1950-02-20 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1950.

VAST FBI FINGERPRINT FILES TRAP CRIMINALS

The Littlehamptons Off To America

By Osbert Lancaster

"Is it true, Lady Little hampton, that you were once Pout acquainted"

with

· Robeson ?"

France's Navy In

The Rocks

By Frod Mullen

sent to the Federal WASHINGTON,. Feb. 19-Fingerprints Bureau of Investigation by police agencies are resulting in the identifica- tion of fugitives at the rate of 1,000 a month. Yet it was not so many years ago that the world's police had to depend on such things as "camera eyes" (officers with extremely good memories for faces) or on tattooing, branding and maiming to keep track of criminals.

It was not unusual in early ages to chop off a thief's hands. Those who did the chopping did not know it then, but they were destroying the one infallible ineans of identification.

The FBI has been building its Augerprint Ales for a little more than a quarter century, I now has 113,100,000 sets of prints, representing an estimated 75,- Of the prints, 000,000 persona, 18.011,000 are In the criminal fles.

STARTED BY HOOVER Establishment of the FBI's identification division was the Arst thing done by J. Edgar Houver after he became director 1924. Prior to that, In nation's police were dependent on the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Leavenworth (Kansas) peniten- tiary Angerprint flies.

nucleus

the

Those collections provided thei

of the FBI files, establishment of the new central hause fullled 31 At Mers-el-Kebir (Arabic clearing

insistent and growing demand for "The Big Port'), Algerin, the nation's police chiefs for

by the French Navy is preparone central co-operative system. ing to go underground,

Hoover says criminal identi- Heation is the "most patent factor in obtaining the ap preliension of the fugitive who mikill otherwise erenpe arrest

confinue his and

criminal activities."

French Naval Chief-of-Staft. Admiral Lemonnier, revealed that naval workers had begun hewing into the celld rock to build the world's first atomic naval base.

Mers-el-Kebir. one of the

western

gateways

to

the Mediterranean, which the Spanish held for 300 years be- fore the French seized it more than a century ago, is a wide semi-elliptical bay next to Oran.

Entrance to the bay leg be- tween two rocks-the Santon and the Santa Cruz-ench more than 1,000 feet high, d. dominating the arc of the bay for a whole length, are the Murdjadjo Heights, 1500 feet.

The French are burrowing into

The ridges and depressions of to identify persons committed to the Angertips form about three staol. Tenths before birth and remain unchanged throughout life. And to date, no two individuals, even identical twins, have been found to have the same prints.

The

of

A few years later, Sir Francis Galton, an English selentis, established that no two prints were alike, and set up the first

major collection

prints. Almost simultaneously Argen- Chinese centuries

tina's Juan Vucelich told of how may have known the Identifiea-he had made his first criminal Hon value of fingerprints, since identification through Anger- they employed finger and hand prints.

sealing docu- impressions, for ments. However, such im pressions may have had a sym- bolle value.

[1

The first authenticated use of Angerprints in the United States was in 1882. Gilbert Thompson, head of a US. geological Kurvey New Mexico, used his of early in Another Indication

to prevent awareness of the prints is found thumb impression on the face of a Nova Scotian forgery of commissary orders

Gallon's work prompted the cliff, where an Indian crudely carved in 11: "picture writing" British government to assign Sir the outline of a hat

of a hand with ridges E. R. Henry, later

Scotland Yard, to

devise and patterns clearly marked.

There is a diversity of opinion means of classifying

His system was in- as to the first practical applica prints. tion of fingerprints to identificatroduced in England and Wales and become the tion. But here are some of the in July 1801.

basis for systems now used developments of the reience:

Dr Henry Faulds, an English throughout the work. reientist, wrote the Arst article

TREMENDOUS FILES their

use in practical identifying criminals. Ils article appeared in 1880.

