The Washington times., 1937-06-01
CALLING CARD
:MAKESCRINE
FUTILE
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period match up the SCARED rem
nants Of a disfigured print with
the Identity Of the criminal.
And, according to ]. Edgar
Hoover, director Of the Federal
Bureau Of Investigation, the mutt
lation Of fingerprints, Immediately
atouses the suspicion on the part
Of an arresting officer.
I Scars Are Clues
THE scars are q definite indica-
tton of an attempt to avoid the es-
adjustment of Identity, and police
aeting on this warning take extra
precautions with the prisoner.
However, the criminal leaves be-
hind hill more than one mark OF
Identification.
Not only are his fingerprints a
dead giveaway, his whole mode OF
approach is a rubber stamp reveal
Ing his identity.
Criminals, according to FBI ex-
perts, are creatures OF habit.
stupidity so.
A bank robbery is successfully
perpetrated. Three men work to-
gether, one acting as lookout, the
remaining two brandish tommy
guns" and rifle the cashiers cage.
Back roads are used for the get
away, and an official Of the bank
is taken along as hostage later to
be dumped out along a deserted
road.
The gang strikes again, using
an almost identical moduS oper-
andi.
Back in the Identification divis-
ion Of the FBI in washington the
gang becomes classified.
The members of the gang are
cross indexed under several cata-
gories. Each popularity Of their
actions is noted and even though
the scene OF their operations may
be shifted from coast to coast the
similarity of their depredations
single out their identity.
It is a bewildering thought that
an individual cannot lose himself
among 100000 persons, but
those who live apart from the fold
of law abiding citiZenry usually
stick out like a sore thumb and
can be ferreted out by the forces
of law.
Even would they retire from
criminal pursuits to take advan-
tage Of their ill-gotten gains, gang
land will not permit them to
do so.
Criminals Never Win
It becomes apparent, after
study Of the Federal Bureau Of
Investigation, that crime is a mis-
adventure and can lead only to
prison or violent death.
The forces of society have be-
come definitely arrayed against
the criminal. And the most power
fn evidence of this fact are the
millions of fingerprintS Of crini-
mails and more millions Of cards
indexed so as to provide positive
Identification Of felons.
Once a crime is committed, the
perpetrator must come before the
bar Of justice and be judged for
his wrongdoing.
Unti the criminal is arrested,
his calling card Of crime, whether
it be In the form Of a fingerprint,
personal characteristic or some
fragment Of evidence, Is lodged
in the vaults Of the FBI.
Arrest on a traffic charge may
thereafter lead to the criminals
undoing. Some chance remark
may enmesh him. But one thing
is certain-oace crime Is com.
mitted and 1t comes to the atten'
ton Of the Omen, the criminal
loses the right to return to the
civic fold without first paying for
his crime.
FutiIity Evident
Such is the sense Of futility in
crime inspired by the activities
of the FBI.
Criminals understand this brand
Of operation. It means to them
that they are fugitives from jus
tice and that retribution is not
far in the Citing.
Several months ago an escaped
murderer received an object lesson
in the futility Of escape from jus
tice.
For IL years he enjoyed the
fruits of freedom, but his finger.
print Identification finally caught
Gp with him.
on July 2, 1924. Arthur Burch
lost his civil rights as prison doors
closed on him at the State Penter.
&iary at Tucker, Arkansas, to
serve a sentence Of is years for
first degree murder.
Six months later he escaped,
and successfully evaded the net
that was spread out for his cap
ture. In the files Of the FBI there
was noted over his fingerprint
card:
Wanted for escape"
GET THEIR MAN
Three months ago the police Of
Atlantic City, N. j., arrested .
1900 ID