The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1910-07-21


On the other lil.ld. if you are ii.no-
cent we shall Know that. too. and If
you are innocent Groei.er. here is your
1iiall>e to prove it. We make the ac-
cused register his own guilt or his
own ililiuceice with his own words"
Whether he wishes to or not:''
The judge opened a leather portfOilo
and selected several sheets of paper
ruled in squares. Then lie took out
his watch.
ION these sheets" he explained. M
Coquenil and have written down
about II hundred words. simple. every
day words. most of them. such as
house. music tree. baby that have
no particular Significance. Among
these words. however. we have intro
duced thirty that have some assucia
ton with this crime words like An
SONIA billiards. pistol shall speak
these words slowly. one by one. AMI
when | speak word want you to
speak another word that my word s,ig-
gests. Fer example. if say tree you
might say garden; il | say house
you might say rhair.' OF course you
are free TO say any wOru you Please.
but YOU will find yourself irresistib!y
drawn toward certain ones according
as you are innocent or guilty.
For i:,stunce. Martinez. the Span.
lard. was widely known as billiard
player. Now. if | should say billiard
player and you had no personal feel
ing about Martinez you might easily.
by association of IDEAS say Span
lard. but if you had killed Martinez
and wished to conceal your crime
then when said billiard player you
would not say 'Spaniard.' but would
choose some innocent word like table
or chalk. That is crude illustration.
but it may give you the idea"
And is that alp asked Groerer. in
evident relief.
NO. There is also the time taken
in choosing IL word. If say pen Or
umbrella it may take you three-quar-
ters of a second to answer ink or
rain, while it may take another man
whose mind acts slowly a second and
a quarter or even more for his reply.
Each person has his or her average
time for the thought process. some
longer. some, shorter. But that time
process is always heightened after one
of the critical or emotional words-I
mean If the person is guilty. Thus
if say 'Ansouia' to you and you are
the murderer of Martinez it will take
f,1,Gl tyy-n hr1a1 l,,,
to decide upon safe answering word
than it would have taken if you were
not the murderer and spoke the first
word that came to your tongue. DO
you See?"
II see" shrugged the prisoner. but
it never would carry weight in court
of law.''
"Never is a long time." said the
judge. Wait ten years. We have
wonderful mental microscope here. and
the world will learn to use it. I use
it now" '---'
do you really think" Groener asked
presently. that If were guilty Of this
crime could not make these answers
without betraying myself?"
"Im sure you could not"
''Then if l stood the test you would
believe me innocent?'
The magistrate reflected moment
eyes. should think you innocent"
LET me understand this" laughed
the prisoner. You say over q num-
Der of words. ard answer with Other
words. You note the exact moment
when you speak your word and the
exa> t moment when | speak mine: then
you see how many seconds elapse be-
tween the two moments. Is that it -
"That's it. only l have a watch that
marks the fifths Of second. Are you
willing to make the test?'
Suppose | refuse?'
The magistrates face hardened. 'If
you refuse today | shall know how to
force you to my will another day. Did
you ever hear Of the third degree
Groener?" he asked sharply.
AFTER ALL" Groener said carelessly.
what does it matter? Go ahead with
your little game. 1t rather amuses me-"
The test began. Hautevilc speaking
the prepared words and handling the
stop watch. while Coquenil. sitting be-
side him. wrote down the answered
words and the precise time intervals.
First they established Groener's av-
erage or normal time of reply wheE
there was no emotion or mental eff
fort involved. The judge said milk
and Groener at once by association OF
ideas said 'cream:' the judre said
smoke" Groener replied fire." the
Judge said early" Groencr said
"late;" the judge said water" Groe-
ner answered river" the Judge said
tobacco" Groener answered pipe"
Ard the intervals varied from four