The Plain Arch
In plain arches the ridges enter on one side of the impression and
flow or tend to flow out the other with a rise or wave in the center.
The plain arch is the most simple of all fingerprint patterns, and it
is easily distinguished. Figures 107 to 118 are examples of the plain
arch. It will be noted that there may be various ridge formations such
as ending ridges, bifurcations, dots and islands involved in this type
of
i.e., they enter on one side, make a rise or wave in the center, and
flow or tend to flow out the other side.
Figures 119 and 120 are examples of plain arches which approximate
tented arches. Also, figure 121 is a plain arch approximating a tented
arch as the rising ridge cannot be considered an upthrust because it
is a continuous, and not an ending, ridge. (See following explanation
of the tented arch.)
More
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Jacket Folder File
When an identification bureau receives prints of individuals on whom it already has prints, it is not practical to keep more than one set of prints per person in what may be called the active fingerprint file. In these instances the better print sho... Latent Fingerprints
To adequately develop the latent prints at crime scenes, it is necessary that the proper equipment be provided. This equipment includes latent fingerprint powders, brushes, lifting tape, fingerprint camera, searchlight, and scissors. All of this equ... Latent Impressions
Each ridge of the fingers, palms, and soles bears a row of sweat pores which in the average person constantly exude perspiration. Also, the ridges of the fingers and palms are in intermittent contact with other parts of the body, such as the hair ... Mechanical Operation
In order to take good fingerprints, the necessary equipment should be maintained in a neat and orderly manner at all times. Poor impressions are usually caused by one of the following faults: 1. The use of poor, thin, or colored ink, resulting i... Name Files
There will be times when it may be necessary to locate an individual's fingerprints when no current fingerprints are available, but the name with a police number or the classification is known. In order to facilitate work of this nature, as well as ... Permanent Disabilities
Another phase involves permanent disabilities which can in most cases be controlled by the identification officer. These can be lack of fingers (born without), amputations, crippled fingers (bent, broken), deformities (webbed, extra fingers), and ol... Photographs
Arrangements should be made to procure a camera for taking photographs of the persons fingerprinted. This is known as a mugging camera and various types are on the market. It is believed that the photographs should include a front and side view of t... Powdering And Lifting Latent Impressions
The sole purpose in developing a latent impression is to make it visible so that it may be preserved and compared. Various powders and chemicals are used for this purpose. When a latent print is plainly visible, it should be photographed before ... Preparation Of Fingerprint Charts For Court Testimony
In testifying to fingerprint identification, the expert often prepares charts to visually aid the court and jury in understanding the nature of his testimony. Many times it is undoubtedly difficult for the layman to perceive, from a vocal explanat... Problems And Practices In Fingerprinting The Dead
Each year new graves are opened in potter's fields all over the United States. Into many of them are placed the unknown dead--those who have lived anonymously or who, through accident or otherwise, lose their lives under such circumstances that id... Questionable Patterns
No matter how definite fingerprint rules and pattern definitions are made, there will always be patterns concerning which there is doubt as to the classification they should be given. The primary reason for this is the fact that probably no two fi... Radial And Ulnar Loops
The terms radial and ulnar are derived from the radius and ulna bones of the forearm. Loops which flow in the direction of the ulna bone (toward the little finger) are called ulnar loops and those which flow in the direction of the radius bone are c... Record Of Additional Arrest
It is not necessary for a bureau to send a regular fingerprint card to the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on individuals who have been arrested repeatedly and whose previous records are known to the local law enforcem... Referencing
Too much stress cannot be placed upon the necessity of referencing questionable patterns, whether it be in the interpretation of the type of pattern, the ridge count, or the tracing. The factors which make it necessary are: variation in individual... Ridge Counting
The number of ridges intervening between the delta and the core is known as the ridge count. The technical employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation count each ridge which crosses or touches an imaginary line drawn from the delta to the core.... Searching
When searching a print through the fingerprint files in order to establish an identification, it should be remembered that the fingerprint cards are filed in such a way that all those prints having the same classification are together. Thus, the pri... Technical Consideration
The methods described are intended to record, either by printing with ink or by photographing as legibly as possible, the ridge details of the tips of the fingers of unknown dead for identification purposes. The securing of the impressions enables t... Temporary Disabilities
There are temporary disabilities affecting an individual's hand which are sometimes beyond the control of the identification officer. These can be fresh cuts, or wounds, bandaged fingers or finger, occupational (carpenters, bricklayers, etc.) bliste... The Classification Formula
At this point it is necessary to mention that when prints are classified, markings are indicated at the bottom of each finger block to reflect the type. The following symbols are used: - Under the index fingers the appropriate capital letters... The Identification Division Of The Fbi
The FBI Identification Division was established in 1924 when the records of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Leavenworth Penitentiary Bureau were consolidated in Washington, D.C. The original collection of only 810,000 fingerp... The Loop
