Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-05-05
U.S.Saves
OfFiingers
Government Retains
Finger Marks To
Help In Running
Down Criminals
By Harry l. Rogers.

Washington, May SIN the
Identification section Of the wal
department in the old Ford thea.
trey where Abraham Lincoln was
shot, there has been collected a
mass OF evidence which is expect.
ed during the years to come to
play an important part In the con-
viction OF thousands of criminals,
and likewise to aid in the exonera-
tion OF perhaps other thousands OF
innocent men who through force
OF circumstances become the OBJ
jects of suspicion.
The evidence in question is the
finger-print records of more than
100000 men whose imprInts
were taken when they came in
contact with the machinery OF the
seiective service organization OF
the war department during the
war. Scarcely day passes that
the war department is not called
upon by the police OF various cities
and towns throughout the country
to try to identify the finger prints
of some one who has been involved
In . crime or fatal accident.
A recent inquiry from Chicago
In connection with the notorious
Carl Wanderer murder case is per-
haps typical. THE Ragged Stran-
ger" who Is alleged to have been
shot by Lieutenant Wanderer
while the stranger was staging a
fake hold-up for which Wanderer
had paid him a small sum of mon
ey, had never been satisfactorily
identified. The police believed
him to be Earl Keessee OF Milwau-
kee, and that he had served In the
army either under the name OF
Keesee or that of Edward Morgan
Of Texas.
Knowing that the finger-print
records Of every man who had
served in the army since the iden-
tification system was installed
were on file with the war depart
ment, they sent the imprlnts of the |
Ragged Strangers" fingers tol
Washington for comparison.
Investigation showed that a
man named Earl Keessee had en-
listed in the army from Milwau-
kee, but the finger prints OF
Keessee were different from those
OF the Ragged Stranger" 1t was
found that no less than six Ed
ward Morgans had served in the
army and that two of them were
From Texas, but the finger prints
OF the man slain in Chicago did
not tally with those of any of the
Edward Morgans who had served
In the army.
So prolific has the Identification
section OF the army become as
means OF capturing criminals, that
every now and then the depart
ment has to squelch some am
oitious sheriff who tries to make
he service pay him dividends. The
method ordinarily used is simple.
\ sheriff makes collection of no
tces OF reward offered for the {
'apture OF criminals. Then he ar
'ests every tramp that comes his
way, takes his finger prints and
ends them to the war department {
n Washington for Identification. /
Is the war department has the $
niger print records of practically l
very able-bodied young man in '
he United States, 1t often happens a
he war department Is able to tell ?
he sheriff the name Of the man b
e has in custody. II
Thereupon the sheriff checks n
yer his list OF rewards offered and s
he finds the captiye's name G
mong them he Immediately noti- o
es the persons offering the re- 0
ard and then proceeds to collect. s.
The Identification section of o
le war department is in charge a
Walter S. Kaye. who was the
'ganizer OF the first identity el
'ction" In use In the war depart Il
ent. The main purpose OF the r'
entity section is to identify un- Sc
nown dead In time of war, and to Il
'ep undesirable ex-service men Fl
ON re-enlisting under assumed eN
'mes. Lately 1t has been supply tu
g Identification records to sol
ers, necessary in securing dis G.
arges, and in addition has been ye
source Of great assistance to the ~
lice In Identifying criminals pc
aong discharged service men. IL