The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-02-10
CHAPTER xv.-(continued).

~SeA' oaShs ne auOeU. @
He took us over in his car, and we
found the jury, under the guidance Of
Sl1nmonds, just coming out of the
mouse, each member smoking a fat
PACK cigar at the expense OF the state.
ihey mad been viewing the body and
the scene of the crime, but as they
MED back into their seats, l noted that
they seemed anything but depressed.
The lunch had evidently been a good
one.
sylvester was recalled to finish his
testimony. He explained the system
OF curves and angles by which finger
prints are grouped and classified, and
the various points Of resemblance by
which two prints could be proved to
have been made by the same finger.
Ihefe was, first of all, the general con-
Volutlon, whether a f~lexure, a stria, a
SINUS, a spiral, a circle, or a whorl;
there was, secondly, the numbe of
ridges in the convolution; and there
was, thirdly, the angles which these
ridges made. If two prints agreed in
all these details, their identity was
certain. He then proceeded to show
that the prints made that morning by
SWAIN did so agree with the photo
graphs of the prints on the garments.
Finally the witness was turned over to
me for cross examination.
Mr.. Sylvester" / began, are you
willing to assert that those finger
prints coul have been made by no
man in the world except Mr.. SWAIN"
! Sylvester hesitated, just as I hoped
he would do.
NO" he answered. at last. 81 can't
assert that, Mr.. Lester. There may be
three or four other men in the world
with finger prints like these. But the
probabilities against any of these men
having made these prints are very
great. Besides, it is a thing easily
80 @~~-~-- ,-l~
might ave committed the crime is
limited, and it is an easy thing to Sc
cure prints of their fingers"
That is | was about to pro-
pose" I agreed. q" should like the
finger prints taken of every one who
was in the house Thursday night"
DO ] understand that your case
stand or falls upon this point?" asked
the ron
Your Honor" I answered, my
client cannot explain how the prints of
his fingers. if they are his. came to be
upon that robe. The one thing he is
certain of is that they were not placed
there by him. Not once, during the
! entire evening, was my client near
enough to Mr.. Vaughan to touch him;
not once did he so far lose conscious
ness as to be unable to remember what
(, occurred, We have racked u brains
> for an explanation, and the only pos
SIblC ollc oSSIil ~ DC lILdl Tie pt1IitS
OF the real murderer resemble those of
my client. And when l say the real
murderer" l added, Il do not neces-
sarily mean one of the persons whom
we know TO have been in the house.
Outside of these finger prints, there
has been absolutely no evidence in
%troduced here to prove that the crime
might not have been committed by
some person unknown to u.s."
you can scarcely expect the jury
to believe. however" Goldberger point
ed out, that this supposititious person
had finger tips like your clients"
NO." I agreed, 81 make no such as
s~ertion; my hope is that we shall soon
have the prints Of the real murderer;
and when l say the real murderer
l added, looking at the jury, Il believe
every one present understands who
mean"
The coroner raped sharply; but
had said what 1 wished to say, and
sat down. The witnesses Of the morn
ing were ordered to be brought out
Sylvester arranged his ink pad ant
sheets of paper.
1T seems to me-" remarked the
oroner, with a smile, that you and
Mr.. Godfrey would better register, too
You were within striking distance"
That is right" [ agreed, and wa.
the first to register, but Sylvester, aftel
a glance at my prints, shook hi.
head.
Your thumb is a left sinus" he said
"You're cleared, Mr.. Lester"
Godfrey came Onward and registered
too, and after him the three servants
In each case a shake of Sylvester
head told the result.
Then Simmonds came from tn
house and Silva and Mabbub afte
him. and the coroner explained t.
Silva what was wanted. | fancied tina
the yogi's brow contracted a little.
THE registration OF the fingers n
said, "of the foot or of the palm, i
with us a religious ceremony, not t
be lightly performed. BY ONE it i
also held that the touch of ink, unles
compounded by a priest of the tempt
according to a certain formula, is de
filing, and, above all, it is impossible
for a believer to permit such relics O
himself to remain in the hand5 of a
infidel."
The relics, as you call them" Gold
berger explained. won't need to re
main in our hands. My expert her
} can tell in a minute whether you
print resemble those of his photo
graphs. If they do not. they will b
returned to you"
And if they do?"
Goldberger laughed.
"Well, you can AVE them back, any
, way. In that case l guess we can per
Suduc you, lNlSl vi, W llldhc diIOtilS
set"
The yogi flushed angrily. but con
trolled himself.
II rely upon your promise. sir" h
said, and laid his fingers first upo
the pad and then upon the paper.
He stood with closed eyes and nov
ing lips. his linked fingers held care
fully away from him, during til
GREATNESS moment that Sylvester be-
above the prints. Then + expel
looked up and shook his head.
mo resemblance at ALL" he sal
and held out the sheet of paper C
which the prints were.
Silva accepted it silently, and role
It into n ball in the palm Of his han
Nov for the other fellow" sal
Goldberger.
Silva glanced at his follower doub'
fully.
II am NOT sure that l ear make hi.
understand" he said, and for SON
moments talked energetically to Nal
bub in a language which / suppo'
Was Hindu abb listened, ScOw