history of fingerprinting

Arrest warrants were issued, and both men were picked up on April 2. The print on the box turned out to be an exact match for Alfred Stratton.

The pair was put on trial at the Old Bailey during the first week of May, 1905. By now, the case had earned a series of nicknames—From “The Mask Murders” to “The Deptford Murders” and “The Farrow Murders.” The legendary Sir Richard Muir served as lead prosecutor. Muir called over 40 witnesses to the stand, including Albert Stratton, whom Muir trapped in a series of inconsistencies and lies. Muir also called William Gittings, a jailer, to testify that Albert had said, “I reckon he (meaning Albert’s brother, Alfred) will get strung up and I shall get about 10 years. He has led me into this.”

The jury deliberated only two hours before convicting both brothers. They were condemned to death. Appeals were quickly filed and just as quickly denied. At 9:00 A.M. on May 23, both men were hanged.

With the groundbreaking Stratton case, the science of fingerprinting was firmly established as paramount to the criminal investigation process. This was, without a doubt, a watershed moment in crime history.

How the Stratton Brothers Became the First British Killers Busted by a Fingerprint

A thumbprint on a cashbox led police to the murderers—and changed the course of criminal history.