FOUND BY FINGER-PRINTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20901, 16 December 1929, Page 15

FOUND BY FINGER-PRINTS.

“ CROOK'S GREATEST ENEMY.” In 1927, 17,427 identifications were made in Britain by the finger-print system, which is playing an increasingly important part in the detection of criminals. Since its introduction.into England and Wales in July. 1001, 429.337 finger-prints have been filed at Scotland Yard, says Sir E. R. Henry, in his book, “ Classification of Finger Prints.” The system is now in use in most civilised countries. The method of taking a finger-print is simple. The materials required are a flat piece of tin. a bottle of printer’s ink, and a small rubber roller. The finger is rolled- carefully, without rubbing, on the inked tin. and then on a paper. To take impressions of all 10 digits occupies only five minutes, and in this time accurate record without any possibility of accidental error is obtained. Classification is equally simple, ffhe first classification divides different kinds of impressions into two classes only, with or without whorls, which can be recognised at a glance. By taking the combinations of these two classes all descriptive cards can ho divided into 1024 classes, and to each class is allotted a separate pigeon hole. By means of the key. any one pigeon hole can be found with ease. Having located the card in one particular pigeon hole, a further classification depending on the details of the impression is necessary to assist in the search through all the different cards of that pigeon hole. In no case does it take longer than live minutes to produce the original.