The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-02
TRACED By A BIT OF CANDLE.
The Remarkable Part a Microscope
Played IN a Crime.

The Remarkable Part Microscopes
Played IN a Crime.
'If the microscope will only reveal the
smallest particles in a link of evidence, and
you are certain of its position, the chances
are that by vigilant labor you can forge
the whole chain" said San Francisco law
yer in an interview with an Examiner re-
porter.
"As young lady In a small town near
Chicago was retiring one night she heard
the noise Of q scuffie, mingled with sharp
cries, coming from the sitting-room down
stairs. OF sudden a strange voice shouted
something, there came the report Of pistol
and ali was still.
"As soon as Miss Morton recovered from
her fright she flung open the window and
aroused the neighborhood. When friends
arrived they found her father stretched out
on the sitting room floor, shot through the
heart.
1.-The most careful search failed TO pro-
duce any clue except a bit of candle about
an inch long. This lay on the floor few
feet from the body. Bonds and notes lay
untouched on the open secretary.
"Pinkerton's agency was given the bit Of
candle to work on, and kept its men studi-
ously at work on the job for year, and
then turned the whole matter over to Chief
"Whipple and l we're talking over mys-
FERROUS murders one day, when be mentioned
this one, and asked me to join him in it,
"'This bit Of CANDLE said he, producing
it, lis the only tangible clue there is in the
case. Can you make anything out of itr
81 scrutinized it closely. 1t was piece
that had been cut off an ordinary nodded
candle. | put it under pocket microscope
and saw that 1t had been cut with knife in
such manner that the wick had been
pressed down trifie at the edge of the in
strument before the threads were severed
"These shift ed fibers partially covered
minute air hole in the tallow. These air
holes are quite common In ordinary nodded
candles. / scrutinized g. cry particle of
surface on that candle with the utmost care,
and that air hole was the only distinctive
mark it had.
"'There's your only clew, said to Whip
pie. If you can get the other piece of can
die from which this was cut you have a
very good link 10 the chainp
"'1ll try it, he declared, and he started
for the town where the murder occurred.
He VISITED every store in the place, but in
only one was he successful in finding ordi-
nary cant les for sale.
"'Have you sold any latelyP he asked
the proprietor.
"Ever sell them in piecesP
NO. replied the dealer, laughing.
They are too cheap to sell in sections
"'But don't you ever cut them for your
customersg insisted The officer.
Never cut one in my life,' declared the
storekeeper, emphatically. %, hold on
minute, though, he added. Yes did. too
l cut one for little girl about year ago.
She bought some things here and asked me
for a little piece of candle to put in her
Chinese lantern. 1t was a pretty toy. [
remember she showed it to me-
See if you can find the piece you cut it
from
'The storekeeper searched his candle box.
Yes he said, here it is. 1t is an odd, short
piece. so | had no call to sell it
"Whipple brought this find to me aud we
had no trouble in matching the pieces. The
air hole in the fbers joined exactly.
"How did it endl Why, the little girl
| proved to be the niece of the man who com
mitted the murder. He was stopping at
her house, and on the night of the attempted
robbery he had taken that bit of candle
| from her lantern to help hun in his work.
lit happened that Morton was working
on his books in the sitting room that night
and had taken the lamp to 60 upstairs In
| search of somebody. When he returned he
| discovered the robber.