The Shasta courier., 1872-06-01
CIRcUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.

Some time ago, being in company With
medical man, whom will call DR.. B..
we fell into conversation on the uses of the
microscope, in the management of which
he was an adept.
"Now," he said, II will tell you story Of
what happened to myself; one which |
think well illustrates the importance of this
instrument to society, though was put in
a very unpleasant position owing to my
acauaintance with it.
Il have, as you know, given great deal
of attention to comparative anatomy, especi.
| ally to the structure of the hair as it appears
under the microscope. To the unassisted
eyes, indeed, all hair appears very much
ait e, except as it is long or short, dark or
fair, straight or curly, coarse or fine. I'm
der the microscope, however, the case is
very different; the white man mans is
round. the negro's oval, the mouse's ap-
parently jointed, the bats jagged, and SO on.
Indeed, every animal has hair of a peculiar
character; and. what is more, this chara :
ter varies according to the purt from which
it is taken-an important circumstance,
which will appear from my story which
is follows:
II once received letter by post, con-
tanning few hairs, with a request that |
would examine them, and adding that they
would be called for in few days Accord.
ingly, /. submitted the h; irs to the micros
cope, when | discovered that they were
from the human eyebrow, and had been
bruised l made note to that effect, and
folded it within an envelope, ready for the
person who sent them. In few days a
stranger called and inquired whether had
made the the investigation.
"Oh, yes l said there they are, and
yon will find them and their description iu
this envelope hsnding it to him at the
same time.
"He expressed himself as being much
obliged, and offered me fee, which, how
ever. l declined, telling him l could not
think of taking anything for so small a
matter.
at turned out, however, of more conse.
quence than l had imagined, for within a
week l was served with suboena to
attend Us a witness in trial of murd
This was very disagreeabe, as 1 have said !;
but there was help for it now. The case
was thus: A man had been killed by a
bow, from some blunt instrument, on the
eyebrow, and the hairs sent to me for ex-
animation had been taken from a hammer
in the possession of the suspected murderer
l s'put in the witness box, and my testi
mony, "that the hairs were from the
human eyebrow and had been bruised"
was just the link in the chain of evidence
was which sufficed to convict the prisoner
The jury, however, were not easily satisfied
that my statement was worth anything and
it required the solemn assurance of the
Jud ge that such conclusion was within
the reach of science to convince them that
they might act upon it.
"One juryman in particular-ap old
farmer-was very had to satisfy.
"Does Il ee !: can to say said he, shat
thee can tell the hair Of any animal?'
II answered that l would not take upon
myself to assert positive that l could do so,
although believed ] could.
'Well,' said he, I'll prove thee
"The prisoner, as said, was convicted,
and | went home. In busy life of an
extensive practice | forgot all about my
obstinate old farmer About two years
afterward, however, a person, an utter
stranger to me called on ME with few
hairs screwed up in piece of paper. which
he asked me to examine and report on
ais this another murder case;' inquir
ed 'for if so, l will have nothing to do
with it. l have had enough of that sort
of work.
"No-no,' said he, 'it is nothing of the
kind. 1t is ouly matter of curiosity,
which | would be very much Obliged if
you would solve; and if you will do it,
will call or send for the result of your
examination in few days time
"Having received this assurance, l un-
dertook the investigation
"When he was gone, and | had leisure
put the hair under microscope. aud soon
discovered that they we're taken from the
back of Il Norway rat.
Two or thee days aiterward, as was
sitting 10 my room, an old farmer looking
man was ushered in.
"Well, said he, has thee looked as them
hairs 2
YES answered, 'and 1 find that they
are from the back of Norway rat
WELL! be exclaimed, so they are
Thou hast forgotten me, but have moi
forgotten thee. Dost thou recollect the
trial of murder at l. ssszcs? l said ]
would prove thee, and so / have, for them
hairs come from the back Of rats skin my
son sent me from Norway
$50 the old gentleman was quite salts
fed with the proof to which he had put
me, and /, as you may suppose, was vel
pleased that my skill and sagaci'y had
stood such queer proof as this. and more
convinced than ever Of the value Of the
miscroscope."
Here the doctor ended his story, which
have given, as nearly as possible, In his
own words, and upou which [ believe q