Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-20
By CLARENCE BoUTELLE.

THE first thing OF Importance which
l found in the room where the lady haC
been killed was a fragment Of blood
red stone, which I recognized as
piece of the setting of an old-fashion-
ed silver ring which she had been ir
the habit of wearing regularly fol
many years"
Where did you find it?"
Under q small table which stood
near the bed"
How far from the bed was the ia
ble?"
1T was quite near the bed, quite neal
the head of the bed should say il
was about eighteen inches distant"
Were you certain that the fragment
you found was a part Of Constance
Craig's ring?"
Il was quite certain"
You may say why"
Because / was very familiar with
the ring"
And how did it happen that you
were familiar with the ring?"
Il owned the ring for more than a
year. l gave it to Constance Craig"
Have you had any reason since to
change your opinion?"
No, sir"
ITO confirm and strengthen it?"
Yes, sir"
You may state what"
Il have found Constance Craig
ring"
"Ah! About how long ago."
within a month"
with a fragment missing?'
with a part of the setting missing,
and the fragment 1 found in Constance
Craig's room exactly fits and completes
it,"
Very we'll. very we'll. And is this
ring one of those to which reference Is
made in the document which Gilbert
Sem signed?"
1T is"
"One Of the rings which it has been
agreed between the prosecution and the
defense shall be admitted to have been
in Senn's possession?'
Yes, sir"
You are sure the ring is the same?'
Il am sure"
Did you mention the finding of the
fragment to any one at the time?'
mo, sir"
Not to DR.. Welton, nor Miss Webb,
nor any Of the authorities?'
NO, sir"
You may state why you did not"
81 concluded that the murderer might
hear of the opinion advanced by the
physician who went away before my
arrival: indeed, l had reason to be-
lieve that his opinion would be made
very prominent by himself and his
friends: I found the authorities were
inclined to side with him. 1 reasoned
that the murderer was very likely an
ignorant person, a man who would
suppose that Constance Craig's death
would be accepted as natural because
there was no terrible wound upon her.
l desired the murderer to feel secure
and easy, TO the end that he might be
careless. and so betray himself. So l
said nothing regarding what / found.
And 1 took no pains to contradict the
general impression regarding the man
ner in which the unfortunate lady
died"
You expected, then, that you would
find the murderer in a short time
Il hoped to-"
You would have told what you had
found if you had supposed it would
help bring the murderer to Justice"
Certainly l should"
You may tell. if you please, what
theory you formed regarding the break
ing Of the stone in the ring"
Wait a moment" cried Aldrich, ris-
ing to his feet. We object to that. We
don't want this mans theories; he
should confine himself to the facts
Il feel" said the prosecuting attor-
ney. addressing the judge, that the
question is a fair and just one, and
that | should have a right to insist
upon an answer; the work Of detec-
tive can only be systematic and logical
when it is based upon some sort OF q
theory. Between the meagre facts
which ne finds waiting for him at the
place where secret crime has done its
evil work. and the just punishment
which he helps bring home to the gull
". there is always found a series OF
observations. examinations, compari-
sons. tests. etc. which demand time
and hard labor on the part of the pa
tient detective. All this work must
be done with definite reasons in his
mind for every step-Or the results vii
be unsatisfactory. We wish to know
not only what Mr.. Prier saw and what
he did, but what he thought and felt as
we'll: we wish to know the results
reached by his trained and experienced
Judgment in work Of this sort, and we
are as willing to abide the natura
consequences of any mistakes he may
nave 10 confess, dS we are oliAi'uS y
take advantage of those particular in
stances in which his judgment shal
be shown to have been correct. The
theories of the detective are as definite
as those of the chemist; each mus
sometimes try more than one expert
ment before he finds himself right;
each must sometimes follow a train Oi
thought and reasoning which later
events show must be abandoned; bu
in the same way that we can only ap'
preciate fully the results of the labOrE
Of the analytical chemist when we un-
derstand what he has done at every
step-and why-SO we shall find the
clearest understanding of the result:
of Mr.. PrierS work possible only wher
we know what theories he formed. an(
what he did to test and prove them
Aldrich addressed the judge.
The work of the detective is Yer!
different from the work of the chem
ist," he said. "One is science-the 9th
er is not: a detectives theory is {
guess-only that and nothing more
,1;