The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-01
FINGER PRINTS AND CRIMINALS
How the New System Works Out in
EnqIand.

1t is now proved by demonstration
that. given certain premises, the con-
cealment of identity is absolutely i'm
possible Every man born into this
world brings with him certain unnis-
taxable and unalterable traits by
which, if they are once properly noted
and duly recorded, he may be infalla-
bly, recognized without the possibility
of mistake. The personal evidence
is deemed good enough in law to insure
a capital conviction. Witness the SEN
tence just passed upon the mask muir
derers"
Strange to say, this ancient system
Of Identification by finger prints so re
Gently adopted by the police of this
country is so little understood here
that the most absurd mistakes are
made as to its origin and history. One
journal in a leading article mistakenly
associates it with NJ. Bertillon. the
French doctor. who discovered the
principles of anthropometry, and the
same mistake is made in an encyclo-
peQia just published.
As "A matter of fact. there is no sort
of connection between Bertillonage,
the science of human measurements,
and the marvellous results obtained by
TIL imprint of the human hand.
Anthropometry. as most people know,
was a highly ingenious discovery that
there are certain bony structures in
ths human frame that remain practi-
ca.'y unchanged during lifetime. These,
mainly the head length. head breath,
middle finger length. length of foot,
With some others. do not vary be-
tween adolescence and extreme old age.
pom this NJ Bertillon constructed
system Of taking these measurements,
r-.ording them. very perfectly classi-
fed SO that when again met with IN
Individuals Identification by means of
tne index became easy. The obvious
uses Of this anthropological law III
matters Of criminal detection soon
rorularized the system throughout the
cN Lied world.
Committees Findings.
England took it no tardiiy, but at
.e.2 n. in 1894, a small departmental
committee (of which ] was one) being
appointed to inquire into the system
and report upon the wisdom of adopt
ing It here. At the same time we were
desired to examine the results arrived
AZ nr Mr. Francis Cation in his inves-
hlauon of the properties Of finger
marks as an inalienable testimony OF
personal Identity.
alton started from the facts long
established in the east. where from
N.. mmemorial the thumb-print was
'Nd SiSI anu 7SD'i
'anlshed beyond all doubt that the
IMPRESSIONS or imprints taken from
'hn ieshy parts of the fnger-tips are
infinitely varied as well as unchange-
able through life He estimated, more
over hat the chance of two sets OF
ile fnger-prints being identical is less
'.an one i'm 64,00000O. The chances
OF change between birth and death
We've as ] to 700.
ne main difficulty was in classlica-
ION 1t was essential TO arrive at
clear comprehension of the various
markings so strangely recorded ana
presented by the finger prints, and TO
agree on a nomenclature by when
lhey could be recognized and read OH.
our committee saw no definite solu-
aen Of this difficulty. and we then
commended system which com
nHled anthropometry and finger prints
.ogethcr This was adopted and held
NE ground till 1900.
Meanwhile the ancient practice had
FOUND great favor in India, country
ln which false personation, is COM
mon fraud and to fix identity beyond
oil doubt before the Courts matter