The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-05
ARTIFICIAL TIPS
/. Guard Crooks
FINGERS
Rubber Gloves. Made to Leave
False Impressions, Are
Discovered.

leave false impressions, are the lat
est accessories Of a criminals kit.
Heretofore crooks have protected
themselves against Identification by
finger prints by wearing rubber
gloves.
Now this method has been re-
fined so as to add q misleading
factor when the finger print expert
undertakes to trace the criminal.
Discovery Of the latest invention to
defeat the finger print expert was
conveyed to police authorities from
New York. where safeblower's
outfit was captured containing q
set OF the artificial finger tips.
Made Of composition.
According to the information given
out the finger tips are made Of q
composition consisting of rubber
carrying q fine silk body. They are
pressing after being formed. This
results in the surface OF that Sec
ton which fits over the balls OF
the fingers and the fingers as far
as the middle Joint. being embossed
| with marks so closely resembling
those made by the fingers that the
Impressions left can hardly be de-
tected from a real fingerprint.
From the composition used, 1t Is
said, they are comparatively mex
pensive to manufacture, although 1t
Is probable that criminals pay high
ly for q set.
Why the criminal should leave
false markings behind him when
through the use Of the rubber
gloves all finger print evidence
would be eliminated, police authori.
| ties do not attempt to explain.
To Give False Clues.
It is believed by them. however,
that the purpose is to create the
impression, that "convicting" evi.
dence IL in the hands of the police
and in this way keep the Identified
ton bureaus busy on wront scent.
| The artificial finger tips are
cleverly made" states the report
| They leave an impression which
found on wood, in dust, on glass
from those made by the human
fingers. No Identifying marks can
Fbe found on the tips indicating
where they are made. They are
supposed to come from one of the
small rubber goods houses special
king in rubber novelties. They
may be manufactured in Japan or
France. They are substantially
made and resist friction better than
the ordinary rubber gloves and
rubber finger tips. II cut. or slight.
" torn, the impression left resem-
bles that OF scar. which would DC
especially valuable In Identifying the
person making the print"
May Distinguish Workings.
Fred 6andburg, finger print ex'
pert Of the District police depart.
ment, will return from the west
within the next few days. 1t IL he
lteved he will be able to discover
differences in the Impressions made
by the artificial finger prints and
the human fingers which will safe.
guard the Identification bureaus
from being misled by the false i'm
pressiops left by the former.
Local police officials refuse tc
discuss the artificial finger tips
other than to say that they
illustrate the truth Of the saying
that "a way can always be found to
beat any system where time and
money are available for that pur'
pose"
One Of the recent attempts to
protect the fingers from leaving
print marks was discovered when a
negro showed how he had used
pieces torn from his handkerchief
wound round his fingers and held
in place with shoemaker's wax
| NuyRNN 1APf 80
articles handled by him in com
hitting a burglary.
Gloves as Evidence.
I'VE have always held the pos.
session of roSin soap justified the
detention Of a suspicious character
while under investigation" said a
detective bureau representative.
Nov a ripped up handkerchief and
shoemaker's wax put the owner in
the same class. The artificial finger
tips, Of course, will convict any
man possessing them who cannot
prove his position. They will un.
questionably be included in the
category Of burglars tools and will
carry the same punishment that
goes with being caught possessing a
kit of that kind.
| rubber tips registering supposed
finger prints cannot be made so
they will mislead the finger expert
into losing any time. The human
finger print cannot be counterfieted
any more than it can be forged.
The advantages the criminal would
derive by wearing special rubber
finger tips could be secured In
several other ways.
Only Positive Identification.
Caught with the finger tips on
him, however, would stamp him at
once as a suspect to be thoroughly
investigated.
THE greater value Of finger
prints for Identification is outside
criminal work. Finger prints are
the only discovered method for
absolutely Identifying the individual
while living and his body after
death. The public should take the
comprehensive view OF the value OF
finger print Identification and not
be worried at the prospect that a
few clever criminals may evolve a
system for beating 1t occasionally"