FINGER PRINTS BY CABLE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1180, 1 December 1924, Page 10

FINGER PRINTS BY CABLE

LONDON TO SYDNEY. CRIMINAL IDENTIFIED. LONDON, Nov. 19. Complete success has attended Hootland Yard’s first use of the system whereby linger prints of criminals can be telegraphed throughout the world. Two men were recently arrested in London. It was known that one was a thief who had been convicted in Australia, hut nothing was known about tlie other, who protested his innocence. He declared he did not even know his fellow-prisoner. Tlie police were convinced that his protestations wero false, and took his linger impressions.

The prints, however, did not correspond with those of any known criminal. So tho Yard decided to communicate with Australia.. By means of a special code they cabled a' complete set of bis linger prints to the Chief of Police in Sydney. A reply was received the following morning giving a list of the previous convictions recorded in Australia against the man. Tho prisoner was so staggered by this evidence that he readily confessed to his identity. Both men are now in prison.

HOW IT WAS DONE,

FORMULA OF 50 NUMERALS. The finger print code system forms part of the general campaign for the suppression of international crime. The scheme for a secret code of finger prints which could bo telegraphed or wirelessed immediately to any part of the world was adopted at tlie last international Police Conference. The method is known as the ‘''Distant Identification System.” Commissioner Richard E. Enright, head of the New York police, describes it as “a means for the promotion of efficient co-operation between police organisations throughout the world.” The system is used in connection with a register of known international criminals, and it may lie applied to any “linger print” system. By the use of numerals the patterns, ridges and characteristics of finger prints may be accurately transmitted. A complete formula for positive “distant identification” consists of approximately 50 numerals, to be used in transmitting by telephone, telegraph, radio, or like means of communication, a description of linger prints to distant points, thereby acquiring in a comparatively short space of time information that formerly required many days.