Evening star., 1932-07-11
u. s. F|NGERPR|NTS
. AID BELGIAN POLICE
International Exchange Of
Criminal Records Results
in Arrests.
BY REX COLLIER.

One OF the first fingerprints sent TO
Europe by the United States Bureau of
Investigation, under its new arrange
ment for international exchange Of
criminal records, has revealed Federal
prisoner in California as Belgian war
deserter once convicted by the Council
OF War Of Western Flanders.
The interesting identification, while
OF no special legal Importance in the
California case, is cited by J. Edgar
Hoover. director of the bureau. as an
indication of the possibilities Of crimi-
nal identification in the recently estab-
lished international rogues' gallery"
According to Director Hoover, the
identification division of the bureau
received from the United States Dis
cipltnary Barracks at Alcatraz, Calf,
the fingerprint record of Alfred G.
Bral, who is serving 18 months for
aiding in the escape of a prisoner.
Prints Traced in Belgium.
CAS- Bral was reported to be Belgian"
the director said, "a copy Of his finger
print card was forwarded to the
Directeur de Eervice d'Identiflcation
Judiciare, at Brussels. A report has
been received from the director that in
June, 1920, Bral was sentenced to serve
two years by the Council of War OF
Western Flanders for desertion in time
of war, and that he also had been SEN
fenced for abuse Of confidence.
In another international case. the
Bureau Of Investigation has been able
to identify an American arrested in
Panama as a robbery suspect wanted
by police in Buffalo, Hoover pointed
out A prisoner arrested in Colon,
Panama. for robbery and giving the
name Frank Alamo" was found to
be identical with Alfonso Travail, for
whom Buffalo authorities have been
conducting a wide search. He will be
returned to New York for trial.
A third long-distance Identification,
involving prints OF man arrested for
larceny in Alaska, has ended a seven
year hunt by Pennsylvania State Prison
authorities for "a convict who escaped
from Pittsburgh institution.
The prisoner, Charles Ohls. IS being
returned to Pennsylvania TO serve the
remainder of O l0-year sentence for
burglary and larceny. Ohls, although
only 80 years old, has a long police
record. He was sentenced to reform
atory for arson when only II years old.
Receive Thousands a Day.
The fingerprint that trapped Ohls was
one of several thousand received daily
from all parts Of the United States, its
possessions and several foreign coun-
tries. Sent in by United States
marshal at Juneau. the print bore the
name John j. Roberts" Although
there are more than 100000 finger
prints on file at the bureau. an exam
iner experienced in classifying the loops
and whorls that distinguish one print
from another found that the Juneau
print matched that of Ohls. The dis
covery was telegraphed to Pennsylvania
authorities, who arranged for Ohls' re-
turn, by way of Seattle.
During the past fiscal year the iden-
tiflcation division received and CLASH
fed more than half million finger
prints and succeeded in making identi-
fcations in more than 200, coo cases.
The percentage of criminal identifica-
tions achieved during the year was 80,
compared with 36 per cent in the pre-
ceding fiscal year.
Only fingerprints Of criminals known
or believed to have mad foreign careers
are exchanged under the international
system. The United States
sends abroad prints of aliens or others
with foreign background, while other
countries forward to Washington rec
ords of criminals thought to be Amer
leans.
Hoover predicts the plan will become
"a primary aid to police officials
the civilized world"