Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-02-09
Finger Prints InfaIIibIe
I'm Identification
Continued From Page one)


is practically new | mcan that the
present highly efficient system of
classification of the various patterns
has been perfected only, in the last
few years. 1t must be borne in mind
that but about twenty years have
elapsed since the finger print was
introduced into the United States
Within that period we have progress
ed from the dawn of uncertainty. to
the monday of infallibility. No long
er can skillfully inflicted scars neat
ly grown boards, or the most cau-
tiously designed disguise, be employ
ed to create doubt as to the accuracy
of the finger print expert. The in
fallibility of the finger print pre-.
cludes the possibility of erroneous
Identification, inevitably deters the
suave confidence man, Drazen forger
and insidious sneak from operatins,
in communities in which he knows
his record to be on file and it is my
firm belief that with a finger print
bureau established in every state it
will greatly reduce, in fact mini
mize, crime.
Last year the California state bu-
reau of Identification at Sacramento
recovered more than one million two
hundred and twenty five thousand
dollars in stolen goods, and made al
most seven thousand identifications
of criminals. Almost every police
department and sheriff's office in the
state of California have their finger
| print bureaus and send finger print
cards of all prisoners arrested to the
state bureau. And that is what We
need in this state, out we must first
establish in all Che principal towns
bureaus as nucleus from which ma
terial can be gathered to establish a
big state bureau.
Many persons who have been ar
rested on minor charge when finger
printed prove to be wanted for
crime in some other locality.
"The finger print system is of in
valuable assistance in ascertaining if
man is an old offender or if that
was his first crime. Leniency is
sometimes shown first offenders but
when the finger print proves his past
record it is of assistance to the judge
who sentences him, in determining
whether he is sentencing an old Of
fender or a first offender.
the next few years we shall have
universal finger printing in this coup-
try for it is estimated that over for
ty thousand unknown people were
buried last year in this country. IF
we had universal finger printing it
would be possible to identify all these
people.
Tor a number of years the United
States government has made SOL
dier's finger prints part of his
army RECORD During the world war
approximately four million persons
serving the government were finger
printed Recently the adjusted com
pensation act became a law. The ad-
ministration of the provisions OF this
act was Immediately seen to be an
enormous problem, largely due to the
necessity of positively Identifying
each person making application for
his bonus Thousands of John Smiths
had served the country and many
other names such as Brown, Williams
and Jones were numbered by the
hundreds But again the finger prints
solved that part of the problem. Each
applicant makes his prints part OF
his application. These prints COM
pared with those taken at the time
of his entry into the service prove
his identity. Simp.e, as We who
know finger prints realize. But can
you picture the difficulties Of the
war and treasury departments, would
/ have but for the finger. print. Tho
entire problem may be called one OF
identity despuite the careful precau-
tionary measures w:lich the govern
ment would have taken to prevent
fraud. Certainly a great amount OF
! it would have been perpetrated. De-
| laws in settlements of claims would
have been Inevitable. And many an
! ex-service man through loss of pap
ers and inability to recall dates and
! names Of organizations would have
found it impossible to prove ms
claims.i'3
.The finger print is no longer in
it's infancy; it is no longer thing
to be laid aside and thought OF to-
I morrow 1t is an established 1act'
a tried and proven practical science