Читать книгу Convict Life at the Minnesota State Prison, Stillwater, Minnesota онлайн

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The finger-print system was invented by the Chinese thousands of years ago, and is considered to be the safest method yet discovered for correct identification purposes. Today it is being extensively used in this country and in Europe. The United States Government has a perfectly organized bureau in operation in [pg 20] conjunction with its federal and military prisons. Hundreds of thousands of thumb prints have been made, but no two have yet been found exactly alike.

The impetus given to the system in this country is perhaps due to Mark Twain, America's famous humorist, author, publisher, printer and lecturer. In “Puddenhead Wilson” Mr. Clemens has the village dunce riding a “hobby” at full tilt and that hobby was the taking of finger impressions. The citizens considered him a weak-minded fool, but to humor him they allowed impressions of the balls of their fingers to be taken. The names of their owners were recorded and then carefully filed away. Finally Puddenhead Wilson proved himself to be anything but a fool, for when a mysterious murder was committed in the village he apprehended the perpetrator of the crime, his sole clue being the bloody imprints of the murderer's fingers found on the woodwork in the room where the crime was committed. The finger-print system, since the advent of Mr. Clemens' book, has sprung into vogue in all parts of the country.