Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-05
USE THUMB MARKS
FOR IDENTIFICATION
Chicago Investigation of Latest Bust
ness Signature-Banks Taking
Up the Plan.

Up Tic
'John Smith; his thumb" That ex-
preston, according to information re-
Gently secured, is likely soon to sup
plant the antiquated term, John
Smith; his mark says the Chicago
News.
Officials of the paymaster's depart
ments of steel and iron companies and
other large industries in Chicago, where
many foreigners are employed, are
considering the installation of finger
print system of pay checks. Instead of
making his mark on the pay roll the
employee, If he cannot sign his name,
leaves an impression of his right thumb
as his receipt. Fred Neimeyer, paying
teller of the Union Trust company, is
also Investigating the method as sub
stitute for *" signatures of depositors
who cannot write.
The Illinois Steel company, it is I'M
derstood, was tie first large Chicago
concern to investigate the new method,
after the forgery of several thousand
dollars worth of their pay checks sew
eral months ago. When the employees
thumb mark is required on each pay
check, forgery, it is claimed, will be
made impossible.
THE means of identification of de
positors by their thumb marks will GER
tainly prove to be conclusive" said r.
F. Chaplin, secretary of the Union Trust
company, land as the marks of no two
persons thumbs are alike loss from
check forgeries will be greatly reduced.
In fact, any one could use his thumb
mark as his signature to check with
safety
''The finger prints will be the best
depositor," declared Mr.. Neimeyer of
the same institution. Under the sys-
TEN now in use when a depositor who
cannot write wishes to make deposit
we can identify him only by his ap-
pearance and q description we take.
We also ask him questions regarding
his family But by the finger mark
test there is little chance for a mis-
take. Persons may be changed in APP
pearaRce by sickness or other causes;
the lines of the thumb do not change"
1.-THE system is being investigated
said paymaster of one of the large
iron manufacturing companies, and
as far as we have gone 1t has pF0ved
Many of our employees
report that they have never received
their pay They are so nearly alike In
that the wrong man is fire.
Quently paid wages belonging to an
other. and in some cases we have cash
ed pay checks that have been stolen or
forged"
+. d. Raymond. treasurer of the Chi
cago, Lake Shore and Eastern railway,
says that the railways will find the
finger print method of advantage in
paying track gangs where the men are
illiteFate.
while our road has not adopted the
new method" he said. yet it seems to
be practical. 1t surely gives a means
of identification that cannot be sur
passed
While thumb marks as a means OF |
are in use in the police |
department of almost every city, here |
tofore there has been no attempt to use |
the scheme in commercial circles in the |
United States, as far as is known.
In cases where employees are paid |
BY it, each man when he goes to work |
leaves an impression of his right thumb |
On a card with his name. The card is |
fled in the paymaster's office Receipts |
Tor the pay checks are furnished, and |
when the employee is paid he also
makes an impression on the receipt
where formerly he made his mark
In use in banks a card containing
he finger impress is filed instead of
,ne with the description. When the
Iepositor who cannot write applies for
payment check is filed out and the
deposition affixes his thumb mark,
which, of course, if the check is genu-
ne, conforms to the one on file at the
)ank
An ordinary rubber stamp pad is
lsed. The thumb is "inked' and
PRESSED firmly upon card or piece of
,aper. The. impress shows clearly the
slltale lines, which, advocates of the
method declare, never change from
he hand or what work is done the
ines never change. as the moisture of
he skin keeps them clear.
Mark Twain, in his "Pudd 'nhead
makes the marks the basis OF
is story, showing how marks of the !:
aumbs of two babies before the tots
ad been changed in. their cradles lead
, their Identification twenty years Ia
ar, and the stolen child is restored to
s fortune and good name II
he children are staying at grandpa's s,