Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-06-22
Police Chiefs in Washington
Tell of it Value in De-
tective Work.
TT HAS NEVER FAILED
Wonderful System Of Identification Is
Maintained BY Police and Gov.
eminent Officials.
nv JONATHAN WINFIELD)

nv JONATHAN WINFIELD)
Washington, June 21.-The biggest
obstacle to the criminal of today is
the Finger print" system.
Five hundred criminal catchers who
are in Washington will bear witness
to the fact They are attending the
twentieth annual convention of the
international Association of Chiefs of
Police.
Mailing from all parts of the world
these half a thousand police heads
gather yearly to talk over the best
was and means for outwitting their
arch enemy-the crook.
This year they agree that the best
stepping stone to the penitentiary
for the criminal is the finger print
system. The system is not new. Its
story has been told and retold, but il
is as interesting as the wondrous tale
tale of the wireless telegraph and
flying machine.
The latest telling of the finger print
system story was at the police chiefs
convention and the climax of the tale
was that the system has at last been
perfected. 1t has gained universal
recognition. 1t Is established. There
is little possibility of it's ever losing
away
When scientists som few years ago
first told the tale of the finger prints
the police were dubious. They look
ed at the finger prints on white pieces
of paper and shook their heads. mo
mans finger prints are identical with
another mans" said the scientists.
To the police the statement seemed
absurd. They listened but hesitated
to pass judgement. The little black
and white lines and circles, forming
the impression of a finger on paper,
seemed more a Chinese puzzle than a
way to identify criminal. But the
scientists continued talking, the police
continued listening and the finger
print system came into it's own.
First, it must be known that one OF
the chief tasks of the police is iden-
Trying criminals. A man may be ar
rested on suspicion in San Francisco.
locked in a cell merely on the sup
position that he is bad character.
The police have a vague idea he may
know something of the series of Sec
ondstory robberies perpetrated in
Frisco and yet unsolved. They have
nothing to connect the suspect with
the robberies.
His finger prints are sent away,
BACK comes telegram saying that
the owner of the finger prints is John
Doe, alias Jack Deer, ex-convict. bro.
lesslonal second-story robber and all
around crook. The rest is generally
easy for the police. This is but one
way IN which the finger prints are
OF lnestimable value to the police
Ihere are scores of ways in which the
system helps the criminal catchers.
Just a few months ago the Wash.
ihston police had the value of the
system demonstrated forcibly. A mar
was sent to hospital, apparently
uazed and suffering from asphasia
ne did not remember his name, where
ne came from or any of the othe,
FACTS about himself that all nice citi.
%ehs should know. His finger prints
were TAKEN A copy of the prints wert
sent TO the Navy Department.
Ihirty minutes elapsed and ths
Navy Department told the police al
aoout the owner of the finger prints
ne was a desserter from the navy
~ lack OF memory was a bluff.
nne desreter is now serving time
aAereds' even thousands of case.
nefe the finger print system ha.
D.en the undoing of criminals can b,
WV W.. ~ the police chiefs assembled il
Washington. =
y agree that the system is tn,
~ accurate and inexpensive meth
la =. Identification. The parapherna
,it lit -. mi making finger print costs 8,
49, 'e and is SO easy to use that an,
,, ua year old school boy may have /,
"'''e system Of his own. A piece o