In fingerprints, as well as in the usual application of the word loop, there cannot be a loop unless there is a recurve or turning back on itself of one or more of the ridges. Other conditions have to be considered, however. A pattern must possess s... The Plain Arch
In plain arches the ridges enter on one side of the impression and flow or tend to flow out the other with a rise or wave in the center. The plain arch is the most simple of all fingerprint patterns, and it is easily distinguished. Figures 107 to 11... The Plain Whorl
The plain whorl consists of the simplest form of whorl construction and is the most common of the whorl subdivisions. It is designated by the symbol W for both general classification and extension purposes. The plain whorl has two deltas and at le... The Tented Arch
In the tented arch, most of the ridges enter upon one side of the impression and flow or tend to flow out upon the other side, as in the plain arch type; however, the ridge or ridges at the center do not. There are three types of tented arches: ... The Use Of The Fingerprint Camera
If a fingerprint is visible, an effort should be made to photograph it before any attempt is made to develop it. In every case a print developed with powder should be photographed before lifting. It sometimes happens that the print does not lift p... The Whorl
The patterns to which numerical values are assigned in deriving the primary in the extension of the Henry System of fingerprint classification used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the whorl-type patterns, which occur in about 30 percent o... Types Of Patterns
Fingerprints may be resolved into three large general groups of patterns, each group bearing the same general characteristics or family resemblance. The patterns may be further divided into sub-groups by means of the smaller differences existing bet... Unidentified Latent Fingerprint File
From time to time the FBI is requested to conduct surveys and participate in conferences and in police schools on the problem of fingerprint identification. As a result of its observations in the course of these activities it has been found tha... Wanted Notices
All wanted notices containing fingerprints, including the wanted notices inserted in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, should be filed in the fingerprint file by classification formula, and the names appearing on these wanted notices should be index... Water-soaked Fingers
The third and final type of case which may confront the identification officer concerns the problem of maceration, that is, long immersion of the fingers in water. One of the cardinal rules for securing legible impressions is that the fingers mus... Whorl Tracing
The technique of whorl tracing depends upon the establishment of the focal points--the deltas. Every whorl has two or more. When the deltas have been located, the ridge emanating from the lower side or point of the extreme left delta is traced until... X-ray Photography
The use of X-ray photographs (radiography) has been advocated by some for purposes of recording the ridge details in decomposed, desiccated, or macerated cases. Briefly, the procedure involves the covering of the fingers with heavy salts such as bis... 18th Century Reading and Writing
Historians soon learn not to assume that people in the past thought about and experienced life in the same ways that we do today. Something as basic to us as writing was quite different in 18th Century British-America. British-Americans in that century sp... A FAMOUS FORGERY
Very few cases have arisen in this country in which the genuineness of handwriting was the chief contention, and in which such momentous interests were at stake, as in the case of the forged "Morey-Garfield Letter." It was such as to arouse and a... A WARNING TO BANKS AND BUSINESS HOUSES
The following chapter is written by Mr. William C. Shaw, of Chicago, the well-known handwriting expert and expert on forgery, whose services are called in all important forgery and disputed handwriting cases in the country. It is replete with fac... CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT INDICATED BY HANDWRITING
A person's handwriting is really a part of himself. It is an expression of his personality and his character and is as characteristic of his general make-up as his gait or his tone of voice. There is always a direct and apparent connection... CHARACTERISTIC WRITING OF A FEW OF THE WORLD'S BEST-KNOWN LITERARY MEN AND AUTHORS
<img src="/images/036.jpg" alt="CHARACTERISTIC WRITING OF A FEW OF THE WORLD'S BEST-KNOWN LITERARY MEN AND AUTHORS." width="536" height="949"> ... CHARACTERISTIC WRITING OF SOME OF THE BEST KNOWN MEN IN THE BANKING WORLD OF THE UNITED STATES
<img src="/images/025.jpg" alt="Signatures of best known men in the banking world of the United States." width="528" height="629"> <img src="/images/026.jpg" alt="More signatures of best known men in the banking world of the United States." width="5... CURIOUS AND FREAKISH SIGNATURES OF WELL-KNOWN BANKERS AND BUSINESS MEN
<img src="/images/029.jpg" alt="Curious and freakish signatures of well-known bankers." width="539" height="894"> <img src="/images/030.jpg" alt="Curious and freakish signatures of well-known bankers." width="534" height="1476"> <img src="/images... DETECTING FORGERY WITH THE MICROSCOPE
In all examinations of questioned signatures to determine the individual habit of the writer the use of the compound microscope is a necessity to obtain the best field for study and analysis for the reason that the most important details are ofte... DETECTING FRAUD AND FORGERY IN PAPERS AND DOCUMENTS
The art of detecting forgery or fraud, in checks, drafts, documents, seals, writing materials, or in the characters themselves is a study that has attracted handwriting experts since its study was taken up. There are almost infallible rules for t... ERASURES, ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS
Erasure or erazuer, as it is more commonly called in England, from the Latin word "scrape or shave" is the scraping or shaving of a deed, note, signature, amount or of any formal writing. In England, except in the case of a will, the presumption,...