FINGER-PRINT DETECTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1397, 7 March 1905, Page 3

FINGER-PRINT DETECTION.

FIRST CASE OF KIND IN THE COLONY.

(Per- PressT'iAssoclatlon.) Wellington, last night. , Tho first case in New Zealand in which the prosceution depond sololy upon fingor prints evidence was heard in tho City Polioo Court boforo Dr McArthur, S.M. John Olanoy was charged with breaking I and entering and robbery. The story of the crime before tho Court is briefly Chat tho house of Mrs Williams, Wellington I Terrace, was brokon into during tho j absenoo of the occupants between 4 and 5 I o’olook on tho evening of tho 28rd of last j month. Tho bedroom of Mrs Williams I was ransacked, and two gold rings and a I pair of gold brooohos stolon. Entrance I was effected through one of tho front win- I dows, the uppor pane of which was brokon I by the offender near tho oatoh. Tho fol- I ■ lowing morning a doteotivo found fingor I prints on tho broken pano of glass near I j where tho breaker had evidently caught I j. hold of the sash to, pull the window down. I g Pieoes of glass whoro tho prints showed I

i weca- but out and submitted to tho finger- I . print branch of tho polioo fbr examination. I a The result was that one of the finger I marks was found to correspond with the I imprint of the third finger of the right I hand of John Clanoy, the impression of I whose fingers had been taken a consider- j able time ago by the polioo. This was I reported, and Clanoy was arrested next I day. Experts found 21 characteristics j between the imprints on the glass and I Clanoy’s finger prints, and ths opinion of I the experts is that the chances against the I marks on the glass having been made by j any other finger than Clanoy’s are over I two thousand billion to one. Clanoy was Ir~ oommitted for trial. A I 2,° r