Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1912 — FINGER PRINTS TELL TALES [ARTICLE]

FINGER PRINTS TELL TALES

Absolute Identification Certain When the Practiced Sleuth Takes Up the Trail. Many years ago Mark Twain, in his delightful story of "Puddin’ Head Wilson,” declared that every man'* identity, and often, even his destiny, is always on his finger tips. Twice on one day this has been recognized tn different parts of the country. It was found that the men who used a launch for the purpose of taking dynamite from the Giant powder works were not the McNamaras. Several finger prints completely exploded the theory. They are, however, the tracks by which others may be overtaken. There could be no doubt that "Edgar R. Jay” arrested in St. Louis for forgery a week after he had married, is Jay Gould Hay, alias Jay Gould, alias Jule Lee. He can not escape the identity of his finger prints at the Indiana and Missouri reformatories. It was only last year that there were two remarkable warnings to the criminal class to wear gloves. Charles Crisp! was arrested and convicted for burglary in New York solely because he left behind on window glass four finger marks. They were only a few hairline etchings, but they singled out of millions of people the only one who could have made them. It was difficult to obtain a jury that would convict on finger print evidence alone, but when it was shown that there is only one’ chance in sixty-four billions that two finger prints will be alike, that there was no great likelihood of any two of the 1,600,000,000 people now on the earth being able to make the same finger markings, the prisoner gave up. Again, in New York, was the remarkable case growing out of the murder of Isaac Vogel, ah itinerate jewel broker. It was a single imprint of a finger on a silver cigarette case that led to the arrest of Joseph Thus far finger print evidence la; associated in the public mind with criminology. But the day may come when people registering to vote will be required to press their thumb down next to their names. Philadelphia reformers, who are battling against the floater and duplicate voting system, advocate It. They insist that it is only-a step beyond requiring the voter to write his name at registration and again—by the side of the first signature—when he comes to vote. It is thought the finger print would stop floaters. \ . t