Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-02
DAILY SHORT STORY
THUMB MARKS.
lOriginal ]

tOriginall
The prisoner was young man bare
" twenty-five. His appearance was
that of one who had been reared under
refining influences. The case was
opened by the prosecuting attorney.
who said:
I'VE propose to show, your honor,
that the prisoner is the only person
who could have taken the money. that
he spent a part of it. and the rest was
found on his person. Call Thomas
Judd"
A middle aged man whose counte
nance and bearing did not accord with
the responsibility of his clothes took
the stand and, after stating that he
was a merchant and the employer of
the prisoner. Edward Wright, gave ev-
idence that on a certain day he had
sent his clerk to the office of Charles
Berkeley with q note and that Wright
had returned saying that he had found
no one in Berkeley's office, but had
left the note.
Charles Berkeley was called and tes-
tilted that on the day Wright had been
at his office he had gone out for half
an hour leaving inadvertently $500 on
his desk in an envelope. On his return
he had found Judd's note on his. desk
and the money gone. He inquired of
Judd by whom he had Sent the note
and the answer given was Edward
Wright. Berkeley having the numbers
of the bills gave them to'the police.
\ detective testified that he had
e., -
store. He at once arrested Wright. and
the rest of them had been found on his
person.
The case against the prisoner was
perfectly clear, and the prosecution re-
Trained from burdening the jury with
my more evidence. Indeed. when the
counsel for the defense arose it was
expected that he would plead the pris-
oner's youth and the fact that this was
his first offense TO obtain a light SEN
tence.
Call Agnes Gregory"
A girl of eighteen elbowed her way
through the crowd and took the wit
ness stand.
''Do YOU know the,prisoner?"
"Yes."
HE is your betrothedw
He is"
state what occurred between you
and the prisoner the evening the theft
was committed
He came to me in very high spir
its and told me that he had had an in
terview with his employer. Mr.. Judd.
to whom he confessed that he wished
to marry, but was unable To do so on
account of the meagerness Of his sal
airy. Mr.. Judd made him a present of
$500 and promised that on the day of
his wedding his salary would be dOu-
bled''
"Do you know Thomas JuddT'
'Yes, i have known him since / was
a little girl. He came to my father
poor boy and was given Il position in
his store. When my father died Mr..
Judd took the management Of the
business, the ownership of which had
passed into his hands. When 1 was
fourteen he said to me one day that he
wished that the daughter of the man
who had befriended him should have
her proper interest insthe business, and
the only way to bringrthis about would
be for me, when / grew older, to mar
y
Has he ever claimed the fulfillment
Of the promise?"
NO. Since 1 havesbeen old enough
to think of marriage 1 have been en-
gagged to Edward Wright
The prisoners counsel then called
Charles Berkeley, to whom he showed
an envelope with his business imprint
upon it, and Berkeley identified it as
the one which had contained the stolen
bills. The attorney next called Thorn
as Judd and asked:
Did you ever see this envelope be-
fore?'
NO"
Ever touch it?"
IF L have never,seen 1t. how could
l swear that | had touched it,"
4 litter ran through the courtroom
at the attorneys expense The lawyer
smiled grimly and, dismissing the wit
ness. called Leonard Markham.
''AIr. Markham, have you ever seen
this envelope?'
YES"
state how you camesto see IT.
Il am a microscopist, Miss Gregory
brought it to me for nIicroscopical ex-
animation"
when you examined it.what' did you
discover"
Thumb marks of several, persons,
among then those of ThomassJudd."
There was a sensation among those.
present, and Mr.. Judd turned pale. AS
soon as attention was restoredsthe at
torney asked:
Il asked Miss Gregory if she had
any paper that had been handled by
Mr.. Judd. and she produced a note The
had written her. The thumbs marks on
the note are Identical with those on the
envelope she had broughtime to be ex
amined'
The questions of the prisoners coun-
sci had been brief and the- answers to
the point Within few minutes the