Of

and fling

began

To permit easier handling of the tremendous number in its Ales, the FBI devised its own TRIED OUT IN INDIA

modifications and sub-classifica. A few months later the same tions, and It now takes only a to chock a magazine carrie un article by matter of minutes

William Herschel, chief print received from a police Sir

the department administrative officer in

prisons New York Hooghly district of Bengal. Sir

compiling prints

in 1003 and William told how he had used

for 20 years to Leavenworth's warden of 1004. Angerprints identify government pensioners R. W. McClaughry, obtained n collection and event impersonations, and authority to start

there. The Leavenworth collec- flon was started on November 2. 991004, five days after the Henry to system had been explained St Louis (Missouri) police by a Scotland Yard offeer guarding

"WONDER DRUG"been

UNDER ATTACK

the Queen's jubilee presents, then being exhibited at the St Louis exposition.

Todiny. the FBI alles cover

Is the "wonder drug" streptomycin doing more harmeres uf spice on six floors of a

than good? Will it have to be abandoned? American scientists are arguing about it, but answer to these questions is apparent.

the

Washington buildingt British and Incoming prints arrive by mail no clear anil are sorted quickly on the

But recently unlike the

the rock to provide Streptomycin was Gibraltar-like hideout for naval first drug ever discovered writer in the British Medical

Installations, workshops, 50)-

cards 10 through

transmission Journal-he had changed

sixth floor. From there, the a series of sections, and answers are pre- on the ground floor for by telephone, attuck tuber-mind, and believed that recent ( telegraph, or mall to the inquire ¦ trol rooms, barracks, fuel which could

culosis

and germs,

the research had overcome most of police department.

Since it takes only four to five dumps, fooit stores and ofllecs.

of using a cure tuber- the disadvantages

minutes to check a print, police for luberculosis. The natural roof of rock, 1,000 Brst ever to

west coast can, if it is n on the Selmann Waksman.

"hot" case, have an answer in fect or more thick, will protest enlous meningitis disease drug

the them from the weightlest tong-previously considered 100 Russian-born microbiologist 20 minutes from the time

Hutgers University. New Jersey prints are received in the mail U.S.A. discovered streplemycin

opening room on

sixth in 1044.

floor.-United Press.

rango missiles.

A plan is being male to allow for the maximum dispersal of individual ships, some of which will be able to shelter inside

nammoth rock rim.

the

The underground Inyoul will

percent. fatal.

The British Medical Journal tirred up the argument by a that streptomycin ungestion

it have to be abandoned in the not far distant future.

The argument had been going

be on the warship principle-on for a long time. maximum compactness to cram

the most

possible space.

the smallest The Americans had halled the

drug

one of medicine's greatest advancest the Briti Lad always been wary about it.

COMPETITION

FOR PISA

Ripley, Ohio-Pisu has something

its leaning tower.

has a slanting steeple.

Ripley

The spire of the historie old Ripley Methodist

Church hert

is tipped quite noticeably from the perpendicular,

Visitors aro

not reassured when they are told It has feaned like that for al- anost 30 years.

1J7

al

One day a poultryman brought

alting

chicken to

university for diagnosis.

the

the

taken from its NEW X-RAYS

In a culture

Waksmun found Alzzard. white spot.

In his laboratory the spot grew and produced streptomycin. te turned the patent over to his University.

alinost

miraculous

TO ARREST

OLD AGE

a

A few months RO one of Since then streptomych has Britain's

chest produced Kreatest

Swedish radiologist Arne specialists, Dr Geoffrey Marshall, cures and tragie failures.

Ira tuberculous

Frantzell has developed meningitis, called it "a stupid pig of a drug"

direct setion of the drug in high

new technique for X-ray "I'm convinced we shall get concentration is possible because

which make Car better before it is injected daily direct into the photographs

spinal conni after an equal them deplet veins and water long." he said.

quantity of spinal fluid has been in soft tissue.

g method of removed.

accurately But for lung tuberculosin it photographing soft parts of the can attack only through the body is the result of nine years bloodstream and often it fails to experiments at Uppsala Univer-

sity. reach its mark.

He showed experts in Stock- heim recently that he had gone (ar cwands perfecting a way

Home Flect At Gibraltar

Home Fleel

From February 2 until 27. chips of Britain's "I'd still hate to live without are being based the shadow of that thing. What During this period would happen if It would snap and exerelses .on and come crashing to the carried out, and ground?" they ask.

