CONDEMNED BY FINGER PRINTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7813, 4 May 1905, Page 2

CONDEMNED BY FINGER PRINTS.

(Per Press Association.) WELIJNUTON, May. !1. At the Supreme Court to-day Johu' Clancy, a. young man, was cluirgcd with breaking and entering nod theft at Wellington, -on February 23rd, There were two counts, one of breaking and entering lo commit a crime, and another of breaking and entering und stealing two gold rings aaa* two brooches, the property of Mary Ann Williams. Tho case in unique in New Zealand in that it is the first in New Zcuhiiul in which tho sole evidence for the prosecution was the print or a part of a finger till, alleged to have been left by. the accused on a window pane of this house broken into. Counsel for the Crown wild tho case was a very important one to the public. Theft was generally discovered by the way stolen properly was disposed of by tha offenders. The stolon property i n t'lis case hud not been recovered. As for accused lie hud not been seen in the locality uf Mm Williams' dwcFling-houKu on the dnv in question. The Crown woulil prove its casi» beyond \\\ v possibility of doubt solejy upon tho linger print. Tho pieca o.f glass on which lb* print waj» left was cut out by a glazier, photographed, and compaied with accused'* linger records in the linger-print branch at tie Poltc* Department. The result of the Sfcmil«rison was that twenty-four characteristics corresponded. Th» powlMlity of-mistake was absolutely eliminated. Tho Chief Justice, in summing up,' said if the Jury was satisfied that the finger-print on the glass w«» identical with the record put in by. tho Department's officers, it was rea-' sonobki inference that that priii? belonged to the man who went into the house, and) a further- reasonable inference was thait the man entered the house to Commit crime; Prisoner was found" guilty of break-i ling and entering, and WAS remando* for sentence,