ARE FINGER-PRINTS GOOD EVIDENCE?

Shannon News, 30 December 1921, Page 4

ARE FINGER-PRINTS GOOD EVIDENCE?

EXPERT DECLARES TJHEY MAY BE FORGED. San Francisco, December 18. Mr Milton Carlson, of Los Angeles, a finger-print expert of international reputation, attacks the alleged infallibility of finger-print evidence. “This evidence, as introduced in trials,” says Mr Carlson, “is irregular, improper, and should not be admissible. Judges and juries convicting persons largely on the’ strength of finger-print evidence have erred.” Mr Carlson supports. his assertions by reference to the finger prints of a New York man convicted of' murder by a finger impression on the shirt of the victim, and executed in 1918, and his own forgeries of this print on one of his visiting cards. The distinctive characteristic of the murderer’s finger print was the formation of a figure U among the whorl lines of the thumb,” continued Mr Carlson. “Under the. magnifying glass this figure shows as distinctly on my forged prints as on the original print.” Mr Carlson did not reveal his method of forging prints, but claims that the admission of finger print evidence is unfair to the accused, wno has no opportunity of proving that the impression may have been a forgery once the graphite or other powder lias been scattered over the print on the article submitted in evidence.