MARKS OF IDENTITY.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 7 August 1912, Page 7

MARKS OF IDENTITY.

Each of us carries, with us, every day of our lives* a number of unconsidered things by which, if necessary, detectives could easily identify us. Take clothes first of all. A man, as a rule, gets all his clothes from the same tailor; but, whether he does or not, and however carefully he endeavors to cut off every tag and mark, that tailor would have no difficulty in identifying the garments he has made. Thread, stitching, buttons, lining— all tell their own tale. More particularly so do what tailors call "specials." These are simply special pockets—fountain-pen and pencil pockets, eyeglass pockets, watch pockets lined with wash leather, cigar, ticket, flask, and inner waistcoat pocket. A watch has frequently brought a criminal to justice. The man who has ever gone to a good dentist has left behind him a lifelong recond which would enable that practitioner to identify him with absolute certainty. Such a dentist makes note of every tooth he stops, and more particularly, what he puts in it. Stoppings are of dozens of different kinds in these days. Gold and platinum in various proportions and many other metals are employed, so that, unless a criminal has all his teeth pulled out, he can most certainly be identified.