The Uncanny Mix-up: Will and William West at Leavenworth Penitentiary
Exploring the Strange Saga of Will and William West - and Its Potential Effect on Prison Fingerprint Identification Systems
In the year 1903, the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, was home to an intriguing mix-up - a case that would go down in history books as the catalyst for a significant shift in the identification system. Two men, Will and William West, were locked up in the same institution, their striking resemblance causing quite the predicament for the prison officials.
Take a gander at their mugshots and you'd think they were identical twins, or the same man at different stages of life. But unfortunately for the clerk on duty, these were two separate individuals with different fates.
When Will West walked through the doors, the clerk claimed he recognized him immediately. A glance at the records, however, showed a conflicting story. Will insisted he'd never been to Leavenworth. The clerk, assured by what he believed to be a match, pulled out a record with Will's measurements and a striking resemblance - that of inmate William West, who had been serving a life sentence for murder since 1901.
But William wasn't next door, playing hide-and-seek; he was safely tucked away in his cell, unaware of the chaos caused by his near-twin’s arrival.
Fingerprinting, while not yet widespread, saved the day. As the men's prints were taken and compared, the truth couldn't be clearer: they weren't one in the same. It was the only distinguishing factor, as the men's surprising similarities had left the prison officials at a loss.
Rethinking Identification: From Bertillon to Fingerprints
In the early 1900s, fingerprinting hadn't become common practice in the United States. To identify criminals, facilities relied on the Bertillon system - a method using body measurements, mugshots, and physical descriptions. Measurements thought to be as unique as fingerprints, thesemetrics, however, were flawed in the face of two men with such similar measurements.
The Leavenworth incident shed light on the limitations of the Bertillon system, pushing crime labs and law enforcement to adopt fingerprinting as a more reliable form of identification. It wouldn't be long before fingerprints took the stage as the go-to method for confirming a person's identity.
The Fingerprinting Revolution, Unveiled
It was M. W. McClaughry, the son of the prison's warden, who brought the fingerprinting revolution to the U.S. The opportunity present itself when he met Sergeant John K. Ferrier from Scotland Yard at the St. Louis World's Fair. Ferrier shared Scotland Yard's success with fingerprinting, and McClaughry promptly invited him to Leavenworth to train the staff. By November 1904, the prison had established an official fingerprinting system.
Ferrier diligently began taking the prints of all inmates, building what would eventually become the U.S. government's first fingerprint database. From that moment on, this practice became compulsory for each incoming prisoner, ensuring that no one would face the confusing fate that befell Will and William West.
But let's set the record straight: it's a myth that fingerprinting took off due to the Will and William West mix-up. Their case may have happened, but it was merely a coincidence that the timing matched the transition from the Bertillon system to fingerprinting. The myth seems to have surfaced well after the men left Leavenworth, but it's a captivating tale that endures as a part of law enforcement folklore.
Now that you have a taste of the Will and William West story, explore 11 of history's wildest prison escapes. Dive deeper into the lives of some of Alcatraz's most famous inmates.
Enrichment Data:
Overview:
Evolution of Identification Methods in the United States
The identification of individuals has undergone significant changes in the United States, with the case of Will and William West acting as a turning point in the shift from the Bertillon system to the widespread adoption of fingerprinting.
The Flawed Bertillon System
Before the emergence of fingerprinting, the Bertillon system was a popular method for identification purposes. This method relied on measuring specific body dimensions and analyzing mugshots, physical descriptions, and other metrics. While useful in some cases, the Bertillon system proved to have limitations, especially when identical measurements made it impossible to distinguish between individuals.
The Impact of Will and William West
The conundrum faced by Leavenworth Penitentiary officials with Will and William West served as a catalyst for a more reliable method of identification. When their fingerprints were compared, the differences were stark and unquestionable, highlighting the unique properties of fingerprints. This real-life scenario emphasized the need for a more accurate way to identify individuals and paved the way for fingerprinting to gain prominence as a superior identification method.
The Emergence of Fingerprinting
As a result of the Will and William West case, the implementation of fingerprinting systems began to increase across the United States. By the early 20th century, fingerprinting had become a standard practice in law enforcement and corrections. The FBI set up its fingerprint database in 1935, further solidifying the role of fingerprinting in U.S. law enforcement [1][2].
The Role of the International Association for Identification (IAI)
The IAI played a vital role in promoting fingerprinting technology, establishing professional standards, and offering certifications for latent print examiners. This professionalization worked to ensure the reliability and accuracy of fingerprint analysis, further encouraging its widespread adoption.
Conclusion
The case of Will and William West at Leavenworth Penitentiary stands as a milestone in the history of fingerprinting in the United States. It revealed the limitations of earlier identification methods and demonstrated the effectiveness of fingerprinting for unique and accurate identification, ultimately paving the way for its widespread adoption in law enforcement and beyond [1][2].
In the world of general-news, the intriguing case of Will and William West at Leavenworth Penitentiary marked a significant shift in the identity system, forging a more reliable path towards using fingerprints instead of the Bertillon system. This event in history serves as a testament to how sports, specifically mixed-martial-arts, can sometimes involve unwitting duplicates, as their story echoes some aspects of the self-proclaimed 'MMA identical twins,' the West brothers.
On the other hand, the Bertillon system's downfall is a stark reminder of the shortcomings of relying on the 'historically unique' measurements of body dimensions as a method for individual identification, a lesson that could still hold lessons for news coverage of crime-and-justice cases today.
