The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-20
IprNrrryINc cRTMrNALs.

What is known as the Bertiiion sys-
 tenn of criminal Identification has now
 been in uss a number of years and has
 reached a high state of efficiency. Ac-
 curate measurements are made of |
 criminal in every portion of his body to
 which measuring instrument can be
 applied. The results are carefully recorded and kept for future reference,
 and have been found wonderfully effec- tive in locating and identifying crimi- | nals who have changed their names
 and general appearance in such manner
 as to escape detection by ordinary means.
 The Bertillon system. effective and popular as 1t has become. bids fair to be superseded by the finger-print method of Identification. By this
 method the ball of the criminals finger 1 Is pressed on a copper plate covered
 with something similar to printers ink and then the finger is pressed on paper and an exact imprint of that
 portion of the finger is preserved for future comparison with the fingers of
 other criminals or suspects, It is known, too. that the natural oil from q 1 finger would probably remain upon an article of furniture. woodwork or glass ware for several days and that the lines were brought out clearly by 1 spraying a very fine powder over the impression. Then it is photographed
 and enlarged. When the impression is
 made upon dark surface light pow
 der is used, and for light ht-coiored wood-
 work or glass black powder is sub stituted
 | As an evidence of the uses to which these finger prints may be put in the furtherance of justice. we copy from
 The Boston Globe these two cases: 1 For example. in the famous Deptford l case. where an old man was murdered | in his shop in a suburb of London and f the money drawer rified. the murderer escaped, and there was no clew. I Finally. 1n the under part of the cash I impression of mans index finger.
 graphed. m and sent to Scotland Yard for good that inside of half an hour after
 1t reached the classification room, the murderer, who happened to be an old l omender, was sknoWns
 ] Another noted case happened m | Paris recently. An aged couple were | killed in their apartments. Several 1 finger marks were found on glassware l in closet and on the knob of the door. | Two sets, after being protographed. | were found to have been made by the | victims of the crime. while the third: which was entirely different. is believed l to be that of the murderer whom the 1 police are still looking for. diligently ] taking the finger impression of every | individual brought Into custody
 1 At first thought the average reader
 would be apt to say that this is very
 hap hazard business. imagining that
 the finger prints of all adults are alike fin. a general way, differing perhaps be- tween the sexes, but such an opinion
 would be far from 8 correct one. Look
 ing at the balls of mems fingers the
 casual observer might say that they i would all make practically the same
 impression, but such is not the case. 4
 noted scientist who has made almost q $ life study of finger prints asserts that there is not more than one chance fr sixty-four millions of two being fount exactly alike when subjected to micro seopical examination. This reduces thu system practically to an exact science and 1t is being adopted by the larges detective and criminal departments O various countries It seems to be sort of handwriting that cannot b changed or initiated.