The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-10
WOULD Join WORK
McClaughry Has Scheme to
Catch Criminals Easier.
Thinks State and Nation Could
Confer Effectively.
WARDEN TELLS PLAN.
ANY Officer Can Obtain Data
at Federal Prison.
State Bureau Of Identification
WARDEN TELLS PLAN.
State Bureau of Identification
Suggested Similarly.

Leavenworth, Kan. Jan. 1O-In
connection with the movement to
create a central bureau for identifica-
ton of criminals by an organization
OF the police forces of the state, plan
OF cooperation with the identification
bureau maintained by the United
States government has been suggested
That the efficiency of any state bureau
OF identification would be increased by
having access to the special depart
ment of identification is evident, &C
cording to R. w. McC1aughry, warden
of the federal penitentiary. There is
no reason why such plan could not
be carried out. for the law provides
that the department shall be accessi-
bic to any police or law enforcing or
ganlzation in the country.
A Close Tab System.
The special department of identifca-
ton is maintained in the federal peni-
tertiary building, but is established
separately from that institution. 1t
is a federal bureau, and the cost of
operating it is paid by the governm ent.
A special agent of the United States
is in charge.
The Bertillon system of identifica-
ton was adopted. The finger prints,
measurements and photographs of
criminals from over the entire country
are on file there. Penitentiaries send
duplicate records of the convicts serv-
ing time. The separate records that
are kept by every penitentiary are
sent to the central bureau and CLASH
fed.
Reformatories have followed the
same plan. Many police departments
where such records are kept are in
communication with the bureau and
file records of the criminals in the
department. The finger prints of more
than 10000 criminals in the United
States are in a classified file.
Many Duplicate Records.
The state bureau of identification is
proposed on the same plan. Only it
would be confined to criminals caught
in Kansas. In case information re-
gardtng Migrants from outside the
state was wanted it would be neces-
Sary to send to each institution a copy
of the means Of Identification.
If the state bureau was in commu-
nication with the United States bureau
the measurements of the suspected
criminal would Immediately be sent
to the special agent. They would be
person was wanted somewhere or had
served a term in any of the institu-
lions connected with the bureau, a du-
plicate record would be found.
Apprehend Escaped Convicts
The officials making the arrest then
would be notified, and the crimina
held. More than 700 cases of identif-
year. Many of them were notorious
criminals, caught after committing
some crime and they were given long
er sentences because Of the discovery
Many escaped convicts and prisoners
| in reformatories were returned to
serve the remainder of their term
through the special bureau.
1.-THE identification bureau is access
ible to every police department or Of
fcer in the state. as well as in othel
states" Warden McC1aughry said yes
terday afternoon. "Just recently g
gang Of hoboes were arrested in Ia
coma, Wash. The officers there tool
the finger prints and sent a copy OF
them here. Two of the gang were
found to be escaped prisoners from the
San Quentin, Cal, penitentiary. The
officers of the penitentiary were mott.
flied, and the men returned. The Ia
coma officers received a reward fol
their capture. Kansas police could dc
tho