Evening star., 1926-09-16
Article TX.
BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.

Searchers for leaks in the dikes
through which Il flood of crime is
pouring on the country are turning
to the question of facilities for identi
flying offenders. 1t is recognized that
police officers, prosecutors and Judges
are under a great handicap in not hav-
ing proper information regarding ac'
cused men brought before them.
To meet this situation in New York
a central bureau of criminal identlh-
cation is to be established at Albany
under an act passed by the LeSlsla-
ture The bureau will be at the dis
posal of State and local police in New
York. It may also be useful to other
States and to Federal courts and at
torneys. Already 800, 900 records have
been turned over to the Albany bu-
reau.
At the present time records in New
York City are scattered among l3 dll-
ferent official agencies. Several years
ago Acting Mayor Hubert appointed
a committee to consider proposal Tor
n central bureau of criminal RECORDS
for this city. Supreme Court JuStlce
McGoldrick was chairman OF that
committee and Chief Justice Frederick
Kernochan of the Special Sessions
Court was secretary. The latter drew
IN a nlan for establishing such a bu-
reau. No action was ever taken on
this plan until Mayor Walker reaS-
sembled the committee recently.
Favored by Officials.
Robert Appleton, chairman OF the
prison committee of the Association
of Grand Jurors; Justice kernoctlah'
Police Commissioner McLaugniln
members Of various courts IN thlS
CITY. District Attorney Banton ana
others connected with the admlnlstLa-
tion of criminal law are known 10 Ia
yor the plan. Its establishment WaS
urged as dOubly necessary because oi
the new State law making pfe-pdii
fingerprinting compulsory.
considerable emphasis has beeh
,laced by students of the CRIME Sllu
ZION on the fact that clemency oe
signed to apply to first offendefs Is
extended to confirmed ana dangerous
criminals. ,o6+.
60 fudgcs NAV restrict the Dement'S
nj cIemency to genuine frSt oilell''ei D
they must have before then Wheli
nassing sentence the crlmlnaI hlStol
of the accused. The estabIshiIlelit oi
ctate municipal and even a Feoer't'
80, Of Identification and the tree
in+orcbance of information between
s,ch bureaus will enable the Judges "
,.aoch decisions with much more re-
ooyd for the true history OF the A'dA'
about to be sentenced. >,,,
with fingerprinting made conlpul-
sorv before bail and before sentellclllSs.
n is hoped to prevent the pdil,iS Ti
sasnorate offenders who will as nkely
as not lump their bail, or AT lIaoe
snend the time before trial steailhS
enough money to pay for hlGh -ptIcee' r1'I
LAWYER who can extract lnelll lio1il
their difficulties. 1t will also assure
the nroper sentencing OF conlirlileo
criminals.
Rearrested While on Bail.
In New York County during the
arst six months of last year AZ men
we're rearrested while out on bail,
three of them for homicide.
An example of what the crlmlnal
does while out on bail is supplied In
the case of Thomas j. Mccarthy, now
in Sing Sing for forgery. Mccarthy
was arrested in 1900 while engaged in
the badger game. In 1901 he was
arrested in New York for grand lar
ceny and sentenced to 10 years at
Elmira. Four years later he was ar
rested in Jersey City for grand larceny
and sentenced to six months in the
Hudson County Penitentiary.
In 1906 he was arrested in New
York again. Judge Greenbaum sent
him to Sing Sing for nine years. In
1914 he was sentenced to a year for
petit larceny. In 1916 he was arrest
ed for tampering with post office
money orders. In 1923 he received
two years for playing a ''con" game,
but was released on appeal
In 1928 he was acquitted of forgery.
Two months later Magistrate Miller