VALUE OF FINGER PRINTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143783, 6 May 1912, Page 3

VALUE OF FINGER PRINTS.

SCOTLAND YARD EXPERIENCE. Sir Melville Macnagbton, who is assistant Commissioner lor tho metropolitan police and chief of the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard, where ho is in charge of the finger-print system, in an interview in Melbourne last week gave some most interesting information about the fingerprint system. “The introduction of tho finger-print system lias almost, revolutionised crime,” ho said, “and for the last ten years it has been found to work with perfect smoothness right throughout the British Isles; and some 185,000 slijs are now recorded at Scotland Yard. Tno idea is not entirely now, as the value of finger-prints was known to tho Chinese in the time of tho Great Mogul, when deeds were stamped by means of thumb impressions. Li later time, about 45 years ago, Sir William Hersehell introduced the idea into India.

“1 will give you an instance of how quickly the identity of a criminal can be proved. On Derby day, tbc year alter the introduction of the system into England, it was feared that it could not lie utilised, inasmuch as offenders were taken in up till 6 or 7 o’clock, and it was customary to deal with them summarily by Potty Sessions Court at halfpast 0 the next morning. Experts, however, wore sent to Epsom to take the finger-prints of 54 men who wore arrested for various offences on the racecourse, and those finger-prints were taken to Scotland Yard at 8 o’clock that evening. Two officers, who had been kept on reserve duty for that purpose, examined them. The result was that 29 of these men were found to bo old offenders. Records and photographs were taken down to Epsom early the following morning by a chief inspector, and when tho offenders appeared before the justice of the peace at half-past 9 'they were confronted with a record of their previous convictions, the result being that they received sentences twice as long as would otherwise have been awarded them.” “Unless tho top of the finger is .removed the print will remain, unaltered. Even then the classification would not bo affected. I remember a case where a man on remand had need to fear the results of his finger-prints being taken, so he execrated the balls of bis fingers with a metal tag attached to his boot lacc. He was remanded week after week until the flesh was healed, when his identification was effected by comparing prints held at Scotland Yard with tho impressions then taken. You may judge of tho value of the system when I tell you that the number of identifications now made annually at Scotland Yard exceed 10,000. According to Sir Francis Galton, there .would be no chance of two similar finger-prints in 12,000 millions. That refers only to one finger-print, so the risk is again enormously lessoned when one gets a combination of 10. “In the Deptford murder case, in 1905, what appeared to be a finger-print was left on tho tray of a cash-box. This was taken to Scotland Yard, photooraphed. and enlarged. Ttie fingerprints of the murdered couple, an old man and woman, were taken, but it did not correspond with the one on tho tray. No clue to tho murderer was obtained for a week. At the end of that time two 'young men of tho ‘Hooligan’ type were arrested. Tho evidence on which they were apprehended was not very strong. They were remanded for a week' and before they were placed in ’the ’pri«m their finger-prints wore taken and it was found that the thumbprint of the elder brother corresponded exactly with the mark on the cash-box. ThVtwo men were ultimately hanged.”