New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25
FINGER PRINT SYSTEM.
DecIared To BE Better Than BERTH
Ion One for IdeRtifcatiOn

Trenton. y. j. Dec. p tspecaD-The State prisos
keeper Mr. Osborne. does view with favor the
proposition adopt in this State the Bertii9n
system for the Identification Of criminals he De-
Ieves that the finger print system is the best
known way OF Identifying men and women who
belong to the criminal class
The great advantage of the finger tip system.
says Keeper Osborne, lies in the TACT that the
papiIlary ridges on th, finger tips are permanent
The lines ON the finger tips of the baby become
more clearly defined the child Develops put thes
10 change in form
Until long after death the finger prints remain
true 10 their first form Injuries may partially
destroy them entirely, and as the injury
heals the original lines assert themselves exactly
as before. No two finger tips have ever been found
TO he alike. Professor Cation estimates the
chances of two finger tips being alike as less than
one in 16!OOO1O1O. and as take the ten disits
that number has TO be multiplied by the square
of ten
The finger tip system is not by any means new
science The Chinese passport for centuries mas
been a piece of paper which the person passing
from one province another is required to pake
an impression of one of his fingers In this way
has the transfer Of passports been stopped
THE finger print system" says Keeper Osborne,
lis employed Great Britain, India and other Brit
ish colonies. Germany. Japan and other countries
are taking it up and before many years 1 believe
il will supplant the BertiIIOn system In good
many cities the United States the police de-
partments have adopted this system 1t Is IN use
in Lowell Chicago. St Louis. Cleveland. Cincinnati,
milwaukee, Baltimore, Grand Rapids, Louisville and
San Francisco. The finger tip system was adopted
in Scotland 1902 ana in that 1t resulted
in 1.722 identifcations, In 1903 there were S.644
identidcatons by this system In the year 1Set
there were only identifcatOns by the Bertillon
system and in 1901 there were 503. In connection
with the finger prints photographs are used so tnat
it IS practically impossible for the criminal To
escape Identification. In Scotland Yard there are
records of several cases where the thief has left
finger marks or impressions glass or the painted
woodwork of doors and windows These marks
have been photographed ana compared Win the
impressions OF persons under suspicion or commit
ting such offences and whose finger prints are
already on record. In this way many thieves are
being brought to justice
..The empOyment of finger prints has not been
restricted TO police departments They nave beer
introduced all branches OF the pubic service,
being well suited to the requirements OF country
where the mass or the people are unsYICdIsH eI
where false PRESERVATION Is an EVIL Wnlcn even Sns
penalties provided by the penal laws are pOweriess
In India the system has been adopted by bank
ers and since il went into operation forgery ls
practically unknown in that country. On OpehHs
an account with "a bank the finger print is taken
opposite the persons name IN the register aho
a small pad is given 10 the ceposltor WIllch may
be carried in the vest pocket. on issuing a check
ne puts his finger impression on the back OF It.
The banker before hOnoring the check compares
rho IMPRESSION in his register with that the
back of the check and IL 10 differs ne Knows tnat
something is wrong and person is detained pend
in the branches OF the government service in
Ir5i1 rho fiDrer Drinr system has been introduced
The Indian government Is so fully convinced or the
effectiveness of the system that a special act has
extent of declaring relevant the testimony or those
who by study nave become proHeIt IN .iifeT ptl4'
MISSILE under the UEamtuded laws In the regis
tration Of voters unEer prints could ne used WIN
two or three times over under assumed names,
which it asserted is done under existing condi-