Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-02-02
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CHAIN

An instant's silence followed Sylves-
ter's words. and then a little murmur of
interest and excitement, as the re-
porters bent closer above their work.
| heard a quick, deep intaking of the
breath from the man who sat beside
me. and then 1 was on my feet.
"YOur honor" l said to Goldberger,
lit seems that an effort is to be made
to incriminate Mr.. Swain in this affair,
and he should therefore be represented
by counsel. I myself intend to repre-
sent him. and l ask for an hours
my client"
Goldberger glanced at his watch.
II intended to adjourn for LUNCH" he
said. "as soon as l had finished with
Mr.. Sylvester. We will adjourn now,
il you wish-until $780, he added
The battery of cameras was clicking
at Swain. and two or three artists were
a great hustle as the reporters gath
cred up their papers n hurried to
their cars to search for the nearest
telephone; the jury walked heavily
away in charge of an officer to get
their lunch at some near by roadhouse;
Sylvester was gathering up his prints
and photographs and putting them
carefully in his pocket; Simmonds was
replacing the blood stained clothing in
the suit case, to be held as evidence for
the trial; but Swain sat there. with
arms folded, staring straight before
Goldberger looked at him closely, as
he came down to speak to me, but
Swain did not glance ~.
II can parole him in your custody, l
suppose, Mr.. LESTER" h corner asked.
Yes; certainly. ! assented
"sylvester's evidence makes it look
bad for him."
will you introduce me to Sylves-
ter? l should like to &c over the prints
with him."
"Certaintly:" and, a moment later.
with the prints spread put before us,
Sylvester was showing me their points
of similarity.
Godfred came forward while he was
talking and stood looking over his
shoulder.
1 had heard of finger print identi-
fication, of course, many times. but had
made no study of the subject, and, l
confess, the blurred photographs which
Sylvester offered for my inspection
seemed to me mighty poor evidence
upon which to accuse q mar OF murder.
The photographs showed the prints
considerably larger than life size. but
this enlargement had also exaggerated
the threads OF the cloth. 10 that the
heavy mesh. To the naked eye. the
lines were almost indistisAguishablc,
but under Sylvester's powerful glass
they came out more clearly.
1.-THE thumb said Sylvester. fol-
lowing the lines first to. the right and
then to the left with the point OF q
pencil, "is what we call q double
whorl. It consists Of IA lines. or ridges.
With the micrometer." and he raised
the lid Of a little leather box which
stood on the table, took u an instru-
ment of polished steel and applied It
to one OF the photographs, w get the
angle of these ridges. See how ]
adjust It," and I watched him, as. with
a delicate thumbscrew, he made the
needle like points of the finder coincide
with the outside lines of he whorl.
.N0w here Is q photograph from the
other robe. also showing the thumb"
and he applied hem machine carefully to
It. ut also IL a double whorl Of II
lines. and you see the angles are the
thumb which your client q for me"
He applied the micrometer and drew
back that I might see Tor myself.
but these photographs are en-.
larged." objected.
THAT makes no difference. En-
largement does not alter the angles.
Here are the other prints"
He compared thcon n BY one. in tho
same manner. When he had finished,
there was no escaping the conviction
that they had been made BY the same
hand-that q, unless one denied the
t6eusy ofs flnQer print identil1cAtion IL
eeookhees an4 at6aAsFl knew, svoulA T.
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