The Washington times., 1906-08-05
Thumb Prints Her Means
of Detecting the Vio-
latOr of the Law.
WONDERS OF THE SYSTEM
Many Strange Experiences
Have Marked Her Career
AS a Detective.

Mrs NJ +. Holland. woman detec-
tive. and expert exponent Of the finger
print method used in the detection Of
criminals. is In Washington.
When Mark Twain i'm "Puddin' Head
Wilson" gave prominence TO the indiv!d-
ualiJy of nnger prints he did not know
that "a handsome. eagle-eyed woman
'sleuth would he one of the principal
and potent factors in introducing the
finger print system on a scientific scale
among the police departments Of Amer
ica's greatest cities, IN ferreing out
horrible crimes and mysteries.
The finger print system Is not a new
thing. To is now heinE used in many OF
the larger cities of the United states,
and will Doe adopted 10y Washington-s
Police Department in the near future
The method was known 90 the ancient
Chinese. il is said. and 1T came to light
I'm England. for history shows il was
discovered that the ridges OF the fin
gers never change from infancy TO old
age
Before long the system will he m use
in every prison I'm 'he co"n:ry for us
usefulness in positively idCutifyirg o-1n'-
iuaIs is proved beyond pera Ivenrure
RertiII0n uses q himself in connection
with his system. and admits that one
Is not complete without the other.
Developed by Woman's Wit.
Prt TO a woman. whose sex Is said u
be weak and impractical. it has been
left TO put into actual operation the
work of catching criminals. Wherever
-T.- raft raffr
sons before the officials of the police de-
partments i'm various cities. She has
taken over To- n0j prints. Before she be
gan actively to introduce the finger
mint method she had been engaged for
eighteen years i'm detective work. dur
ing most Of which time She made a
speciality OF identifying criminals.
-I ind my work perfectly delightful. "
Mrs. Holland remarked 20 a Times re-
porter. "aud nay life would De incom-
FleJe now without it,"
AIRS Holland is a woman of striking
aurearance and one OF remarkable pOise
end eeIf-uossession. Her face is far
from bearing a trace of care or worry
and her eyes are keen and discrimina-
tive. While talking her eyes constant
D. have a merry twinkle ana her voice
8 well mOdulated.
81 have been at work on the finger
print system TWO years, and during that
time have attended every important
gathering OF police chiefs. both Stat"
and national Ny preceDtor, Detective
Fcrricr of Scotland Yard, gave me my
first knowledge of the art"
When the reporter entered the iden-
tfcatiou bureau at headquarters Mrs.
Holland was taking the finger print i'm
pres sious of several visitors. She gave
pr-c-IcaI demonstration Of the work.
and after the fingers had been pressed
gently on the white paper and the
chemical solution applied. "a clear inn
preston was left, the importance Of
which was easily appreciated with the
aid of a mag1ifying glass.
Mrs Holland declared that no criminal
could escape identification with these
finger prints in her possession After
scattering the chemical over the clean
white paper where the Wis tors had
pressed. leaving the impression clear
and strong. So. said that these markings
never chaug-I Criminals have been
known TO cut the skin on the finger tips
i'm the effort 10 escape detection but
soon the cut heals and the whiyls.
ridges. and loops resume their natural
shape
"Thc BortHon system is practicable
only for adults Should the criminal
gr0w after the measurements are taken
there would be slight chance for
Identification. In all my life l have not
seen the finger prints Of any two PEI
sons I'm any degree alike. These prints
are carefully studied through a maPni-
flying glass. and there are twenty no
table characteristics.
'Seventy-fve poEce departments n
the United States now have the Bertll-
Ion system in use. Twenty-Five pris-
ons have also adopted them Not for a
moment would 7 assert that this admir-
able system viii ever be supplanted, but
IL Is "a moral certainty that before long
the finger prints viii be used at every
police station and prison in America.
Fascinating in the extreme" she
said with enthusiasm, in answer 70 a
question. Il now devote most OF nv