POLICE OFFICER’S ADDRESS ON FINGER-PRINTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 121, 6 May 1936, Page 9

POLICE OFFICER’S ADDRESS ON FINGER-PRINTS

Infallible System VALUE EXPLAINED Everybody Should Have Them Taken SAVE MUCH TROUBLE “There is no stigma attached to being finger-printed; the prints are as often the means of clearing an innocent man as of convicting a guilty one; in addition they are a valuaole and infallible means ot identification, and may be used in identifying people who may have lost their memory or who have died without leaving any other trace of their identity,” said SeniorSergeant H. C. D. Wade, addressing the Round. Table Club at Napier yesterday on the subject of fingerprints. “If the Lindbergh baby and the girl in the ‘pyjama case’ had been finger-printed, there would not be the slightest doubt of the ident.ty of the one, or the need for the intense search for information regarding the other at the present time. My advice to everyone is to have their finger-prints taken—they may do it themselves —and to keep the prints in their own homes, so that in case of need they may be referred to, and save needless trouble and perhaps sorrow.” “A finger-print is a pattern or design upon the inside of the first joint of the fingers and thumb of each hand. It is a characteristic mark by which the owner may be quickly and easily iden tified. Finger-prints were first used, as may be gleaned from available sources, tiy Chinese emperors, who used them on official documents as a sign manual, but the filing and perfection of this system has only developed during the last few years. “Commencing in 1823, this method of identification was discussed, particularly in America, when the unlawful immigration of Chinese was causing some excitement, but the suggestion was not adopted. After that time, discussion still waxed strong, but the first real use of the method came in 1858, when Sir William Herschell, who was in charge of the Courts in the Bengal area of the Indian Civil Service, ordered that all public documents must bear the thumb-print of any man who signed it. This was enforced because of the numerous impersonations that had been successfully perpetrated. He endeavoured without success to have the system taken up throughout the service, and when he retired, his method was abolished.

CHANCES OF DUPLICATION. “There is_one chance in 64,000,000 of one print on the hands of two men being identical, and for all ten in the hands of different people to be identical is ten times that figure. In all the years that finger-prints have been taken and recorded, there has not yet been one case of two men having identical prints. If further figures are required, there is one chance in 125 of one line in the hands of two people being the same, and one in 625 of four being the same, until if 24 lines in the hands of two people were the same, the figures stand at one to 59 billion. If you doubt these figures, you may work them out for yourself. No other system has the same guarantee of infallibility.” “ rhe only system approaching it is the Bertillon system, which uses measurements of the body that do not change after maturity. Thus the length and breadth of the head are measured, the length of ear and foot, but the system has many faults. Costly ami delicate instruments are necessary, while finger-prints may be easily taken. Measurements ttaken by different operators vary, while the prints never do, and there is always the chance, as in the ease of twin brothers, that measurements in two people may be identical; prints never are. There may he temporary or permanent destruction of the prints, caused variously by the handling or rough objects, cement or lime, by continual immersion in water, or by skin diseases. Most of these may be remedied by time. OTHER USES. “Finger-prints may be used for a variety of purposes other than for police methods of identification. The U.S.A, use them in many branches of life; notable among these is their use in the army and navy to prevent the entry of criminals and those who had been dishonourably discharged. Insurance companies took the finger-prints of their clients to prevent iinparsonation and false representation ot death, and by the immigration department to guard against the entry to tho country of undesirable aliens, and the reentry of those who had been previously deported. Banks also use linger [.nuts as a guard ugamst forgery.“Au example of tho use of fingerprints is demonstrated in the following story: Tho American police arrested u man named William \\ est, and took uis Bertillon measurements, aud fingerprinted him. He was sent to Leavenworth gaol for a crime, and the Pertillon measurements were forwarded to the prison also. The authorities there wrote that they already had .hat man in prison, but that he gave his name as Richard West. Bertillon measurements were identical and the gaoler and warders could not distinguish between them. It was found that they were twin brothers, and that only the finger-prints of each could identify cue from tho other. “Animals have prints also, and they are often taken. A monkey has the same prints as a human being, and the noso print of- any cow is different from all others. This latter characteristic is used for the positive identification of pedigree stock. " “CANNOT BE FORGED. “Finger-prints cannot be forged. Character, appearance, and mentality may all change, but the finger-print does not. Finger-prints may now he telegraphed by a method known as the Jorgenson system, which uses a celluloid disc, with certain lines marked on it. By a code, these measurements may be telegraphed and I lie print filled in accurately at the <•<■<ci' ing eml

Thus a criminal may commit a crime and leave the locality. If a print is discovered, there is every chance that a copy of it may reach his destination before he does. “The suggestion that a criminal may leave the print of another criminal at the scene of a crime is utterly without basis of fact except in one respect. An object such as a plate or a cigarette case that the second criminal has touched may be left, but tho print, itself may not be imprinted by means of a rubber stamp. “Prints on any surface that will record them are picked up by means of a powder. According to the colour of the object, different powders are used that will Contrast with the surroundings. This is sprinkled on. and the print may be easily seen. The ridges of the print alone leave marks, and the hollows do not. Thus the powder collects on the marks made by the ridges, and shows up plaining. The print is photographed, the photograph enlarged, and the spaces measured under a microscope, and the prints finally filed, or compared with the prints of a suspect.’’ The Senior-Sergeant concluded his remarks by strongly advising his audience to have their finger-prints taken, stating that they could be filed at home in case ot need. Earthquake victims could have been easily identified it prints had been taken of them in life, and many people could have been saved much uncertainty and heart-burning.