Evening star., 1921-06-19
Continued from Fifth Page.)

experiences in the work. One OF tne
most striking cases that has come pc
is that of a soldier known to officials
as the champion deserter and re-
enlister." This man enlisted and de-
serted tWenty-nine times before nnally
identified and interned.
ut Is a matter OF history that the
rc-enlistment of deserters: bounty
jumpers and other undesirable char
actcrs in the Army became very
serious embarrassment to the govern
ment during the later years OF the
civil war and were quite troublesome
even in the world war. said MI.
Kaye" stimulated by the large boun-
ties which had been offered by towns
and counties or the large price paid
by individuals for substitutes. amount
ing sometimes to hundreds or even
thousands Of dollars. men would en-.
list and desert. then re-enlist ana
again desert. repeating the process
again and again.
Several schemes were tried in the
civil war to do away with this prac-
tice. but had to be abandoned. AT one
time each soldier was marked with
nitrate of silver. so that he would be
discovered if he attempted TO re-en.
list. At another time he was marked
by vaccinating him on the left leg.
four inches below the knee. but the
time lost on account of lameness
caused by the vaccination MADE the
process unsatisfactory. After the civil
war ended the custom of repeating
continued, and the re-enlistment OF
deserters and dishonorabIy discharged
men became so frequent as TO cause
real embarrassment to the Army OFF,
Cials.
I'm 1883 the War Department inves-
tigated the Bertillon system OF iden- :
tifcation as a means of coping with
f,.,tv nt-f1
however. was found too bulky and
burdensome for the purpose. After
due consideration an outline hGure or
card system of identification was de-
vised and put into operation IN 1923.
This outline system consisted or the
figure Of man-front and nack-on
which were recorded all scars marks.
moles, etc. and all the dimensions OF
the individual.
"THE system was continued with
good results until 1906, when
the finger-print system was adopted ir
it's stead The fnger-print system Is
superior to any other so far devised
in that it is quick, compact and per
mi.s OF no error. The other system
allowed errors of location Of marks
and errors of measurements. but the
finSer-print system, as far as can be
discovered. is absolutely infallible.
.During the flood at Galveston. Tex
in 1915, the body of an unknown SOL
dier was found among the debris
washed ashore. The authorities, no,
knowing what to do. cut of two OF the
fingers of the deceased and sent then
to Washington. The skin OF the t~e
fingers had on arrival become sep.
arsted from the flesh. but by careful
manipulation the skin was transferred
and carefully glued to two pieces ol
weod formed into the shape OF nnger'
and impressions were made. Alter ar
exhaustive comparison Win tnose oi
aU persons reported missing aoou'
that time, it was discovered that Inc
;rnnressions were identical with those
OF a soldier who had enlisted at Jener
son barracks. Mo-. in 1918.
"A man in soldiers uniform wa:
found asphyxiated by gas in Ne"
York There were no ietterS or papers
on the body, but the police made finger
nrJnts and sent them to Washington
nolicc headquarters. When the RECORD
Vas presented to the identity sector
of the adjutant Eenerais once t re
auired less than five minutes TO dlscoN.
er that they were those Oh man WI, 7,
had enlisted at Fort SiocuIn' ~. H. II
October, 1917" /.
Hundreds of other cases could be
cited to show the absolute accurac!
Of the system. Briefly. the system
employed by the War Department
which is a modification OF the famous
Henry system. consists of an impress
sion of all ten fingers made on
form which is prepared for that pur
nose. AS trees. bushes and plants arr
classified according to their various
Metals, stamens and pistols. so ar:
finger prints grouped by loops,
"whorIs," arches and tents. 1ol
"wrorl" or a loop on your finge
and not know it until the identifying
inspector looks at it with his enlars
ing glasses, then he can tel py
classification system whether your
finger print is one of the more thar
10000 prints which the war De
partment has one file ready for in
Stant use.
The first finger print record was re.
ceiyed in the adjutant generals office or
November 10. 1906. and the first man tc
be identified by this method was
man who was enlisted January =
1907. at Columbus barracks. Ohio. H
was identified six days later as mar
who had been rejected at Jehersor
barracks, Mo-. on November 8. 1906
on account of an imperfectlon OF
vision.
One e of the greatest advantages
gained by the finger print system Is
the ease with which the applicant ioi
nension can identify himself. after
losing his discharge. or for any rea.
son whatever. and prove himself the
man he claims to be. In former times
il required months to establish one
identity by getting Witnesses who
perhaps were scattered all over the
country.
THE finger print records Of the War
L Department have many times
proyed of assistance to the police In
apprehending and Identifying GRIM
inals, but they have also proved val
liable in freeing innocent persons who
through circumstantial evidence had
become involved in criminal cases
shortly after a trunk murder mystery
came TO light in Detroit last year
finger print records were received
in Washington Of a man VINO was sus.
pected Of having killed woman and
Shipped her body in trunk from De-
troit To New York. The man sus-
nected answered the description. even
to q. broken nose. of s. man whom the
noIice had every reason to believe had
rommitted the crime. 1t was known
that the probable murderer had serv-
ed in the Army and the War Depart
the man held by the police was the
one toward whom all evidence point
ed as guilty. Within a few minutes
identity experts were able to prove
conciusiyely that the man about to be
sentenced for murder was not the
person sought.
That some system Of classification
must be employed il an enormous col
lection Of finger prints. such as that
of the War Department is to be OF
practical value, is perfectly obvious
without such a system. inspectors
would nave to go through the whole
5000, 900 records before they could be
did hoNa the GneHaK