“Hardly that. Finger prints for the purpose of identification were used in the Far East before history was invented to record it.”
Mr. Farr frowned impatiently. “They were its foremost modern exponents as a means of criminal identification?”
“Perfectly true. They were pioneers and very distinguished authorities.”
“Shortly before his death in 1911, did Sir Francis Galton write a monograph on some recent developments in finger-print classification?”
“He did.”
“Did the dedication read ‘To Gabriel Barretti, My Pupil and My Master’?”
“Yes. Sir Francis was more than generous.”
“Are you officially associated with any organization at present?”
“Oh, yes. I am very closely associated with the work of the Central Bureau of Identification in New York, and with the work of the Army and Navy Bureau in Washington.”
“You are the court of final appeal in both places, are you not?”