The Washington times., 1902-12-04
TRACKED BY HIS FINGER TIPS.
Criminal Caught by the Bertillon Sys-
TEN Under Remarkable Conditions.

Paris Letter In London Telegraph
Schener has made TO further state
ments about the murder OF Joseph Rel
eel the man servant of dentist in the
Fauaourg 81. Honorc. The capital fact
Is that be has confessed the deed and
there Is no doubt Whatever about his
guilt NJ Bertillon OF the authrogo-
metrical department is. in the meantime.
highly c0mplimentcd all around for his
curious Identification OF the murderer
through the lnger marks left on the
window IN the room where the crime
was committed. The Identification re-
calls Louis Umbach's sensational ro-
nance. Les Cling D0igts de Bronx"
". BerullOn has been proving that
truth Is stranger than fiction but he lis
the FIRST 90 adlsit that not only the Eng
fish. but also the Chinese have been in
the field before him in applying the fin
ser-print process 10 the Identification OF
individuals. Where ne has scored, how
ever, over his predecessor is ny his
careful classification of criminal records
OF limb measurement and o. general
physical pecuiiaTi.ies. BY these he was
enabled 10 use the photographs OF the
finger marks which led to the discovery
That the man Scheffer. and no other. was
me author OF the crime OF che Faubourg
s.. Honcre. The police. learning from.
NJ. Bcrullon the result he had arrived al
by his Photographic process. lost no time
in having Scnefers family watched.
Then "a letter from tho murderer TO his
mother. sent from Marscilles. was inter
Ceptcd, as explained. and detectives were
dispatched % that town. Before they
reached Mars lies. Schcner, seeing thu
same was up. surrendered 20 the local
police.
with reference 10 VI. BerUIlon's
finger print system, he divides digifal
Impressions into four classes. The first
is -. or fingers OF which the grooves.
lines or tas he terms themJ the
facets" have an oblique direction TO the
left. Next comes The letter "J division
Of digits. with lines having an oblique
direction 10 the right Then theirs
is 90. with circular or tourbiIlOu
grooves converging 90 center. and
finally the u" division. in which the
grooves are like that letter reversed.
These impressions come from the
thumb and three Of the fingers. and
are designated as J.. j. O. and L. NJ
Beruiiion states that he had great
trouble ewing TO the m.ng.ing OF the i'm
prints on the glass. There were also
broken lines OF grooves owing 10 LESSONS
Of the tissues caused by burns
After much difficulty the expert
succeeded En- photCgraphinE separately
the imprints Of each finger. and
the rest was plain sailing. He had
only TO 20 20 his collection Of records.
and there he found the measurement Of
scheGar's fingers. which Tailed with that
or the inprlnts on the glass IL Is
necessary 10 remember that while H.
Bertill0n was making his experiments.
he police, suspecfing but not sure Of
Sche0er's guilt. were on his track They
went 20 a match factory where ne had
worked and whore he Was known among
DIS mates az George the Artilleryman.
The man had left Paris, and then the
Marseiues journey OF the detectives WAS
decided upon after NJ. BcrriIons re-
suits had fastened the guilt on the real
culpriL In the meantime. NJ Bortillon's
results lcd 10 the discharge OF an in
Hocent person who had been arrested on
suspicion for the murder of Joseph
Rebel.