Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on February 7, 1946.
Lodge Theft Trial Opens
Policeman Testifies Tell-Tale Finger Prints Discovered
Bayard Lucas, 60, former Valparaiso university engineering student of 1907, went on trial before Judge Walter M. Crisman in Porter circuit court Wednesday on a charge of breaking and entering the Elks lodge rooms in this city Oct. 31 last.
Lucas is accused of taking pennies from a glass jar used to receive donations for service men. The jar is said to have contained $50.
A print of Lucas’ little finger of the right hand found on the glass jar is the main evidence relied upon by the state to convict the defendant.
Yesterday afternoon most of the hearing was consumed in direct testimony given by Patrolman Archie Cain, finger print expert of the city police department.
Explains Technique
Under questioning by Prosecutor G.L. Burns, former finger print expert and investigator for the Los Angeles, Calif., police department, Cain testified to 20 similar characteristics found on the latent print taken from the glass jar and the actual print of Lucas’ little finger.
According to Cain twelve characteristics are sufficient to prove prints are similar. The witness said that a print taken from the jar and a print of Lucas’ finger showed three bifurcating ridge lines side by side all forked in the same direction. Another characteristic was a scar which smudged one bifurcation. The same scare was found in both prints. These similarities prove positively the two prints are from the same finger, Cain said
Case Continued
Cain was still on the stand when court was adjourned yesterday. Because of other business Judge Crisman continued the case until Friday morning.
Larry Graham, former bartender at the Elks’ lodge, was the first witness called. He identified the glass jar and said it was about two-thirds full of pennies just before the robbery. He estimated the jar contained about $50.
Lucas was arrested at Ottawa, Ill. recently by police of that city on suspicion of several robberies. On his person a membership application card of the Valparaiso Lodge of Elks was found. Ottawa authorities released him to Valparaiso police because it was deemed local authorities had a better case against him.
