PERSONS BEHIND IN FINGERPRINT

EVANS, CAPTAIN WILLIAM K. (1969)

He founded the first home study course in fingerprint identification. Located in Chicago, Illinois and
originally named “Evans University” the name was changed to the University of Applied Science,” which
was later changed to “Institute of Applied Science.” This institute was the first private school to install
laboratories for instruction purpose in Dactyloscopy.

THOMAS BEWICK (1753-1828)

A British author, naturalist and engraver who became England’s finest engraver who made fingerprint
stamps. He made wooden engravings of fingerprints and published their images In his books where he
used an engraving of his fingerprints as a signature. The engravings demonstrate familiarity with the
construction of skin ridge. In two of the books he added “Thomas Bewick, his mark” under the
impression.

SIR. WILLIAM J. HERSCHEL

He is credited as being the first European to recognize the value of friction ridge points and of friction
ridge points and to actually use them for indentification purpose. He became a member of the civil
service of India, where he was put in charge of a subdivision of Jungepoor on the Upper Hoogly River.

DR. J.C.A. MAYER (1788) OF GERMANY

He published the following statements in his anatomical atlas; “Although the arrangement of skin ridged
is never duplicated in two persons, nevertheless the similarities are closer among some individuals”. This
deduction was published 100 year before the konia contact.

DR. HENRY FAULDS (1843-1930)

In 1875, Faulds had opened a missionary hospital and a year later started a medical school in Japan
where he may have been exposed to fingerprints. He wrote a letter to Charles Darwin telling of his
studies and requesting assistance. He mentioned that fingerprints can be classified easily and that ridge
details is unique. He pointed out the value of fingerprinting as being “medico legal studies” and
commented that photographs of people change over the years but rogue (friction ridges) never changes.
Faulds also mentioned apprehending criminals by locating fingerprints at crime scenes.

THOMAS TAYLOR (1877)

A microscopist of the Department of Agriculture, Washington DC , who also suggested that fingerprints
could be used to solve crime. The July 1877 issue of “The American Journal of Microscope and Popular
Science” contained the text form part of a lecture by Taylor.
ALPHONSE BERTILLON (1853-1914)

He devised the first truly scientific method of criminal identification in Paris France called
anthropometry of Bertillonage. He conceived the idea of using anatomical measurement to distinguish
one criminal from another. He decided to use various body measurements such as head length, head
breadth, length of left middle finger, length of the left cubit (forearm)/ length of left foot, body height,
face breadth, face height and other descriptions including features such as scars and hair eye color to
distinguish criminals.

SIR. FRANCIS GALTON (1822-1911)

He has been described as one of the greatest in the 19 th century. He was an anthropologist. Galton was
of the option that fingerprinting might be a better method of identification. He added fingerprinting to
his presentation of Bertillon and entitled “Personal Identification and Description”

SIR. EDWARD HENRY

At the same time that Vucetech was experimenting with fingerprinting in Argentina, another
classification system was being developed in India. This sytem was called “The Henry Classification
System.” In 1891, he was appointed Inspector General of Police for Bengal Province. Upon taking his
new post, Henry found the anthropometric system was being used to identify criminals. He developed
some doubts about the accuracy of the anthropometric measurements that were being stored in the
files. He also found that close supervision during the collection of data was very diffcicult.

MARCELLO MALPIGHI (1628-1694)

A professor in 1685 at the University of Bologna, Italy, Published the results of his examination of the
friction skin with the newly invented microscope. He has been credited with being the first to use a
microscope in medical studies. His work was received with such enthusiasm that one of the layers of the
skin was named in his honor. He was a professor of anatomy. His paper dealt mainly with the function,
form, and structure of the friction skin as a tactile organ, and its use in the enhancement of fraction for
walking and grasping. He was known as the “Grandfather of Dactyloscopy” according to Doctor.

EDMOND LOCARD (1877-1966)

In 1912, Locard established Poroscopy. Due to his other writings, his ideas about the unintentional
transfer of different minute materials between objects, became known as locard’s Excange Principle
which states that when any two objects come into contact, here is always transference of material from
each object onto the other. Edmond Locard, the “Father of Poroscopy.” He originated the terms “loops
and spirals.”

