The Washington times., 1921-09-23
F|NGERPR|NT|NG
Of ]. :. FAMILIES
URGED At MEET.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle Tells BertiIIon
Experts Such Records Are
Social Need.

"It is a social necessity that every
girl and boy, regardless Of family con.
nection, be finger printed and record
Of their prints be kept on file in u
national bureau" today declared Mrs.
Nina c. Van Wrinkle, lieutenant In
charge Of the woman's bureau of the
Washington police department. in an
address before the delegates OF the
International Association for Identi-
fication which is in convention at the
Ebbitt hotel.
when II is realized that last year
81, 600 persons were reported missing
in the United States and never were
located by the police and their rela-
tives, the importance of my sugses.
ton is better to be appreciated, con-
tinued Lieutenant Van Wrinkle.
III there had been a central bureau
OF fingerprint Identification most OF
these missing persons would have
been found, but because Of the fact
that their fingerprints were not on file
they Were not identified.
Cites Several Cases.
In emphasizing her point, Mrs. Van
Wrinkle cited a number OF instances
where young girls who had been
arrested in Washington had caused
tn6 nave
ing them identified.
one case referred to was that of a
young woman who was held at the
House of Detention for more than
fifty-one days before her final linden
! tification came about through a
newspaper man who traced the girls
parents to Richmond, Va.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle also suggest ed
that not only fingerprints should be
kept on file, but that the police
departments of the various cities
should also keep on file all evidence
gathered in the investigation Of indi.
vidual cases.
"The trouble with most detectives"
said Mrs. Van Wrinkle, "is that
they carry the evidence they have
around in their pockets. Evidence
should always be held on file In a
bureau of each police department.
1t should not be carried around by
policemen while they are trying
to pin q crime on a suspect"
Mrs. Van Wrinkles talk was re.
ceived with an ovation. After she
had concluded, the delegates gave
her a rising vote Of thanks.
Others who spoke at this morn.
ings session Of the convention were
}.
army, J. H. Taylor, Of the navy,
and f. Van Buskirk, superintendent
Of the National Bureau Of Identified.
ton, Of Washington.
Officers Are Chosen.
Officers were elected yesterday.
They include A. J. Renoe, OF Leaven.
worth, Kan, president; Irwin B,
Jones, OF Minneapolis. vice president;
Fred Sandberg, official photographer
and finger print expert, of the Wash.
ington police department, secretary.
treasurer, and Charles Comaidy, of
Detroit; lie Roy Goodwin, of Youngs.
town, Ohio; T. q. Cook, Chicago. and
Paul N. Waggener, team directors.
After the election the delegates
went to the White House, where they
witnessed the taking of President
Harding's fingerprints. The Presi-
dent greeted the delegates. and will.
ingly submitted TO the test by Harry
II. Caldwell, in charge of the bureau
OF Identification at Oakland, Cal. A
Photographic copy OF the Presidents 3
fingerprints will be presented to each
member of the association.
This afternoon the delegates are at
Mt. Vernon. and tonight they viii
be banqueted at the Ebbitt.