MOST USEFUL

It is most useful in "galloping" in develop X-ray negatives inte nt Gibraltar.consumption before the disease

dend lives with Areater clarity. masses 0:

H's methol Increases the harbour drills has caused nt sea will be times with no blood supply amimber of tonts or shades that

Fame of the all warships may visit other ports. If too much streptomycla is an be transferred to a print.

the sleeple is braced with cablesern Inside, and 13 checked.

The church was erected the troubled days after Civil War in 1900.

SLOWING AGE

used .it can do "crippling" The Fleet will sail from But families living close by

Frantzell in photographin They know Cibraltar to cruise in the Wer damage to the central nervous are not worried.

Mediterranean between system, especially in children,

causing permanent riddiness, normal, healthy humans in age- temperament, even groups' as part of a atusy Di fatty depcneration (the process His pholegraph suggests that encroachment of old age door a person being: not depend on

thielle, energetic, abstemjous or frugal-or the reverse,

Said Frantzell: "I don't wont false hopes, but we o valse

through X-ray photo

advance towards under- and arresting 'pro-

and cancers

periodically February 27 and March 20. changes in

Ships ani squadrons will meet denfness and bindness In hips and squadrons of the

It too lille is given in the of ageing). the Mediterranean Fleet and carry

From early stages of treatment it can jouit exureises with them.

March 20 to March. 22 there will make further treatment useless be a full scale combined fleet by making the germ completely exercise.. ending when both resistant to the drug. Fleets arrive at Gibraltar.

Ayelone that swept through Ripley and surrounding towns in 1021 snapped several sup porting timber girders in tho

^ local .church.

contractor tried to repair the damage by but shortening the supports, that caused the weakened shafi to slant.

Since then a Cincinnati firm .and several steeplejacks have worked on the spire to keep it safe.

The Americans claim that the British doctors who have little

faith in it'must be ignorant of 10

latest developments. But the BMA's

Egg Overcrowded Mrs. Oscar. Knapp of Camden, Michigan, found things some what crowded in an egg the the decision to use strept mycin tumours are more quickly de- cracked. Inside were two yolks is emphatleally one for the tectable by his method of photo. and another eat, shell and all. ¡expert only."

main argu- ment, which probably no one at cesses of old age."

Ile believes this stage would dispute. Is that

K. O. CANNON

Graphy than by manipulation.

The Riddle of the Red Domino.

NOW CALM DOWN; UGLY....

› PERHAPELA LITTLE, SPRAY,

| WAL HELP TO COOL YOU OFF,

CH THAT'C'BETTER –

NOW YOU. SMELL JUNT)

LDER ORCHIDS..!

DON'T DROWN HIM STARUPS! I THINK WE HAD BETTÍN PUMP HEIM ABOUT HIS BOSS FIST - WHO THE DEVIL A

THE PHONE! HELL!)

NEWS IN PICTURES

CHANGE OF COLOUR Although actress Ruth Hussey has always been a brunette, she dyed her hair blonde for a role in a new film with Bing She likes the Crosby, result so much that she may keep it this colour.

SWEDISH TALENT ON DISPLAY-Works by Astrid Bergman and Lars Nordin ! are among the best pictures by young Swedish photographers represented at an exhibition in New York. The display, held in a bookshop, was the first American exhibition of Sweden's young photographers, and was well attended

FIRST SNOW—A street in Tokyo covered with a two- inch snowfall, the first in Japan's capital this season. The snow was preceded and followed by rain, which didn't leave much trace of the white, flaky covering.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER—Mrs Carter De- Haven gives a few last-minute pointers to her daughter, actress Gloria DeHaven, who is playing the part of her real mother in a' Sim about the days when the Carter Dellavens were big names in show business. This is another time when mother knows best,

“KO.Į¿DOR OUT). THE DOGT..

BERLIN'S SCHOOL ZOO—G. Schmidt, a teacher at a girls' school in the Eastern sector of Berlin, usea guinea piga in a natural science lesson. The pulls have built their own zoo, which they run themselves. Starting with a white mouse, the girls gradual, dded snakes, turtles, pigeons, an alligator and some

monkeys.