Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-14


both hands one must needs lose all en-
uFely to escape Identification,
II Is marvellous" exclaimed D'Arnot
wonder what the lines upon my own
myers may resemble"
we can soon see" replied the police
oHlcer' and ringing a bell he summoned
an assistant TO whom he issued a few
directions.
INC man left the room, but presently
returned with a little hardwood box
winch ne placed on his superior's desk.
Now" said the officer you shall have
your finger prints in a second"
he drew from the little case square
OF plate glass, a little tubo of thick ink
rubber roller and a few snowy white
cards.
squeezing a drop Of ink on to the glass,
ne spread It back and forth with the
ruooer roller until the entire surface Of
the glass was covered to HE satlsfa elton
WIZ very thin and uniform layer Of ink.
Flace the four fingers Of your right
hand upon the glass, thus" Re said to
- Arnot. Now the thumb. That Is right
now place them in just the same position
upon this card, here, no-a little to the
rBht. We must leave room for the Ghumb
ana the fingers Of the left hand There
mats It, Now the came with the left"
Come, Tarzan," cried D'Arnot, lets
see what your whorls look like"
Iarzan complied readily, asking many
questions Of the officer during the opera
ton.
DO finger prints show racial character
lsucsT' he asked. Gould YOU determine
Tor example, solely from finger prints
whether the subject was Negro or eau
casiang"
Il think not" replied the officer "al-
though some claim that those Of the
Negro are less complex"
could the finger prints Of an ape be
ueteeted from those OF a man2"
Frohaoly because the apes would be
iar simpler than those of the higher or
ganism."
But cross between an ape and man
Iulsnt snow the characteristics of either
progenltor?' continued Tarzan.
Yes, ] should think likely" responded
the official, but the science has not
progressed sufficiently to render It exact
enough In such matters. l should hate
TO trust its findings further than to diff
terentiate between individuals.
There 1t Is absolute. No two people
porn into the world probably have ever
had Identical lines upon all their digits.
II is very doubtful If any single finger
PRINT Will ever be exactly duplicated BY
any finger other than tho one which origi-
nally made IT,"
Does the comparison require much
tlne or labor7" asked D'Arnot.
Ordinarily but few moments, IL the
Impressions are distinct"
D'Arnot drew n little black book from,
his pocket and commenced turning the
pages.
Tarzan looked at the book in surpr,s.
ROW did D'Arnot come to have his book? |
presently DArnot stopped at a page on
which were five tiny little smudges
lie handed the open book to the police |
man.
Are these imprints similar to mine or
monsieur Tarzan's, OF can you say that |
they are Identical with ether?"
Ihe officer drew a powerful glass from
his desk and examined all three specl- |
mems carefully, making notations mean
While upon pad of paper
Tarzan realized now what was the !
meaning of their visit to the police officer. |
The answer to his life's riddle lay in |
these tiny marks.
With tense nerves he sat leaning |
forward in hts chair, but suddenly ne |
relaxed and dropped back. smiling.
DArnot looked at him in surprise.
You forget that for 90 years the dead
body Of the child who made those finger
prints lay in the cabin Of his father.
and that all my life l have seen It living
there" said Tarzan bitterly.
The policeman looked up in astonish-
ment.
Go ahead captain, with your exam
nation" said D'Arnot, I'VE will tell you
the story later-provided Monsieur Tarzan
Is agreeable"
Tarzan nodded his head
But you are mad, my dear D'Arnot"
he insisted. "Those little fingers are
buried on the west coast or Africa"
II do not know as to that, Tarzan."
replied D'Arnot. 1T is possible, but IL