Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-03-07

which Is CS&euJlSLl 70 bile Ll5 liC4 OAtN S4-
opments Of his art. The case was con-
cerned with a VIII, and possessed some
features of interest. l was able to re-
fer him TO two parallel cases, the one
at Riga in 1857, and the other at St.
Louis in 1871, which have suggested to
him the true solution. Here is the let
ter which had this morning, aclSnowl-
edeing my assistance" He tossed over,
as he spoke, a crumpled sheet of for
eign notepaper I glanced my eyes
down it, catching 2 profusion of notes
of admiration, with stray ''magni-
foues." coup de maitres' and tours
de force" ali testifying to the ardent
admiration of the Erenchman.
'sHe speaks as pupil to his master"
said 1.
ooh. he rates my assistance too high
W. said Sherlock Holmes, lightly.
ssHe has considera ble gifts himself He
possesses two out of the three quail
ties necessary for the ideal detective.
He has the power of observation and
that of deduction. He is only wanting
in knowledge; and that may come in
time. He is now translating my small
works into French"
"Your worlls?"
"Oh, didn't you lnow?" he cried,
laughing. Yes, have been guilty of
several monographs. They are all
upon technical subjects. Here, for ex-
ample, is one Upon the Distinction Be
tween the Ashes of the Various Tobac-
Goes In it l enumerate a hundred
and forty forms of cigar, cigarette and
pipe tobacco, with colored plates illus
trating the difference in the ash. 1t
is a point which is continually turning
ND in criminal trials, and which is
sometimes of supreme Importance as n
clew. If you can say defnitely,for eX-
ample, that some murder has been
done by man who was smoking an
Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows
your field of search. To the trained
eve there is as much difference be-
tween the black ash of Trichinopoly
and the white fluff Of bird s-eye as there
is between a cabbage and potato"
You have an extraordinary genius
for minutia, l remarked.
81 appreciate their Importance. Here
is my monograph upon the tracing O.
footsteps, with some remarks upon the
uses of plaster Of Paris as a preserver
of impresses. Here, too, is curious
little work upon the influence of a
trade upon the form of the hand, with
the lithotypcs of the hands of skaters,
sailors, corlz-cutters. cOmpositors, weav-
ers and diamond polishers That is a
matter Of great practical interest to the
scientific detective,-esp specially in cases
of unclaimed bodies, or in discovering
the antecedents of criminals But |
weary you with my hobby"
Not at ALL" | answered, earnestly.
at is Of the greatest interest to me, es-
pecially since / have had the oppor-
tunity of observing your practical ap-
plication of it. But you spoke just
now of observation and deduction.
Surely the one to some extent implies
the other"
''Why. hardly" he answered, leaning
back luxuriously in his armchair, and
sending up thick blue wreaths from
his pipe For example, observation
shows me that you have been to the
Wigmore street post Office this morn
ing, but deduction let's me know that
when there you despatched a tele-
gram"
Right said |. Fright on both
points! But | confess that don't see
how YOU arrived at it. 1t was a sudden
impulse upon my part, and have men
toned it to no one"
at is simplicity itself" he remarked,
chuckling at my surprise-'so absurd
ly simple that an explanation is super
Auous; and yet it may serve to define the
limits of observation and Of deduction.
Observation tells me that you have a
little reddish mould adherlng to your
instep. just opposite the Seymour
street Office they have taken up the
pavement and thrown up some earth
which lies in such way that it is diff
cult to avoid treading in it in entering.
The earth is of this peculiar reddish
tint which is found as far as | know,
nowhere else in the neighborhood. So
much is observation, The rest is de-
| duction."
How, then, did you deduce the tele-
gram?"
why, of course ! knew that you
| had not written a letter, since sat OPP
| posite to you all morning. | see also
in your open desk there that you have
n sheet Of stamps and a thick bundle
| of postcards. What could you go into
| the post Office for. then, but to send a
wire? Eliminate all other factors, and
| the one which remains must be the
| truth"
In this case it certainly is so, re
Al
thing, however, is, as you say, of the
simplest. Would you think me imper-
tinent if I were to put your theories to
n more severe test?"
''On the contrary he answered, lit
| would prevent me from taking a sec
ond dose of cocaine. l should be de-
lighted to look into any problem which
you might submit to me"
II have heard you say that it is diff
! cult for a man to have any object in
daily use without leaving the impress
! of his individuality upon it in such a
way that trained observer might
read it. Nv, | have here "A watch
| which has r. emily come into my pos
( session. Would you have the kindness
/ to let me have an opinion upon the
/ character or habits of the late owner?''
handed him over the watch, with
some slight feeling of amusement in
/ my heart, for the test was, as thought,
an impossible one, and I intended it as
lesson against the somewhat dog
matte tone which he occasionally as
sumed He balanced the watch in his
! hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened
the back, and examined the works
first with his naked eyes and then
with powerful convex lens. | could
hardly keep from smiling at his crest
J fallen face when he finally snapped
( the case TO and handed it back.
There are hardly any data" he re,
marked. The watch has been recent
: ly cleaned, which robs me of my most
suggestive facts"
you are right" answered. 'It was
cleaned before being sent to me-" In
my heart ! accused my companion
of putting forward n most lame and
impotent excuse TO cover his failure.
What data could he expect from an un-
cleaned watch2
Though unsatisfactory my research