The Washington times., 1937-06-04
Nv A. N. WECKSLER


microscope looms the thread
which will ensnare a criminal.
A small dial twists cautiously in
the hand of a trained FBI techni-
clan, and minute strands become
q forest of hairy fiber limbs as
the thread is blown up" to many
times its original size.
The Omen have another
knotty problem on their hands,
but the science of crime detection
has advanced far beyond the ABC
period.
Five shotguns and a rifle owned
by Army officers, together with a
pistol holster owned by the Gov
eminent had been stolen from
the Ordinance Room at Fort Bel
Voir, Va.
Although the theft involved
only several hundred dollars, the
thought that firearms had been
stolen from a military stronghold,
led to an extensive investigation
by both Army officials and CT
men.
TAILOR IS SUSPECT
Military authorities suspected
q private, a tailor attached to
Company C, Fifth Engineers.
However, their suspicious lacked
the evidence which was OF prime
importance in the case.
The guns had been recovered
and the bag in which they were
found was submitted to the FB1
laboratory for examination to-
Eether with samples of thread
used by the tailor and materials
stitched upon his sewing machine.
Under the microscope, it was
found that the stitching OF the
canvas, bag, which had contained
the guns and the thread used by
the tailor, were identical, both as
to dye and as to fiber structure.
In addition, the stitches on the
canvas bag were found to be OF
the same length as those made by
the tailor's machine.
Confronted by this evidence, the
tailor admitted his guilt and was
turned over to military authorities
for court-martial proceedings.
Again the Omen train their
microscopes to solve crime. This
time the magnifying glass Of crime
detection is focused on the brass
knob and dial Of a safe, and a
pair Of pincers.
Four Caught in Trap
These were enough to trap four
men who early one morning last
summer broke into the offices Of
the Sweet Clover Dairy Company.
Officials of the company found
that all that was left Of the safe
which had been in the office when
they left it the evening before
was a battered dial and a brass
knob, which clearly showed the
marks Of having been broken off
Of the safe.
The locale was Wooster, Ohio,
and police of that town later found
the safe on a lonely road about
two miles away from the town.
The door had been pried loose, and
the contents rifled.
When Harry Pinnick, Archie
Dye, and Alonzo Mays, three men
then on parole, together with
Edward Rowland were questioned
in connection with the robbery,
the police found a large pair Of
pincers and other tools in the
rear seat of the automobile in
which the men were riding at the
time Of their arrest.
Paint Scrapings Clue
These tools, the dial and knob
Of the safe, specimens of paint
from the safe together with scrap
ings from under the fingernailS
Of one of the men were sent to the
FBI laboratory.
A microscopic examination Of
the pincers revealed peculiar de-
fectS in the cutting edge Of the
tool, and it was found that there
were corresponding marks on the
dial Of the safe.
At the same time a chemical
analysis Of the fingernail scrap
ipgs matched the type Of paint on
the safe.
Photographic engagements, 400
times the actual size of the tool
scratches we're submitted by G.
men as evidence at the trial Of the
quartette.
The jury returned a unanimous
verdict Of guilty. Once again the
Omen scored in their fight
against crime.
Hair Evidence Enough
In another instance the blond
hair Of = two-and-a-half year old
traffic victim brought a hit-and-
run driver to justice.
One of the main factors in evi-
dence was a strand Of hair dis
covered twisted around the door
handle Of an automobile which
was suspected as being the death
car.
Under the microscope it was
found to be of the same color,
fineneSs, pigment content and eel
lular construction, as that taken
from the child'S head.
During the trial at Charlottes-
Vile, Va, the Omen testified as
70 their findings and the driver
was convicted and sentenced to
the penitentiary.
Both the prosecuting attorney