The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-20


nifying the thumb mark twenty-eight
times.
From the shape of the envelope and
from experiments which he conducted
he was convinced that the thief had
tried to use the baggage masters badge
upon this seal also, curtailing to get an
impression because of the shape OF the
wax with his thumb in order to make
it stick together. Under the micro
scope, and when enlarged by the photo
graphic lens, it was shown that the left
hand side OF the right thumb had been
used.
Mr.. Carvalho, as an expert IN all
matters of Identification, was, OF course,
familiar with the work OF Sir William
Hersbel in India, where the impress OF
the thumbs and fingers of natives have
been taken and registered by the govern
ment of Bengal. The Special Sub-Regis-
trar of Hoochly, Babu Ram Gait Ban
nerjee, who is in charge of these finger
mark impressions collaborated with
Francis Galton,, Fellow of the Royal
Society, in the production of a work on
the subject, which was published by
Macmillan & Co., last year, and which
goes with much detail into the positive
method of Identification which this sys-
tenn furnishes. 1t has been shown by
this WORK and by the long series of ex-
periments upon which it was based that
not Only are no two thumb or hnger
impressions alike in their linear marks
and capillary ridges, but that the passage
of time develops no change, and that from
the cradle to the grave the skin I'M
pressions of the thumb and finger re-
main the same with each Individual. A
comparison of two forefinger Impress
ions made after lapse of fourteen years
showed thirty points OF agreement and
none of disagreement.
Out of eight cases of this kind where
the Bengalese had given
Their Finger Impressions
to Sir William Herschel in 1878 and again
in 1899, there was a total of 1876 points
of agreement, and in not single point
did the fingers disagree, except where
cuts had meanwhile been made in the
skin. The average number of points OF
agreement in these eight cases was more
than fifteen.
In China, too this system of ideutlh-
cation has long been in use. Mr.. Car
valho wrote at once fol- information on
the subject to China; the officials OF the
Celestial Empire replied conrteously that
they had a staff of clerks compiling
statistics for him, but the statistics
failed to arrive in time for use in the
trial. Atten tion was called to. the fact
that finger mark Identification in case
where two children had been exchanged
at birth furnished Mark Twain a basis
for the plot OF the story of "Pudden-
Head Wilson, nnow running in the Cen
tury Magazine.
But ali this was largely theoretical.
deliberately as thu theory had been
built up and illustrated, there was no
record of the system having been put
to practical use as an aid to justice IN
bringing criminal to the dock in an
AngIo-Saxon court 1t was not, there
fore, known what questions az lngen-
ious counsel might put to witness IN
cross-examination to- break down this
theory, nor what class of expert testi-
mony might be called to accomplish the
same result. From scientific stand
point, however, the theory that the mark
ings On the skin of the thumb and, fin
gers form the basis for certain and pos
tive means of Identification appears to
be irrefragible and sound.
The capillary ridges of the skin at the
ball of the thumb or finger encircle in
nearly every case either whOrl or a
loop, whose shape, size and elative po-
sition differ with each individual. A
microscopical examination of these
ridges, then, shows that they come to
two and join each other in a strange and
unaccountable way. Sir William Hers
chel, Francis Gallon and others who
have investigated and written upon this
subject, have never found two thumb
marks even family resem bling each other
under the microscope. In thousands OF
specimens no two are ever found alike in
the distance OF the capillary ridges from
each other and in their direction and
number and the forms into which they
separate.
If is laid down by both of these scien-
lists that thumb marks form means
of Identification more positive even than
a photograph OF the face or measure
ments Of the human form-the systems
which are followed by detective bureaus
and police officials in France, England
and the United States. The general
method whereby finger impressions have
been taken is by means of printers ink.
That was the
and it is the plan now followed in China.
An impression in wax, however, possess
es many advantages over one taken IN
ink. as it shows not only the surface
markings. but the CONFORMATION of the
skin in the cutters between the ridges.
TT WAS thus thai MT. CarVdlnO saw Gudt
the thief who had opened the envelope
and, extracting the key so as to steal the
money, lett an infallible clue behind
him When he carelessly sealed the wax
on the middle seal by pressing it down
with his thumb. 1t was as accurate a
clue to identity AS if the thief had left his
oh otograph on sthe envelope. Enlarged
,nicroscopically, photographed and stud
jed painstakingly and tboughtfully,
the Finger mark" faint and careless as
it seemed to be, was the key to the mys-
terry.
Mr.. Carvallo decided to make it the
base of his operations. He asked the
officials of the American Express Com
pany for a wax impress of the right
thumb of every man through whose
hands the envelope had passed. He did
not ask for the names. but carefully
refrained from learning them. When
these wax impressions were turned over
TO him each bore number corresponds
ing to the name of the express office who
gave the impression, and these names
retained by the company. Seven red wax
impressions were given into his hands.
They were the thumb marks of seven
men who had had possession of the en-
velope between New York and New
| CLEANS.
The examination of these Impressions
sc" as to enable comparison TO be made