VALUE OF FINGER-PRINTS

Northern Advocate, 22 February 1911, Page 3

VALUE OF FINGER-PRINTS

A recent decision at the Highgate Police Court, London, caused con--ster nation among the criminal investigation departments of the world Identification by means of fingerprints has been regarded in these establishments as infallible, since, it is claimed, no two persons have the lines on any of their fingers alike, and the great majority of judges and magistrates have for the most part, accepted the evidence of finger-prints as conclusive. In this case a man was charged with being a suspected person, and the prosecution expected a conviction on the evidence of cer~ tain finger marks, but the accused produced papers to show that at the time the offence was committed he was in the army, and no where near the locality. Sir Alfred Reynolds, who was on the bench, discharged him, remarking that never before had he known the finger-print system to fail. Recently, however, the Police Departments of Australasia were reassured by receiving a letter from Chief Inspector Collins, the officer-in.-charge of the finger-print branch at Scotland Yard, in which it was stated that proofs had been secured that the military papers pro* duced by the accused man had been stolen. Moreover, Sir Alfred Reynolds stated publicly from the Bench that the value of finger-print evidence had not been discounted by the result of the trial. So the finger-print officials are cheerful again.