Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-30

clrcnmstantiaI evidence as completely
as an eyewitness could see them-aye.
more fully and more truly than they
could be described by the criminal him
self"
The reporter was man of about 30,
whose regular features bore the UNI
mistakable stamp of intelligence and
refinement. In repose, they wore an
habitual expression of interpretive
concentration, which might have led
n careless observer to class Ralph Stur-
gis in the category of aimless dream
ers: But single flash of the piercing
gray eyes generally sufiiced to dispel
any such impression; and told of keen
perception and underlying power. The
mouth was firm and kind; the bearing
that of a gentleman and man of edu-
cation.
But" objected the host, "you surely
do not mean to express belief in the
infallibility of circumstantial evil
dence?"
"Why not?"
Because you must know as well as
anyone how misleading uncorroborated
circumstantial evidence is l do not for
lget what remarkable results you have
often accomplished for the Daily Tenn
pest in detecting and following up
clews to which the official detectives
were blind. But, frankly, were not
your conclusions usually the result of
lucky guesses, which would have re-
!, I
dence had they not been subsequently
proved correct by direct testimony"
''Let me reply to your question by an
other, Sprague," answered Sturgis.
when you draw check, does the cay
ing teller at the bank require the tes-
timony of witnesses to your signature
before admitting its genuineness?"
''No; ofLcourse not"
Precisely. He probably knows the
signature of Harvey NJ. Sprague, the
; depositor, better than he does the
face of Sprague, the artist. And yet
the evidence here is purely circum-
stantial. / know of at least one re-
cent instance in which the officials of
: a New York bank placed their i'm
|
evidence of this sort, in spite of the
direct testimony of the depositor,
who was willing to acknowledge the
genuineness of a check to which his
name had been forged"
4 81 suppose you refer to the Forsyth
case" said Sprague; 'but you must
remember that Col. Forsyth was
actuated by the desire to shield the
forger, who was his own scapegrace
SON."
"That is just the point" replied
J, Sturgis; another witness will be
biased by his interestsgor prejudices,
blinded by jealousy, love. or hatred
OF handicapped by overzealousness
stupidity, lack of memory, or what
not. Circumstantial evidence is al
ways impartial, truthful, absolute.
When the geologist reads the history
, of the earth, as it is written in its
crust; when a Kepler or Newton
, formulates the immutable laws of the
universe, as they are recorded in the
motions of the heavenly bodies. they
draw their conclusions from evidence
| WlllSll CAlllGlS
, Eyes; but you forget that science
has often been mistaken in its con-
clusions," interrupted Sprague, $50
, that it-has constantly been necessary
| to alter theories to fit newly acquired
or better understood facts"
Granted" rejoined sturgis, "but
that is because the interpreters of the
| evidence are fallible; not because the
evidence itself is incomplete. The
same cause will always produce the
same effect; the same chain of events
) will invariably terminate in one and
the same catastrophe. The apparent
deviations from this law are due to
, unrecognized differences in the pro-
) ducing causes, to additional or miss
: ing links in the chain of evidence
; Therefore hold that a criminal,
however clever he may be, leaves be-
hind him q complete trace of his every
act, from which his crime may be re-
constructed with absolute certainty
by competent detective"
"In short, Murder will out!'" said
man who had been silent listener
to the conversation up to this point.
He spoke with quiet smile, which
barely escaped being q polite sheer.
Sturgis' keen eyes met his inter.
locutor's as he replied gravely:
II should hardly care to make so
sweeping an affirmation, DR.. Muir
dock. have merely stated that the
history of every crime is indelibly
written in tangible evidence. The
writing is on the wall, but of course
blind man cannot see it, nor can
an illiterate man understand it,
Every event, however trivial, owes its
occurrence to natural cause, and
leaves its indelible impress upon ma
ture. The Indian on the trail reads
with an experienced eye the story of
his. enemy's passage, as it has been
recorded in trodden turf and broken
twigs; while the bloodhound follows,
with unerring judgment, still surer
though less tangible trail. The lat
ter's quarry has left behind, at every
l H.