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

iHNNf 0hlA W.T. RANaNlg NNNif0NlHb Allt
men, is the key to what we are in search
Of oday. We will be fair and above-board
with you, now that we have got the work
thus far done. The lines which you see
cast upon the screen are the magnifed Inn
preston Of a mark in blood on a sheet Of
paper which was found on the desk at which
your master, two mornings ago, was found
sitting dead II Is the thumb. of a
man-ot the man, ! believe, who committed
the murder aud rs IL has been shown by
scientific men that every individual may he
known Ivy the peculiar and special arrange
ment OF the burrows on the skin of the fin
gers, we have come to ascertain IL any one
of the thumb-marks which you have given
us to-day agrees with the lines and markings
of that now shown on the screen before
you"
None OF the men spoke in reply TO Mr..
Slater. only 4 curious sound as Of sti filed
groan muttcrcd threat, issued from dark
corner of the room; but the individual from
whom the sound proceeded could not he as
| certained, though moro than one head was
scrutinizingly turned in the direction
whence 1t came.
Mr.. Slater, turning to the Photographer,
| said "You can go on. Produces No. Q.
The operator placed another slip Of glass
| in the camera, and over the first maze ap-
peard second on the screen. The two
| were obviously distinct.
" Can you mako the figures coincide %
asked Mr.. Slater" superpose one over the
| other, mean"
| This was done and the mesh became in
| volved and mixed.
That will do; try No. g." continued Mr..
Slater. mo. 3's name is Donovan. There's
n smooth blotch in the middle Of the thumb
mark. That's not it. Try the next-No. 4,
Roper. Roper has apparently been cutting
cake tobacco and his epdermus at the same
| time. Just look at those gaslcs running mp
AMI down. Roper is acquitted"
| And so on they proceeded with the examin-
alton of those strange signatures made by the
| various employees of the firm. They had eS-
amined in vain more than half tho specimens
| procured; yet Mr.. Slater was by this time
| firmly convinced Of the validity of the proof,
| il indeed the proofh hoped for should he forth
| coming, SO various and so markedly and I'M
| mistakably characteristic were the different
sign manuals thrown upon the screen.
| No. II, Charles Packs" cried the pho
grapher, putting in another slip.
| "llallo!" cried Mr.. Slater; are you sure
| you have got both in the lantern ?"
"Quite sure, but they are surerposed.
| Now make them separate--it is the same
| thumb impression"
| "Charles Packs, thou art the man - said
the lawyer, solemny.
| Every eye in the room turned in search of
Packs, and in another second he was
dragged from the dark corner whence the
muilled sound had shortly before been heard
| to proceed, and placed before Slater.
| lie was n sullcn-looking man, rather un-
| dersized, but powerfully built He stood
| stolid and dumb, without lifting his eyes.
| Mr.. Slater, addressing him, said: "Charles
| Packs, you stand here before your fellow
| workmun under the terrible suspicion of
| being n murderer. You have seen the eX-
periments we have made, and you have wit
messed the result what have you to say 2"
The man was silent. At one time his lips
moved as about TO speak, but he seemed UNI
| able to utter word.
Mr.. Carson approached him, and in an
other moment he was handcuifcd and led
away. Not n man in the room but felt tina,
only a sense of guilt on the part of Packs
| could account for his shame and silence wher
| the charge of murder was thus made against
him.
An hour aftcrward message was brought
to Mr.. Slater that Packs wished to speak
| with him. He went at once to the prison
| and found the man in his cell. utterly stIick
en- in spirit.
"My sin" he said to the lawyer, cha:
found me out"
And thereupon he proceeded to make q
clear confession of his guilt. He had entered
his old masters room for the purpose of rob
bling him, and he ended by taking his life
He had counted upon the possibility of such
a crime being the result of his attempt, and
had picked up young Anthony's knife as ht
passed his desk on his way to commit the
deed But in the course of the struggle that
ensued the knife dropped out of his hand
after slight wound had been inflicted OF
the old man, and the unfortunate victim had
been cruelty garroted. Being aware of the
quarrel between old Anthony and his nephew
Packs had left his knife where it had beer
found, in order to east suspicion upon the
young man. Yet after all, as the wretched
man admitted. he did not succeed in com
hitting the robbery he had planned, for the
sound of Il iootstep he heard outside had
scared him, and he rushed off without wait
ing TO effect his purpose. The unexpected
result of that days investigation had stag
gercd and unnamed him, and he did not now
care how soon an end was put TO his career
of falsehood and crime.
Subsequent inquiries clicited the fact that
Packs was only an assumed name, and thai
the same man, under the name of Sullivan
| nau bten long KhoWi 10 tIe ppllCe, anu ilNt
been more than once convicted of robberies
and assaults. He had worked in the estab
lishment of Greig & Co. for about year
during which time he had always been Al
object of suspicion more or less TO his fellow
workers.
At the subsequent assizcs he was foun,
guilty of the murder of Anthony Greig, an,
paid the penalty of the law.
Meantime, the determination and comics
sion of the murderer brought relei TO youni
Anthony Grcig and to his cousin Grace
Robert Slater by his management of the cas-
worked himself into distinction, and hi
business increased accordingly. And by wa
of strengthening the ties which thus unite
his fortune To some extent with those ofGrei
& Co., he before long married Miss Grac,
whoinwardly admircs, though outwardly sh
, occasionally complains Of, her husband
rather too cute faculties of observation.