Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-02-01

fire. then | spoke with what / deenGf
a necessary frankness
My dear Godfrey" I began, I've
watched you all day, smelling bottles.
examining scratches, trying to read
faint ink marks on blotter, puzzling
over . broken cane, and doing var
ious other eccentric things from which
YOU seemed to draw conclusions utterly
Invisible To me. I've heard you assure
both Drysdale and Miss Croydon that
the former viii be cleared OF suspicion
at tomorrow's inquest. and that the
real culprit will be pointed out. You'll
pardon me II | confess To some curl
osity as TO how all this is to be ac-
cOmplished.'
Did you see her face as she came.
through that door, Lester2" he asked
staring absently at the seat in front OF
us. Il tell you, It warmed the heart
OF even an old reprobate like me. And
TO think that we did IT," he added To
think that we did it."
You did it," | corrected Il was In
the chorus today-you had the center
OF the stage"
But you don't mind, Lester? I
couldn't help ii, you know"
OF course you couldn't-that's
where YOU belong But now that the
curtains down. and we're alone to-
gethor with plenty Of time to tank. I'd
like To understand -'
And you shall-down 10 the min
utest detail. Let's see-this IS the
smoker, isn't IT? Well suppose We
light up--I can think more clearly
when I'm smoking"
AN right fire away" | said, as soon
as the cigars We're going.
Well began Godfrey "as ] pointed
out TO you this morning. for good and
sufficient reasons, | started out In this
investigation with the assumption OF
Tremaines guilt"
"Of course" / observed. you know
T.. is the duty OF every jury To start out
with exactly the contrary assump-
ton"
Certainly know that but detec-
tive has TO work with some definite
end IN view, or he never gets any
where. In other words. a detective
after carefully studying the details of
any crime, must form "A theory con-
Cerning IL, and must work along that
theory. As soon as he discovers any
fact that fails TO 1T with his theory
he must modify il 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 de-
teCtives fan 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, in
y AAA'lN III AAAtIlt 'llls e nat = the SIlrNa
tiic method and the only safe one
When a detective hits upon a theory
which fits all the known facts. he's pot
as much right TO assume it's truth as
an astronomer has or a physicist. who
builds up the universe i'm just the same
way
But that's a difficult thing to do
/ remarked, TO find theory thaI nts
all the facts"
Exceedingly difficult sometimes"
asseuted my companion. because the
facts often appear to be entirely con
Trajectory. Really. facts are never
contradictory y-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 chan-
get at the meaty, essential facts.
We'll, as you know. / started out
with the theory Of TremaineS guilt
More than that / was morally GER
tain that he was guilty, knowing what
| knew OF the man. And first of all
IL was evident to me that no criminal
as careful as he is would run the risk
OF going through that boathouse and
committing a murder on the pier out
side with young Graham sleeping on
a cot few feet away. | therefore
deduCed this bottle. Smell Of it,"
He uncorked II and held II under
my nose.
Continued Next Weekly