Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-24

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24-The
Bureau of Investigation of the De-
partment Of Justice-Uncle Sans
detective bureau-is engaged in
building up a specialized library on,
crime. 1t promises to be the great
est collection of data on the subject
of crime and criminals ever assem-
bled, ranging practically from the
Staying of Abel by Cain down to
he latest murder. Every book,
pamphlet, paper and memorandum
that has been written on the SUBJ
ject of crime will find its place in
this library.
In addition to being a repository
of information valuable to the stu
dent OF criminology, the library will
have an elaborate file of statistics
relating to crime and criminals. The
history, the criminal record, the
photograph and the finger print of
every known criminal will be on file
In this bureau. 1t will be rather
gruesome library and should a man
immune himself therein and study
nothing but the books and statistics
and exhibits before him, the chances
are that he would come out after
a few weeks either an accomplished
crominal or a maniac. However, that
is not likely to happen. The library
10 " DC uGEo lOI lCItIGllCts IlOI W
satisfy morbid curiosity, and will
be a useful adjunct in the work of
Uncle Sans sleuths.
The Department of Justice has
written to every chief of police, ev-
cry sheriff, constable and every
other sort Of peace officer in the
country seeking for close Corpora
ton in the intensive development of
the Federal crime prevention and
detection system of which this new
library is a part. The National
Chiefs of Police Association has
passed a resolution to turn over to
the Department of Justice its ma
tional bureau of Identification and
that a of data, combined with
what the government already had
assembled, will make the most COM
plete and efficient institution OF its
kind in the world.
The library will pay particular at
tention to finger print records. More
and more the criminologists of the
world are coming to depend on this
system of Identification of criminals.
The success which has been met by
employment of the distinctive mark
ings of mems fingers and thumbs has
been astonishing.
Identification by Finger Prints
Take recent robbery OF $4,000
in Federal Reserves Notes from the
Denver mint. 1t proved a mystery
that baffled the police for weeks.
Finally the dead body Of n of the
robbers was found lying In an aban-
doned garage at Denver. Every
| means of Identification had been re-
moved from his clothing. There
was not a scrap of paper, not a
taailor's tag not a laundry mark
a. xryvr n a4.a n4S1If fhn knHH 1InNyhraP.
the Federal officials took finger
prints and the man was at once
identified as a notorious Chicago
criminal, wanted on several charges.
BY establishing the Identification Of
this member of the gang of Denver
mint robbers, it was possible to
track down and arrest the confed-
crates. Had not the mans finger
prints been taken and filed away
when he was in custody for some
previous o%ffense, It probably would
have proved impossible to identify
him.
Not long ago there was a success
full train robbery in the West. The
bandits escaped but a small bottle
containing nitro-glycerine was dis
covered on the scene of the crime
Finger prints were on this. The
print was sent to the Federal bu'
reau, washington and identification
OF the man who made the print was
effected. He was apprehended to-
gother with his confederates. II
this case, the attorneys for the de-
Tense raised an objection TO the
method of Identification, claiming
that It was merely circumstantia
and not conclusive. In order K
satisfy the court the Federal bu
reau submitted to a special test be
fore the judge and jury as to the re
liability of finger print identification
A plain sheet of paper was pro
duced and four or FIVE persons wer'
selected at random to place theii
fingers upon 1t for a few minutes
1t was not even requested that inl
be used; the very slight markini
due to the natural oils of the fngei
being regarded as SUFFICIENT for tn,
test. These prints then wer'
placed before the finger print exper
who was absent from the room
while they were made. By examin
ing the persons in the room ant
comparing their prints with thos
he had. he speedily identified tn
makers Of the marks. The cour
was satisfied.
Finger Prints Never Liz
A curious case recently ccurr
in which the finger print method Q
Identification TevAalea the fact tina