Evening star., 1945-12-03
|FBI Pioneers New
Field, Traps Criminals
By Footprint System
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Many criminals leave no finger
prints. Usually this is because they
are careful not to. Sometimes 1t Is
becuase they have no hands. Both
kinds are being tripped up by the
FBI through footprints.
In most cases q criminal must
walk to and from the scene of his
crime. When he does he'll leave
footprints-in earth or snow, on
wood or cement, linoleum, furniture,
metal, automobile finishes, paper.
With or without shoes, he can
many times be identified by foot
prints. In plugging this escape loop
hole for criminals, the FB1 has
pioneered new field Of crime detec-
ton.
There are three accurate methods
Of reproducing or preserving foot
prints:
/. Plaster or moulage casts.
2. Photographs.
8. Lifting" of the impression with
flngerprint lifting tape.
Casts Better Than Photos.
Plaster or moulage casts can be
made only with deep impressions,
such as footprintss in earth or snow.
Casts are considered superior to
photographs.
Photographs are acceptable in
court, however. They are generally
the only method Of reproducing i'm
pressions such as are found on hard
surfaces like wood, cement, roofing
material and paper.
Footprints found in dust present a
difficult problem. These usually are
found on polished surfaces such as
linoleum, metal and automobile fin
ishes. They are visible only under
almost parallel lighting. After a
photograph has been made for rec
ord purposes, the impression itself
can be preserved through the use of
lifting tape.
The FBI has set up a rubber foot
wear file containing more than 1890
different standards Of heels and
soles. They represent the products
of all American manufacturers. In
addition representative types Of rub
ber boots and overshoes are kept for
reference.
Heelprint Factors.
Three factors are considered In
heelprint identification:
/. The suspects heel must agree
in size and design with the ques-
toned impression.
2. The amount Of wear should be
the same as the questioned impress
sion, unless the heel is worn an ap-
preciable length of time after the
crime.
8. The impression taken at the
crime scene must have individual
identifying characteristics such as
cuts, missing particles in the de-
sign, unusual stitching, unusual half
sole characteristics, nail impressions
or worn areas.
The FBI has set up a file con-
tanning both criminal" and non
criminal" prints of naked feet.
Non-criminal footprints generally
are those of persons who applied
for positions in war industries. OF
the criminal footprints, the sub
jects have been charged with Of
fenses ranging from grand larceny,
manslaughter and receiving stolen
property to possessing a still and
drunk and disorderly conduct.
Positive Identification.
"The possibility of any two human
beings having surface areas of skin
on their feet which have exactly
the same ridge characteristics is so
remote that it Is beyond the realm
OF probability" the FBI says, add
ing: ut follows, therefore, that per-
sonal Identification by this method
is positive"
The formation of the ridges on
the feet of human beings begin sew
eral months before birth, the iFBI
says. They remain throughout the
lifetime and after death up to the
time decomposition takes place.
Most hospitals use footprints for
Identification of infants. The FBI
has been called upon in several
cases to identify babies from their
footprints.
Instances in which shoe prints
have betrayed criminals are nu-
merouS.
Police officers investigating sew
eral burglaries near Johnstown, Pa.
found a pair of rubbers evidently
left unnoticed in the burglars hur-
ried departure from one Job.
Investigation developed a suspect
whose shoes were sent to the FBI
laboratory. Examination revealed
that his shoes were worn inside the
questioned rubbers. Worn areas
nail markings and other individual
characteristics were transferred
from the shoes to the lining of the
rubbers.
The S,1Spact uoc eonfopoad ~ ,r