The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-07-23

| OF her cousin nom the awful charge th0l lay
against H., as both of them were convinced
that, whatever differences may have existed
between the old man and the nephew, the
latter was utterly incapable Of the crime Of
which he was suspected But now, after
hearing the evidence that had been led the
| young lawyer was somewhat staggered aud
| shaken In his belief in the innocence Of
young Anthony; and as he recalled to mind
| the succession OF hlackcning circumstances
| which linked the accused with the crime
charged against him, he felt that any at
| tempts to save him would be all but hope
| less.
As he sat thus his eye fell upon the va.
rious articles produced ut the inquest, and
now ranged upon the table, having TO do
with tho condition IN which the body of the
deceased was found, and among these was
the whte-handled pocket knife, stained with
blood, which had belonged to the young man
accused of the crime. II was one of the fatal
links in the chain of evidence against him.
| But there were other articles likewise blood
| stained. and among these was n sheet Of paper
on which the old man had written the date
| preliminary to commencing letter TO some
correspondent or other. The letter was never
written, for the hand of the murderer had
clutuhed him then, aud the sheet was now
dahbcd with the lifc.blood of the unfurtu-
| nate old man.
with kind of morbid curiosity Robert
Slater put out his hand and took up the let
ter. As he looked at 1t his aye assumed its
wonted clear and eager expression, and for
| a moment IL seemed as if he was about to rise
aud request the coroner to stay proceedings.
But second thoughts were apparently against
this, and he kept his seat.
! In Il few minutes the court rose, aud the
young man at the bar was led away in the
custody Of the police to await his trial at the
next assaes.
AS the people were leaving the court room
Mr. Slater leaned over to Carson, the detect.
i've, whispered something, and pointed with
his finger to the letter which he had Just
been examining. Carson, so melted, took mp
the paper, and placing IL among the other
articles, carried the whole with him out of
court.
The young lawyer followed closely at his
heels. When they had reached the detect.
ives private room the latter laid down the
articles which he had carried tLither he
singled out the letter to which Mr.. Slater
had directed his attention. He looked at it
scrutinizingly for few minutes, and then,
turning to the lawyer, said:
&c see nothing here of any consequence.
There are various blood stains on the sheet,
but nothing which seems to point to any
thing particular"
Mr.. Slater took the letter in his hand.
"Do you see that blotch, as if made with
halt-dried blood ~ he asked, pointing TO a
a large oval stain near the inner edge of the
sheet of paper. "Well, don't you observe
1T Is the Impression of mans thumb? II
is that of the left hand. If | mistake not
See, there are grooves or burrows of the skin
distinctly marked, and II you open mp the
double sheet you VIII hnd similar finSer-
mark on the reverse side. But the latter is not
so well defined as the point OF the thumb, and
think this will he of use to u.s.
" see what you point out" said Carson;
but what purpose can these markings
serve ~
81 will tell you,' said the lawyer. " Just
the other week | was reading in a scientific
journal that the arrangement of the grooves
or burrows on the skin of the finger, shown
in such an impression as this, is not the
same in all men, hut that every individual
may he distinguished by the characteristic
markings thus obtained. In China, for in
stance, all holders OF public office, and es-
peclally soldiers, are known by their iiugcr-
marks, and several cases of crime and deser-
ton have been detected by reference to these
marks. Besides, when any one possesses the
linger-mark of any individual not otherwise
known to him, it Is found to he impossible
for another man tope,sonatc that individual,
because comparison of their tnger-marks
would at once detect the deception
"But how will this serve YOU in this
case 2" asked the detective. naturally eau
tious as to admitting the force of evidence of
, such a novel kind.
Gin this way" said Mr.. Slater. we
must take means to get the finger mark o,
every man in the establishment of Greig &
Co., as also that of the deceased man and of
his nephew This can easily be done and
thereafter, by an idea which has occurred &c
me-namely, by photographing each i'm
pression-we will arrive at the fact whether
, or not any of these marks agree with the
mark on this sheet of paper. Meantime, the
' utmost secrecy VIII be necessary as to oui
intentions, so That none OF the workmer
take alarm and escape us.
[ But Why" said the detective, " should
the wofkmeh he especially singled out, and
not the clerks also ~
Because, answered the lawyer, u" an
: all but certain the two Impressions on this
| | sheet OF paper have been produced by the
S finger and thumb of man who uses tools
| ami has hard hand. Theturrow markings
[ are broad and flattened, and the great size
of the thumb is extremely noticeable and
= by these together am led to think that W,
have got clew to the person who com
e United the murder, and that that perssn |!
% not young Anthony Greig, however darkly
4 circumstances may appear against him n
present"
Next morning, little after 10 o'clock
, Mr.. Slater and Mr.. Carson entered with
few assistants the counting-h house of tn,
4 manufacturing works OF Greig II Co. Ate
a little conversation with Mr.. Sinnott, til,
/, head clerk, and measures having been takei
i to ascertain that all the workmen were on
| the premises, orders were issued by Mr.
r Carson 10 his assistants to watch the severa
Il doors leading from the works, while MIR
i o'nn"'t sent message 10 lne men That they
: were requested to meet him i'll the ware
/, house immediately
AT once the machinery of the place wa
y brought TO n stand, and one by one, MS the,
I were free TO go, the workmon filed into tn
4 | &.