The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-01-24
CLAIMS FINGER
PRINTS CAN b:
DUPLICATED

NEW YORK, Jan, 2I.---ofricials Of
the International Association for Por-
sonal Identification hero, an orgGni"
zation having for its object tho FIN
ger printing" of every man, woman
and child in the United States and
Canada. have started an inquiry Into
the charge made bv Milton Carlson, n
Los Angeles handwriting expert, that
finger prints can be forged.
Carlson says he forged" no fin
gel prints of convicted murderer in
New Jersey In human blood On but
cicr knife max NJ = perfect thumb
IMPRESSION of maa 5000 miles a.
way. Experts, IL IS sad, rroncunced 1t
rc.fect. SO far aS ipown, tar Calf
ornian Is the first man to announce
successful duplication OF finger
prints. used for the past 1000 years
as an infallibie me,n OF Identifies
ton.
Forged finger pr: ITS are possible
but ineffective |. Is said by officials
Of the International Association for
Personal Identification here. "A
criminal" said the secretary OF the
association. would not have one
chance In a million Of success in fas-
tening a crime upon an innocent
person by means OF forged finger
print. Our researches show that In
every case of a reproduced print"
the lines are too palpably false to do
ceive a skilled eye. They show up
under a strong magnifying glass like
a rubber stamp or wood engraving
and not like the original finger lines
which, by reason OF perspiration and
oil, are clear and sharply defined.
Handwriting experts may attempt
to discredit fingerprints because their
use detracts from their business but
the fact remains that human seals.
as the finger prints are called. are
an unfailing test so far as identity is
concerned. They have practically
superseded the Bertillon system In
New York State, but until the law IL
changed, the Bertillon must be used
in the penitentiaries. When the lines
are blurred. as often happens. n fin
ger print Is worthless but II they are
clear It Is infallible evidence. II has
been shown that II the finger ridges
we're shaved off or sandpapered they
came back.
1T is popularity supposed that fin
gerprints usually are only shown in
blood. The fact Is that you leave a
finger print upon everything you
touch. 1t is quite invisible to the max
ed eye. The expert. however, will
take a bit of powder-a dark powder
on a light surface or light powder
on a dark surface-and will quickly
.'develop" the print. The powders
used are lampblack. graphite, cinne-
bar, red and mercurious sulphide and
dragons blood.
Mature has carved on our fingers
these seals and they should be put
to civilian as well as police use. I'm
doubtedly they have been the means
of detecting thousands of criminals.
Hundreds OF individuals who come to
New York and are swallowed up in
this great city, their bodies finally
landing in the morgue, might never
be buried in the potter's field II we
had a National finger print registry
of civilians" a nt
The New York finger print organio
zation officials say that despite Mr.,
Carlson's charge, genuine finger
prints are an invaluable aid to identi-
f. victims of train wrecks, or other
disasters and for ascertaining the
of persons who have tenn
pcrarily "lost" themselves.