Evening star., 1921-06-19
u. S. GOVERNMENT HAS FINGER PRINTS
OF FIVE MILLION MEN FILED IN RECORDS

I citement in America the suggestion was
of finger printing might be used for
| their registration. But no departure at
| any time previously made is comparable
in Importance with the systematized Ia
\ bors in this direction of Sir William
FerSchel Of the British Indian civil serv-
ice. Finding false personation prevalent
| in all the Indian courts. he determined
, to introduce the use of finger impress
sions in the district Of Hooghly. in Ben
gal. of which he was then in executive
charge. The success Of the system was
, instantaneous. and Il was soon intro
duced in practically all the departments
| OF india.
Col. c. V Henry. an Enslishman. later
became active in the extension and ap-
plication Of the system. and worked out
| what is probably the most satisfactory
| system Of classification that has yet
been discovered. The Henry system.
slightly modified: is used by the War
Department in Washington.
The most philosophical treatment Of
the subject howeyer,~is is probably that
Of Fpancis: Cation: In addition TO pro-
i viding types and a nomenclature. sug-
gesting a system Of classification and
\ examining the cha and purpose Of
the Ridges in their physiological aspect.
| Galton. who made use of much OF the
data collected by Sir William Herschel.
has discussed the all-important question
l VI ptTSlSleuCt. anu udS plONcU tHdt tHe
details Of ridges constituting the pat
| terms OF finger impressions persist
| throughout the whole period represent
] ing the life of man, those found on the
| fingers Of the newborn infant being
traceable on the fingers OF the same per-
son in old age. and apparently effaceable
only when, after death, decomposition
sets in.
Galton has brought together some
evidence to indicate the transmissi-
l nf hN h,tf
| finds that no sensible amount of CO.
| relation exists between the patterns
or impressions and the bodily facul-
ties OF characteristics. or that these
finger markings are distinctive OF
| race or temperament.
Basing his conclusions upon exam
! nations of many sets of prints taken
/ at different times and covering the
interval from childhood to boyhood
from boyhood to early manhood. from
from middle to extreme old age, GAL
ton has this to say as to the per-
sistence of the same characteristics
in finger prints throughout the life
Of the subject:
| las there is no sign except in one
case of change during any of these
four intervals. which together almost
wholly cover the ordinary life of man.
We are justified in inferring that
between birth and death there is alb
I SOlUtely no CnaHSe H. say. oSS out Oh
[ 700 of the numerous chara cteristics
of the markings of the fingers Of the
same person such as can be impressed
by him wherever it is desirable TO
do so. Neither can there be any
change 4fter death up to the time
composition. For example. the marks
on the fingers Of many Egyptian num-
| mics and on the paws of stuffed
monkeys still remain legible. Very
good evidence and careful inquiry. is
thus seen to justify the popular idea
of the persistence Of finger markings.
. There appear to be no bodily char
| acteristics other than deep scars and
tattoo marks comparable in their per-
| sistence to those markings; at the
| same time they are out of all pro-
portion more numerous than any
other measurable features. The d.
mensions Of the limbs and body alter
! in the course Of growth and decay;
the color, quantity and quality of the
| hair, the tint and quality of the skin.
! the number and set Of the teeth.
| the expression of the features, the
| gestures, the handwriting. even the
| eye color changes after many years.
! There seems no persistence in the Wis
minute and hitherto disregarded
l ridges"
| co useful has the identity section Of
the War Department proved. that
every now and then officials are COM
PEELED to squelch some ambitious and
mercenary sheriff who tries to make
the service pay him dividends. Ordi.
narily his method Of operation 10
simple. He makes a collection OF
notices Of rewards offered for the Ap.
prehension of criminals Then he ars
rests every tramp who chances 70 pasa
through his baiiiwick. takes finger
print impressions OF tho unfortunate
wayfarer and sends them to WashinOS
| ton on the chance Of their proving -
be those of some criminal with Q pfio2
on his head. A. the War Department
has the nneer-peint records Of practis
caIly every abiebodied young man in
The United States. IL often haDpena
that IL u abae to tell the shArin that
name Of the man in custody. Theres
upon the sheriff checks over his lists
| OF rewards offered and II he finds the
captive's name among them, he i'm.
mediately notifies the persons offerS
ing the reward and then prooeeds "a
collect 1t.
The war Department identity SEQ,
ton is in charge Of Walter g. Kaye.
who enjoys the distinction of HAVING
organized the first Identification bus
reau ever established in the American
Army. Mr.. Kaye, who is recognized
both in the United States and abroad;
CONTINUED on Sixth Pase.l q