The daily Alaskan., 1904-04-02
1 AIN EXPERT IN
 GHlR0GR AP PAY
Ioriginall

 papers. While thus engaged the door opened and a stranger entered.
 Kraaft had that afternoon testihed tn q murder case in which be had shown concluslvely that the prisoner had written threatening letters to the murdered man. The experts reasons why these letters had been written by the same penon as letters proved to have been written by the prisoner were So convincing that the jury would have convicted him without leaving their seats. But the case must be summed up by prosecuting attorney and counsel and that would require another day.
 Herr Kraaft," said the visitor, "l listened to your testimony today in the Keller case, and my confidence in your skill Is so great that have decided to employ you in a case have in hand"
 "Please be seated, sir"
 "Here is q letter which came to light after an interval of twenty years. It was written in 1S49. You will remem' Der that the year previous occurred the revolution of 1S4S. During that troublous period a prominent member of the leg islative body dehed the revolutionists, throwing all his influence with the gov. ernment. He stated to several intimate friends that he had been threatened with death by the revOlutiOnists if he did not cease his opposition to their work. One day he was found dead, and everybody knew that he had been murdered. Nevertheless the murderer or murderers were never discovered This letter, recently found among the papers of the murdered man that es- Caped notice at the time of the mur. der, was evidently written by the leader Of a revolutionary society and threat ened him with death if he did not ac. cede to the society's demands
 The speaker threw the letter on the desk before the expert. It read:
 Herr K:
 The revolutionary committee warns you that if you speak tomorrow to the citi- gems of Berlin upholding the tyrant and dsnouncing the motives of the revolution ists you will never address another as sembly. By order of the committee.
 HANS OBERBECK, President
 The expert bent low over the letter as he read 1t.
 "Now. the receiver of this letter. the visitor continued, addressed the meeting referred to and the following day was found dead with a bullet in his back. Hans OberbeCk is well re membered as a young enthusiast but twenty-two years of age. He disap peared as soon as the revolution was suppressed. l have letters bearing dat of 1852, 1857 and 1860 which are slmi lar in chirOgraphy to the one befou you, though they bear a different sig nature. have come to you for the pur pose of getting your opinion as to tht identity of the writer of these recen' letters with the man who wrote the on, of 1S4S."
 The speaker threw three more letterN on the desk, which Kraaft opened and appeared to study intently for a time then said: "The letters bearing the namC of Oberbeck and these bearing the name of Herman cannot possibly have been written by the same person be cause happen to remember that Ober, beck died of fever In 1S49. The req son I remember his death is that he being a prominent revOluionist, 1t eX- cited considerable comment at the time"
 And If he had not died of fever he would have died by the rope"
 q remember that, tOo," said the eS- pert in a scarcely audible voice.
 'sThere is a chapter of this little story with which you are perhaps not ia ymiliar. A year ago the grave of Ober- beck was opened and found to contain a coffin filled with stones"
 Kraaft made no reply, but bent lower ever the letters, as though deeply i'm mersed In them. Rising with the letter of Oberbeck in his hand he held it neal the lamp, as if to get better light. In deed, so near that a corner of it caught fire. In a twinkling the flame was blown out by the visitor, who covered the expert at the same time with a IT.. volver.
 Pardon me-" said the latter. "YoW careIessness came near costing a life"
 "How SO"
 You are not only to study this case but you are to go over your testimony given today with view to seeing Ii you have not been mistaken"
 "What is your interest in that caseT
 "The prisoner Is my brother and al innocent man. That I know, though ] can't prove it."
 'How did you get these lettersT
 "T am the grandnephew of Herr Keller, who was murdered by the revo lutionary committee, probably by Han Oberbeck himself. The Oberbeck let ter only came into my possession a yea ago. l immediately examined 0ber beck's grave, then put the case in th' hands of detectives In America, wher SO many revolutionists went after tn Aasco of 1S4S. They got on the tracl of Oberbeck, who returned to the ia therland in 1860, under the name O Herman. In 1861 he returned to, Amer lea and entered the Union army. l. 1866 be came to Berlin and has sine been living here under the name of ,r''Yes, yes;-I see. I will go oyer n, 1r,orlr i'm tbe Keller case and tomorrow