, 1904-03-23
AIN EXPERT IN
GHIR0GRAPMY
tOriginal.l

NN9tAN - 1iAAOSlAPb1
sat in his study in the city of Berlin
examining by lamplight a package of
papers. While thus engaged the door
opened and a stranger entered.
KRAFT had that afternoon testified
in a murder case, in which he had
shown c~onclusively that the prisoner
had written threatening letters to the
murdered man. The experts reasons
why these letters had been written by
the same person 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 ease must be summed
up by prosecuting attorney and counsel,
and that would require another day.
Herr KRAFT" said the visitor, 81
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 I have in hand"
"Please be seated, sir"
Here is a letter which came to light
after an interval of twenty years. 1t
was written in 1S49. You will remem-
Der that the year previous occurred the
revolutionof 1913. During that troublous
period a prominent member of the leg
islatiye body defied the revolutionists,
throwing all his influence with the gov
eminent. 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-
capped notice at the time of the muir
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. 1t read:
Herr X:
The revolutionary committee warns you
that if you speak tomorrow to the citi-
zens of Berlin UNFOLDING the tyrant and
~denouncing the motives of the revolution
lists 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 it.
"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-five years of age. He disap-
peared as soon as the revolution was
suppressed. l have letters bearing date
of 1852, 1857 and 1860 which are SINH
lar in chirography to the one before
you, though they bear a different sig
nature. / have come to you for the pur-
pose of getting your opinion as to the
identity of the writer of these recent
letters with the man who wrote the one
of 1S4S."
The speaker threw three more letters
| on the desk, which KRAFT opened and
appeared to study ~intently for a time,
then said: THE letters bearing the name
of Oberbeck and these bearing the
name of Herman cannot possibly have
been written by the same person be-
cause l happen to remember that Ober-
peel died of a fever in 1S49. The rea-
son | remember his death is that, he
being a prominent re~yolutionist, it ex-
cited considerable comment at the
time"
and if he had not died of a fever
he would have died by the rope"
II remember that, too" said the ex-
pert in Il scarcely audible voice.
There is a chapter of this little story
with which o are perhaps not ia
miliar. A year ago the grave of ODER
beck was opened and found to contain
a coffin filled with stones"
KRAFT made no reply, but bent lower
over the letters, as though deeply i'm
mersed in them. Rising with the letter
of Oberbeck in his hand he held it near
the lamp, as if to get better light. In
deed, so near that a corner of 1t caught
fire. In a twinkling the flame was
blown out by the visitor, who covered
the expert at the same time with a re-
volver.
pardon me-" said the latter. Your
carelessness 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 a view to seeing II
you have not been mistaken"
what is your interest in that caseT
eThe prisoner is my brother and an
innocent man. That l know. though l
can't prove it,"
"How did you get these letters?'
81 am the granddaughter of Herr
Keller, who was murdered by the reyo-
~lutionary committee, probably by Hans
Oberbeck himself. The Oberbeck let
ter only came into my possession a year
ago. / Immediately examined Ober-
beck's grave, hen put the case in the
hands OF detectives in America, where
so many revolutionists went after the
iasco of 1S4S. They got on the track
of Oberbeck. who returned to the ia