Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-15

MY dear Godfrey" 1 began, give
watched you all day, smelling bottles,
examining scratches, trying to read
faint ink marks on blotter, puzzling
over broken cane and doing various
other eccentric things from which you
seemed to draw conclusions utterly in
visible to me. I've heard you assure
both Drysdale and Miss Croydon that
the former will be clearH of suspicion
at tomorrow's inquest ANA that the real
culprit will be pointed out. You'll
pardon me If / confess to some curl
osity as to how all this is to be ac-
complished."
"Did you see her face us she came
through that door, Lestery he asked,
staring absently at the seat In front
Of us. II tell you, 1t warmed the heart
Of even an old reprobate like me! And
to think that we did it!'' he added.
ITO think that we did itv'
"You did IT. I corrected. 81 was
in the chorus today-you had the CEN
ter of the stage"
"But you don't mind. Lester7 1
couldn't help it, you know"
"Of course you couldn't-that's where
you belong. But now that the cur
tain's down and we're alone together
with plenty Of time to talk, I'd like to
understand
"And you Shutdown to the minutest
detail. Let's see-this is the smoker,
isn't it? Well, suppose we light up
l can think more clearly when I'm
smoking"
"All right; fire away" said, as soon
as the cigars We're going.
"Well," began Godfrey, las pointed
out to you this morning. for good and
sufficient reasons, started out in this
investigation with the assumption of
Tremaine's guilt"
"Of course" observed, "you know
it is the duty Of every jury to start
out with exactly the contrary assump-
ton"
Certainly, know that, but de-
tective has to work with some definite
end in view or he never gets anywhere.
In other words, detective, after care
fully studying the details Of any crime,
must form theory concerning it and
must work along that theory. AS soon
as he discovers any fact that fails to
tit with his theory he must modify it
or form another, and he must keep on
doing this until he finds the theory
which agrees with all the facts-not
all but one or two. but with every one.
A good many detectives fall into the
mistake of being satisfied with the
theory which fits most of the facts-a
serious error, for the right theory must,
OF course, inevitably fit them all.
That's the scientific method and the
only safe one. When detective hits
upon theory which fits all the known
facts he's got as much right to assume
it's true as an astronomer has or
physicist, who builds up the universe
in just the same way"
But that's a difficult thing to do"
remarked, ito find theory that fits
all the facts"
Exceedingly difficult sometimes"
assented my companion, because the
facts often appear to be entirely con-
Trajectory. Really, facts are never con-
tradictory-truth is always truth-the
trouble is we can't always tell what is
fact and what is fiction. The hardest
part of a detectives work is to sift
the wheat from the chaff-to get ut
the meaty, essential facts.
We'll, as you know, started out
with the theory Of Tremaine's guilt.
More than that, / was morally certain
that he was guilty, knowing what l
knew Of the man. And first of all it
was evident to me that no criminal
as careful as he is would run the risk
of going through that boathouse and
committing murder on the pier out
side with young Graham sleeping on a
cot a few feet away. I therefore de-
duced this bottle. Smell of It,"
He uncorked it and held 1t under my
nose.
"Chloroform!" said.
Precisely" And he corked it care
fully and returned it to his pocket.
"The boys story helped me to arrive
at it. He had been awakened by that
violent thunder clap, but for the first
AAOAAShI hV 1ao lOuuu uluIS0ll
to move-dizzy, as he explained it."
; "But how did you know where to
look for it?" I asked.
well, knew that no experienced
criminal would keep about him any
such important evidence as a bottle
that had contained chloroform. The
odor clings to 1t for long time. I
committed the mistake at first of sup
posing that he had hidden it in the
boathouse. I should have known bet
ter. Naturally he would throw it into
the bay. There was single chance
against me. If he had thrown 1t in
uncorked 1t would probably have sunk.
and by just that much he fell below
perfection. think he probably ad-
ministered the chloroform by pouring
1t upon one corner of the sheet and
throwing it over young Graham's face.
No doubt the odor would have been
perceptible next morning had any one
thought to look for 1t. There was only
one point in the whole case" he added
thoughtfully, that was utterly at va
rance with my theory-and it worried
me badly for time"
What was thatT' asked.
'NThat was the story the jailer told
US that Miss Croydon believed Drys-
dale guilty. But you have seen how
naturally that was explained. knew
then, in that instant, that was on the
right track-that nothing could defeat
1,sa. Rnt LET ma 90 hack To the heain.