The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-11-03

kNgSlNF9 have Il missing cog, which with
WISTSljM diligeut search will be discovered.
W5a2W 1t is beyond human ingenuity to
MY construct Il false story of a series
~ SN a of events ana not make n mis-.
- take. Prosecuting attorneys are
Nn always on the watch for these lit
tie openings that explode the
falls, testimony. Nor are there lacking numerous
examples of this situation in the daily court grind
ind ia general police work.
A few days ugo a merchant reported to the po-
lice that n large shipping case had been opened
nearly $500 in merchandise distracted and the
case nailed shut again. \ police detective was
detailed to make an investigation of the theft.
He went over the ground with a department head
and at the conclusion of his investigation had
learned absolutely nothing. At a loss as to the
next move he engaged the head shipping clerk in
conversation, the talk being relative to the mans
trade.
The clerk. an afrabIe mechanic, took pride in
demonstrating the efficiency Of his department.
He explained everything about the business and
ut last demonstrated the method of making boxes.
This was a new thing to the officer. The boards
We're placed in position about a form of the dt-
mension the finished box would be and with one
movement nearly 100 nails were automatically
driven home. The box was thus made as quickly
9S a man could assemble the boards, there being
no time lost in the mailing process. The detective
looked over the machine that in one operation
drove I'll the nails and-gOt a bunch.
StrolItnC back to the packing case that had been
7 utu OF lN contents he made q careful eXamlna-
ton OF the surface. Then for the first time In his
experience as a detective he took stock of the fc-
ton detective and brought into play Il magnifying
glass.
The surface of the box Indicated that instead Of
the mechanical naiI-driving process the nails had
been driven with a hammer. The magnifying
glass disclosed that the hammer marks were made
by a badly Clipped hammer. Continuing his
search the officer eventually found a hammer in
the tool chest of a delivery boys equipment that
made exactly the kind of marks found on the
packing case.
1t only required a few hours investigation to
ascertain that the youth was the THIEF and that
he had been ~dtsposiug Of the goods in a foreign
settlement, The discovery of the hammer marks
unfolded the crime in n few hours. while had the
usual process been followed the detectives would
have had to investigate the entire force of EN-
plOyees who had access to the basement. The
theft ana sale had been entirely covered up and 1t
was only the one cog in the wheel that had been
missing.
Arson Plots Revealed.
It is in cases of arson that this theory is often
est demonstrated ana the prosecuting attorney
must ever he on the alert to detect the point
where there Is n divergence of the fabricated
story. Within recent years there have occurred
in a limited district more than 100 fires of more
than a suspicious nature. Many of these have
been exposed In court and others by some flaw in
the construction of the crime.
An arsOnist planned a fire and was highly sue
ceSSIu'. lie hNu also cOnCOcted an allDl ana
proved by excellent witnesses that he had left
home 2t hours prior to the fire. The district at
tOTnoyS OhirC. while feeling that the man was
lying, could hardly refute the testimony of the
witnesses produced. 1t was not until the last
day of the trial that a member of the district at
tOrney's office discovered that on the day the
man declared he left home by train, owing to n
wreck the train had not been sent out over the
regulGr route and it was therefore impossible
for the man to have taken that train. The pris-
Oner was convicted on this one circumstance.
A woman conducted an Improbable apartment
house venture and planned for more than five
months TO destroy the property by fire. She placed
more than 100 gallons of distillate and gasoline
In various vacant rooms in the house. The place
was a vertical bomb and had 1t been fired it would
have been blown to pieces with great loss of life.
On the night the fire was to have been started
the woman opened a %stOpcOck In the furnace
room, permitting 40 gallons of distillate to escape
into the room. Then she went to the top floor Of
the building for the purpose of overturning the
many cans of inflanmable liquids.
In the first room she entered, long vacant, the
fumes of the gasoline overcame her and she
swOOned. falling against Il table and overturning
q telephone. The light on the switchboard
alarmed the operator. who, knowing the room to be
unoccupied. made an investigation and discovered
the plot.
The ring and gang of arsonists fired the home
of Il wealthy fellOw-cOuntryman, but In arranging
their plans spilled some of the liquid on their
clothing. When they struck a match to light the
slow fuse that was to have exploded the bomb
after their departure they were both horribly
turned. The men were given long prison terms,
but were released on a technicality after serving
two years of the sentence.
A ieweler desired to get a quick return on his
insurance and planned a fire. He placed q gasO-
line bomb ia Il closet, hoated a lighted candle in
the mixture and fed to a neighboring city, thereby
hoping to establish an abb. When he opened the
front door of his home to leave draught was Gre
ated and the closet door blew shut. Lack of air
extinguished the flame. A policeman witnessed
the flight of the jeweler and made an investiga-
ton. The fire trap was discovered and an officer
went In pursuit of the jeweler. When apprehended
the police searched the man and found on him his
fire insurance policy. On the envelopes were fig