Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-18
OLD F|NGERPR|NTS
May SHOW PAINTING
GENUINE DA v|NC|
Method of Identification Advo-
Gated for Use Of All
Persons.

New York, Dec. 11.-Nobody is
watching with keener interest tne,con.
troyersy over the supposed Da Ninci
fingerprint on the disputed La Belle
F%erroniere" painting than local mem
bers Of the International Society for
Personal Identification.
If the 400-year old ~fingerprlnts
owned by Nine. Andree Hahn cores
pond with finger prints on other pant
lngs Of undisputed Da Vinci originals,
the New York attorneys for Nine.
Hahn hone to win a damage suit for
100000 brought against Sir Joseph
Duyeen. who cast doubt on the authen-
ITCHY of the painting. Meanwhile, Cap
tain Grant Williams, vice president of
the International Society for Personal
Identification, points out the fact that
fingerprints much older thar this are
still perfectly clear and practical for
Identification purposes. And as one re-
suit of the DISPUTE between Nine. Hahn
and Sir Joseph Duveen hopes public at
tention will be called to fingerprinting
as a means of protecting property.
Wide Use Advocated
The captain hopes in fact. that
people will place their fingerprints on
such things as watches. cameras. bits
of valuable jewelry. If any of the
fingerprinted articles are stolen they
may be instantly identified even in the
midst Of a big pile of plumber made up
of similar articles by comparing the
fingerprints upon them with the finger
print Of the original owner. Captain
Williams, by the way. should know of
what he speaks. He was formerly head
Of the bureau of missing persons in
the New York city police department
aud vT.iEnty I1nxrr ne - IN ~ n WV - ~, ~
pert. 1t was he who reconstructed the
skull in the famous Lillian White
murder case last spring.
In 300 Il. &. a woman vas buried
in a tomb at Thebes,' said Captain
Williams. II took the fingerprints Of
her mummified hands and they are as
distinct as on the day she died over
200 years ago.
1.-THE hand, which was presented to
me by an Egyptian friend. had shrunk
somewhat through the process of mum
MITIGATION. 1t was still beautifully
shaped, however, with slender fingers.
When / took an impression in plaster
of those finger tips, the marks were
plain enough for any expert to read.
People will, I hope, begin to APP
preciate the tremendous Importance
Of finger printing as a result of this
ALL taGSs AuG I'LL OI the
international society Ia helping the
average citizen by having his finger
prints not merely TO tag the criminal
by this method. It is unfortunate in
n way that finger printing war first
used as a means of identifying Grim
mails, for its other uses to the average
law abiding citizen are Of even greater
Importance.
Could Have Solved Murder
THE Hall Mills murder case could
have been solved within "a hours IL
the cards and letters found with the
bodies had not been smeared with
many peoples fingerprints before the
detectives got possession of them.
The boys who went down on the Maine
could have been identified If their fin
gerprints had been taken.
IF a man Is choked to death. WE
can find his slayer by means of finger
Prints on his stiff white collar. If d
burglar touches n window pan with
his hands. the fingerprint remains
unless rain or strong wind washes
them away or dries them up.
There would be almost no eases of
unidentified among our cities were
fingerprints used as they ought to be.
Even if the hands and feet-becarse
IuUtpTluts are aS koou DIS HdIiuUTiuls,
were lost, a body may be identified by
comparing the texture of the skin from
some other part with the previous fin
gerprint.
mo two fingerprints are the same,
Every woman and man carries in the
hand a positive means of identified
ton, both of the body and Of property.
The recent tragic mix-up Of babies in
II local hospital could never have hap
pened if, at birth, the bahg's footprints
had been taken and reed tded, together
with the mothers fingerprints."