The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-07-24
The Microscope = : peteotiv..

sfatss the importance Of this instru.
mont to sooisty. although was put In
avery unpleasant position, owing 70
my acquaintance with Il. I have. q
you al know, given = great deal Of
attention to comparative anatomy. -
pecially to the structure Of the hair q
1t appears under the microscope. To
the unassisted eye, indeed, all hair o.
pears very much alike, sxospt q Il 10
long or short, dark or fair, straight or
curly, coarse or hns. Under the mi
croscope. however. the cass 10 very
different: the white mans 10 round.
the negro's oval, the mouse's appar-
emily jointed, the bats jagged, and %
on. Indeed, every animal has hair OF
peculiar character; and what 10 more,
this character varies aCcosding 10 the
part from which 1t is taken-au i'm.
portant circumstance. y Il viii appeas
from my story. which 10 this: I once
received letter BY post, containing .
few hairs, with request that I should
examine them, and adding that they
would be called for In Q few days.
Accordingly, l submitted the hairs 70
the microscope, when I discovered
that they were from the human eye.
brow, and had been bruised. made
. note to that effect. and folded it with.
In an envelope. ready for the person
who sent them. In . few days .
stranger called and inquired whether
l had made the examin alton.
!. "Oh /! yes," I said; "there they are,
and you will 6nd them and their de-
scription In this envelope" handing
IL to him at the same time.
He expressed himself - being much
obliged and offered mo fss, which
however declined, telling him that
could not think Of taking money for
80 small . matter.
1t turned out, however, TO be Of more
consequence than / had imagined for
within . week was served with Q
subpoena to attend % witness In
trial Of murder. This vas very dis
agreeable, - have said but there
WAS no help for 1t now. The case was
this: A man had been killed BY
blow from some blunt instrument on
the eyebrow, and the hairs sent 10 mo
for examination had heen taken from
. hammer In the possession Of the sus-
pectsd murderer. l was put In the
witncss box, and my testimony. that
"the hairs were from the human eye.
brow and had been bruised" wss just
the link In the chain Of evidence that
sufhced to convict the prisoner. The
Jury however. were not easily satisfled
that my statement WAS worth any.
thing; and It required the solemn
Of the Judge that such
conclusion was within the reach Of
science. to convince them thet they
might act upon 1t. One juryman In
old farmer-was very
hard to satisfy.
Does thee mean to say" said he,
"that thee oan tell the hair Of an anil
NAL 2"
answered that would not take
upon myself to assert positively that
could do 90. though I believed could.
"Well," said he, "I'll prove thee"
The prisoner. - I said. was convict
ed and went home. In . busy life
Of extensive practics. I forgot all about
the obstinate old farmer. About two
years aftsrward person, an entire
stranger to me. called on mo With .
few hairs screwed up in . pieos Of pa.
per. which he asked me to examine
and report on.
rs this another murder cass?" I
inquired; "for II 20, I will have moth.
Ing to do with It. I have had enough
Of that sort Of work."
mo. no. said he, "its nothing Of
the kind. It's only . matter Of curios-
ity, which I would be very much
obliged to you II you would solve;
and ii you will do II will call or send
Tor the result Of your examinations In
> few days" Having received this
I undertook the investiga-
ton. When he was gone, had lsis-
ure. l put tho hairs under . micro
scope, and soon discovered that they
were taken from the back Of Norway
rat.
Two or three days afterwards - I
was sitting in my room, an old farmer
ooking man was ushered In.
"Well, said he, "has thee looked at
hem hais?"
"Yes," answered, land find that
hey are from the back Of . Norway
rat.n
"Well!" he exclaimed, $50 they are.
Thou hast forgotten me, but I have
not forgotten thee. Dost thou rscol-
cot the trial OF murder ct L. ASST
.es? said would prove thee. and 20
have, them hairs came from the back
II rat skin my son sent me from
Norway"
30 the old gentleman was quite sat-
sfied with the proof to which he bad
out me, and - you may suppose.
was well pleased that my skill and
had stood such queer proof
" this, and more convinced than ever
II the value Of the microscope.
Here the doctor ended his history,
which l have given nearly - possible
IN his own words, and on which b.
ieved thorough dependence could b
placed.
Lynch Law In Indiana.