CRIMINALS AND CLUES

Kaikoura Star, Volume LIV, Issue 49, 25 June 1934, Page 4

CRIMINALS AND CLUES

The modern detective, with all the latest wonders of science at his command, often relies on simple facts and methods that have guided the crime investigator for ages, says the “ Daily Telegraph.”

The face, for instance, often remains one of the most valuable clues. Cardsharpers have a peculiar glance which betrays them to the skilled detective. There is “ something particularly quick, penetrating, and piercing” about this glance. ... It only suffices for the investigating officer to notice a single one of these glances to learn with whom he has to deal.

This characteristic of the cardsharpers, and of criminals of every type, is set forth in a fascinating manner in 1 ‘Criminal Investigation,” a monumental work by Dr. Hans Gross, who was Professor of Criminology in the University of Prague, now edited by Mr N. Kendall, Assistant-Commis-sioner of the C.T.D. of Scotland Yard.

Not less characteristic than his glance are the hands of the card-sharper. They must be highly sensitive, to enable him to recognise marked cards. So he treats his fingers with glycerine and cold cream.

In essentials the confidence trick conforms to a type. With minor variations, the principal roles arc played by the plausible gentleman who has come into a fortune and the confiding stranger. Often a fascinating lady plays a determined part in persuading the victim to entrust his money to the polished person who is daily expecting the end of the legal formalities which will put him in possession of wealth from overseas. The proper staging of a big affair may be very, very costly. Only’ the hope of big spoil would justify’, for example, the fitting up of a bogus office, with busy clerks, to impress the credulous victim.

“There arc a number of tricks connected with stocks and shares, most of them requiring more or less elaborate preparation and ‘properties.’ One of the tricksters at least is provided with quantities of correspondence purporting to have passed between him and a firm of brokers in another country, special telegraph forms, blank share certificates, and other matter, which will give the impression that he is heavily interested in company deals.’ ’

The section dealing with finger-prints suggests that the modern criminal is sorely handicapped compared with his predecessors. A striking illustration of the value of the system given by Mr Kendall shows how a series of offences between July’, 1928, and August, 1929, were linked up. They began with a case of breaking into a pavilion at Watford:—

“On July 21, 1928, the local police sent to New Scotland Yard a wine glass supposed to have been touched by the person who committed the offence. Exemination showed a digital mark, which was presumed to bo the impression of a right forefinger. This later proved to bo correct, but as no such piint was to be found in the collection at the time the mark was filed for future reference.

“During the next twelve months a series of articles bearing similar marks found at the scenes of eight other crimes were sent from different parts of England. . . .

“On August 27, 1929, a man was arrested at Hitchin, Herts, on charges of house-breaking. His fingerprints were sent to New Scotland "Yard, where they were at once recognised as identical with those referred io above.

He had left his sign-manual at the scenes of his criminal exploits on nine previous occasions.”

The man admitted all the offences, and they were taken into consideration when he was sentenced.

It was in vain that a certain convict, knowing that his finger-prints were about to be taken for the first time, scraped away’ the top skin of his fingers and thumbs. When his impressions were taken they were found indecipherable. But another set was taken later, and though these prints were imperfect, they disclosed sufficient data to identify’ him with another offence.

Great advances have been made since the 1924 English edition of this book was published. Finger-prints reduced to code form have been telegraphed from England to Australia, and a reply received within twentyfour hours, and wireless is destined to work still greater wonders.

“Recent inventions make it possible now to send a ‘pitcure telegram’ between places at which perfectly synchronised instruments have been installed. ... It is impossible as yet to send these picture over the tfans-at-lantic cables, hut it is possible to send them between England and Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy’, Norway, and Sweden.

“Under this system the telegram delivered takes the form of an exact photographic reproduction of the document handed in at the sending end, and perfectly good results have been achieved with pictures of finger-prints of natural size.”