the time and labour expended. Mr. Battley has striven to overcome these difficulties and provide a satisfactory method of classifying a,nd filing single prints which can easily and readily bo identified with finger-marks found at scenes of crime. He has explained his system in a book which will bo published by the Stationery Office. Tho author's secret lies in a special glass with a centre spot and seven concentric circles. Thus a circular area is taken for scrutiny. Taken alone, ridgo characteristics havo been found unreliable as a basis of clarification for single prints. They assume different forms according to varying pressures. Mr. Battley has provided important new sub-groups for clasification by noting tho particular circles on his glass in which specified points of a print fall, and their relationship to each other. A TRAVELLING CRIMINAL. Results achieved provide- interesting reading. One remarkable case is illus* trated by a map which, shows the itinerary of a travelling criminal plotted out by tho finger-marks ho left at various places. In July, 1028, a wineglass supposed to have been touched by tho person who broke into a pavilion iat Watford, and which showed a digital , mark, was forwarded to the Yard finger- | print bufeau, but no duplicate was'recorded in tho collection. It. was filed in a separate place. During the next twelve months a scries of articles bearing similar marks found at scenes of crimo wero received from various provincial forces—'Staple Hill, Stinchcombe, and Chipping Soilbury (Gloucestershire), llarpcnden, Eugby, Eudbourne (Hertfordshire), Loughborough, aud King's- Langley. -In each casethere were points of: Similarity that enabled -the bureav- to ■say'.'definifely that tho marks were' made by the same person—the one who handled the wincgl ass. Shortly ■' afterwards a man: was arrested at Hitchin, for housebreaking and larceny, and his finger-prints, were sent to tho bureau; where they were at once recognised as identica,! with those placed on one side. -At his trial the man admitted having committed the offences. ■ •'•: .:■ - :■:'-: ." "';■'■ ■■"'.