JOHANNES EVANGELISTA PURKINJI (1787-1869)

A professor of Germany who published a thesis that contained his studies on the eye, fingerprints and
othe skin features entitled, “Commentatio de Examine Phisiologico Organi Visus et Systematis.” He
classified nine principal configuration groups of fingerprints and assigned each a name. He was known as
the “Father of Dactyloscopy”.
PRIMITIVE METHODS OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

CHINA

It was a common practice for the Chinese to use inked fingerprints on official documents, land scales,
contracts, loans and acknowledgements of debt. The oldest existing documents so endorsed dated from
the 3rd century B.C and it was still an effective practice until recent times. Emperor Ts-in-tse (246-210
B.C) is reported as being the first Chinese emperor to use clay finger seals for sealing documents. The
documents of time were wooden tablets with whittled pieces of bamboo bound together with strings.
The seal iteself was a small drop of clay. A carved stamp with fingerprint was embossed on the other to
prove authenticity and paper “hand prints” became the most common method of ensuring the
genuiness of a contract. The right hand was simply traced or stamped onto a document. The
anthropometric of hand size and shape, along with a signature, were often enough to ensure
authenticity.

JAPAN

Legal papers were marked in ink using the top of the thumb abd nail, However, nail stamping cannot be
considered a method of friction ridge indentification. A Japanese historian, Kamagusu Minakata further
commented about blood stamping. Apparently, contracts were accompanied by written oath confirmed
with blood stamp. The blood stamp was a print of the ring finger in blood drawn from that digit.

FRANCE

The most ancient famous ancient stone carvings are found in the L’lle De Gavrinis Off the coast of
France. Here, a burial chamber, or a dolman, was discovered dating back to Neolithis times. The dolman,
constructed of slabs of stones, is a gallery leading into an enlarged chamber, the structure being
embedded into a low mound of earth. Its inner walls are covered with incised designs-systems of horse-
shoe form, more or less circular concentric figures, spiral, arching lines and straight lines and other
Markings occurring in various combinations. Many anthropologist interpret these lines as representing
finger or palm print patterns.

NOVA SCOTIA

An outline of hand was scratch into slate rock beside Kejimkujik Lake by an aboriginal Indian. The carving
is an outline of a hand and fingers. Within the ouline of the flexion creases of the palm and fingers are
depicted. This carving has considerable historical significance. Although it does not demonstrate
knowledge of the individuality of friction ridges of plamar flexion creases, it clearly illustrates an early
awareness of the presence of those formations.

BABYLONIA

References by ancient historians have been describing how finger seals were used on legal contracts
from 1885-1913 B.C. The finger impressions of the parties involved in a contract or agreement were
apparently pressed into the clay surface along with the script. This practice identified the author and
protected against forgery. References dating from the rule of Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C) indicate that
law were authorized to secure the fingerprints of arrested persons. Also, fingerprints were found on the
300-years old clay slabs in King Tue_Khamin’s tomb in Egypt. Fingerprints were pressed into the walls of
the tomb creating intricate designs.
SYSTEMATIC AND SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

DACTYLOSCOPY

Defined as the identification of a person through the examination and comparison of fingerprints. It is
also the classification of fingerprints. It was derived form the Greek Words DACTYLOS which means a
finger and SKOPIEN which means to examine.

Dactylography – is the process of analysing the fingerprints

BRANCH OF DACTYLOSCOPY

1. CHIROSCOPY – allied science of Dactyloscopy which deals with the study of the palms of the
hand. Derived form the Greek words CHEIR which means a hand and SKOPIEN which means to
examine.
2. PODOSCOPY – branch of the science of Dactyloscopy which deals with the study of the sole of
the foot. Derived from the Greek words PODO which means foot and SKOPIEN which means to
examine.
3. POROSCOPY – branch of the science of Dactyloscopy which deals with the study of sweat pores
found in the friction skin. Derived fron the Greek words POROS which means pores and SKOPIEN
which means to examine.

Of the different aspects of personal identification, it was proven beyond reasonable doubt and the
proper authorities concerned that fingerprints is:

1. The only infallible system of identification throughout the world.

2. It is the most convincing proofs of man’s individuality.
3. It enables to unmask the real identity of the law breaker.

FORENSIC CHEMISTRY

Experiments/analysis on blood cells, tissues, saliva, urine, hair, semen, blood stain etc. (Biological
evidence)

MEDICO LEGAL/FORENSIC MEDICINE

(tasked of a doctor) The examination of a person living or dead with the principles of medicine as
applied to law

FORENSIC CHEMISTRY

Deals with the application of chemical principles in the examination of physical evidence

FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY

Dental/denture examination and analysis

CARTOGRAPHY (Portrait Parle) = cartographic sketches

Identification of a person through drawing or sketching the physical features of the suspect.
PHOTOGRAPHY

Identification through pictures or photographs.