The evening world., 1911-05-10
L(cR|NTS Of FINGERS
J. BEAT PHOTOS FOR
I |DEETF|CAT|0NS
Lieut.. Faurot TeStilieS at Burg
larry Trial That They Are
! More Reliable.
NEW EXPERT TESTlFIES.
Judge RosalSky Admits Cues
tons That Establish a
Il Legal Precedent.

4 precedent was established to-day
ny Judge Rosalsky. in the Court OF
Genera Sessions. before whom an enort
ls being made to convict Charles Crispi
II burglary solely on the evidence OF
four finger prints found on a plate of
glass which was removed from the door
~ a loft at No. III Wooster street on
Feb. % last.
Lieut.. Faurot. who has been in charge
Of the fnger-print bureau at Police
Headquarters for the past thirteen
years, was asked by Assistant District
Attorney Wasservogel whether. In his
opinion, the fnger-rrint Identification
was surer than photographs or Ber'illon
measurements.
Robert NJ. Moore. Crispi's counsel
objected to Falrot answering this oucs-
tion on the ground that there vas no
aw on the subject.
Lets Witness Answer.
This Is a new science said Judge
Rosalsky. and the law must kce, prog
ress with the times. We must not per-
init the law to become |
Will permit the witness TO answer the
question on the theory that the Dis
trict Attorney Is trying to prove the
infallibility OF the finger-prlnt as a
mesnsof Identification"
The question was then repeated to the
witness.
Yes" said Faurot. the hnger-print
Is surer. / will endeavor to prove Il.
The Berullon method is capable OF de-
ception. One operator might take loose
measurements. the other close ones.
Photographs are not to he depended
upon at all. after a lapse OF time. As
every one knows time hanges many
features and expressions. The finger
prints never change"
Then Faurot showed the photographs
Of twineFrank and Charles Perry.
theatrical people whose act Is the con-
2 don of identities. They offer prizes
., those In their audience who can dis
'ingu!sh one from the other. They are
the same height. the same weight. their
heads are shaped alike. every separate
feature OF their heads are alike. the
color Of their hair 10 the same. and they
dress alike. But Lieut.. Faurot showed
their hnger.prnts. and they are dis
similar IN every respect. one being ulnar
ana the other radiant.
Many Experts on Hand.
n court was crowded to-day with
handwriting experts and pathologists
who are interested In this new science,
Among those who scrut!nized the
prints closely were Handwriting Ex-
perts Kingsley and Osborne and Prof.
Larkln and Drs. Leblanc and O'Hanlon,
The oniy other witness called by the
prosecution. and who qualified as a
hngerprint expert. was A. =. Brown
superintendent OF the Identification Bur-
eau of the Jersey City Police.
No attempt was made by the defense
to controvert the testimony of the
nnser-prints. Louis Spiegel. ono OF
Crlspis lawyers. called TO the stand
Joseph Nanfredona, the prisoners
hrot%her.in-law. and Mrs. Catharine
M~anfredona. his sister, TO testify thai
on the day OF the robbery they. Crispi
hA wife and daughter spent the after
noon al a theatre and the evening al
tho Manfredona home in Brooklyn,
Crispi then took the stand In his owr
behalf and denied having been any
where in the vicinity OF the place
whore the burglary occurred.
Otto Rothschild, a whole miilincr
testified that Crispi had been employed
nv him first as assistant shipplnf
clerk, then IN complete charge of thu
shipping department. He discharged
him when the police informed him thai
Crispi had been arrested for burglary
in 1907.