The Washington herald., 1911-10-29

copyEht York Herald Co. An rights reserd
~ EE this fellow; what do you think of his
The speaker was William A. Pinkerton,
present head of the great detective agency
that has made the name "Pinkerton" syn
onymous with detective" from Hong Kong to Chi
cago-and that goes both ways
looked at the photograph he handed me. 1t was
that of bald. bearded roughly dressed man. of mid
die age. There shifty look about the eyes,
suspicious twist of the cruel looking lips and it did
not require much thought to decide that did not
like the face.
81 don't like it; looks like crook" hazarded 1t
seemed to be a safe guess for who was talking
with Mr.. Pinkerton.
That's what he is, replied the detective, "and he
doesn't look any better in this picture, either does he?
He handed another photograph. There was the
same shifty eye, the cruel lip the bald
forehead and stubby beard The gentleman did not
improve upon acquaintance, and l said
Here's another" said Mr.. Pinkerton. passing
third portrait l really disgusted by the sub
jects appearance by this time Those tricky eyes and
that cold blooded mouth beginning to affect
unpleasanty
wouldn't like to meet him in a lonesome street,
would your suggested Mr.. Pinkerton. l admitted
that would not
Don't know as I would either-that is. not all of
them You see. those three pictures photographs
OF three entirely different men," Then he laughed.
You needn't feel ashamed of being deceived" he
continued The likeness would deceive any one.
There isn't detective anywhere in the whole world
who if told to pick up the whose photograph first
showed you would arrest either the second the
third if he either of them and be perfectly
that he had the right And until very recently
there police department in the world that
wouldn't have tried to fasten a crime committed by
No l either No or No. 8 had they been arrested
and have been perfectly honest in the attempt"
And now'-
Now it's different" replied Mr. Pinkerton. 1T has
ways been known that doubles existed 1t is old
saying tnat every has his double and there
plenty of where three men. in these three
pictures, look much alike that 1t is impossible
distinguish their photographs. But there physi
cal characteristic that every possesses Of which
double so far human experience goes exists"
And that is
That is the thumb print" replied the detective.
"See here" He passed me three small pictures
blobs of black. formless and vague looking af-
fairs.
'Tnis is the thumb print of the whose photo
graph l first showed you This is the print of the
second mans thumbs, and this of the third. Do you
the difference?
1t plain the ones face. The first
mans thumb grained, with lines and ridges
set far apart and the whorl the simplest DOS
slDIe type. The second mans thumb showed very
much finer lines with complicated whor. while
that of the third bore that confused
the lines and made the impression quite distinct from
either of the others
1t is not easy task to interview Mr.. Pinkerton
That doesn't mean that he is of the most
afable and courteous of men, but merely that he
doesn't newspaper nOtoriety. But he fairly
launched a subject in which he is intensely inter-
ested and after persuasion finally to
talk freely and for publication
Originated by the Chinese.
THE thumb print method of Identification is one
many modern Inventions that to the Chinese
Mr.. Pinkerton went For hundreds of years per-
haps thousands the merchants of China have
impressions Of their thumbs instead of their sigma
lures. have it used myself. in the interior
Of China, where each merchant other person who
may have occasion to sign document keeps cake of
Ink at hand for this purpose And in all the history
OF China it is said that have thumb prints