Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-11-09

SM&N\SIu dovetan together with exact
e 6: :: s: s: :
MSEG@S nicely, while fabricated story
NZSll of similar events must always
kX@4NTH have missing cog, which with
WEIN)W diligent search will be discovered
Wz1G3W 1t is beyond human ingenuity to
NV construct false story of a series
nIE0 O. of events and not make a mis-
take Prosecuting attorneys
@O always the watch for these lit
tie openings that explode the
false testimony Nor there lacking numerous
examples of this situation in the daily court grind
and in general police work.
few days ago a merchant reported to the po-
lice that large shipping case had been opened
nearly $500 In merchandise distracted and the
case nailed shut again. police detective was
detailed to make investigation of the theft.
He went over the ground with department head
and at the conclusion of his investigation had
learned absolutely nothing. At loss TO the
next move he engaged the head shipping clerk in
conversation, the talk being relative to the mans
trade.
The clerk, affable mechanic, took pride in
demonstrating the efficiency of his department.
He explained everything about the business and
sat last demonstrated the method of making boxes.
This was new thing to the officer The boards
were placed in position about form of the di-
mension the finished box would be and with
movement nearly 100 nails were automatically
driven home The box thus made quickly
las man could assemble the boards, there being
looked over the machine that in, operation
drove all the nails and-got a bunch.
Strolling back to the packing that had been
rffied of its contents he made careful examlna-
fiOn of the surface Then for the first time in his
experience as detective he took stock of the ic-
tion detective and brought into play a magnifying
glass.
The surface of the box indicated that instead of
the mechanical nail-driyng process the nails had
been driven with a hammer. The magnifying
tp1Q That ba lie do
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 few hours investigation to
ascertain that the youth was the thief and that
he had been disposing of the goods in a foreign
settlement The discovery of the hammer marks
unfolded the crime in 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 and sale had been entirely covered up and 1t
was only the cog in the wheel that had been
missing.
Arson Plots Revealed.
It is In cases of arson that this theory is often
est demonstrated and the prosecuting attorney
must ever be on the alert to detect the point
where there is divergence of the fabricated
story. Within recent years there have occurred
in q limited district more than 100 fires OF more
q
been exposed in court and others by some flaw in
the construction of the crime
An arsoniSt planned fire and was highly sue
cessful. He had also concocted an allbl ana
proved by excellent witnesses that he had leIt
home "a hours prior to the fire. The district at
,torney's office. 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 member of the district at
torney's office discovered that on the DAY the
man declared he left home by train, owing to
wreck the train had not been sent out over the
regular route and it therefore impossible
for the man to have taken that train. The prs-
oner was convicted on this one circumstance.
woman conducted an Improbable apartment
house venture and planned for more than hve
months TO destroy the property by fire She placed
more than 100 gallons of distillate and gasoline
in vorious vacant rooms in the house. The place
was vertical bomb and had it been fired It would
have been blown to pieces with great loss hfe
On the night the fire was TO have been started
tbe woman opened stopcock in the furnace
room. permitting 40 gallons of distate to escape
into the room Then she went to the top floor OF
the building for the purpose of oyerturning the
many cans of n1ammable liquids
In the first room she entered long vacant, the
fumes of the gasoline overcame her and she
svooned falling against table and overturning
a 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 fred the home
of n wealthy fellow-countryman. but In arranging
their plans spilled of the liquid on their
clothing When they struck match 10 light the
slow fuse that was to have exploded the bomb
after their departure they were both horribly
burned The men were given long prison terms.
hut were released a technically after serving
two years of the sentence
A jeweler desired get quick return on his
,nsurance md planned a fire. He placed gaso-
line bomb in closet foated a lighted candle In
the mixture and fed a neighboring city, thereby
boninp to establish an alibi. When he opened the
front door of his home to leave draught was Gre
ated and the closet door blew shut. Lack of air
extinp,,isbed the flame. a policeman witnessed
the flight of the jeweler and made an investiga-
ton. The fire trap was discovered ard an officer
went in pursuit of the jeweler. When apprehended