Evening star., 1922-02-18
1.-THE Silent Bullet
One Of the 77.ree-Pmt Stories of
THE STARS WEEKEND FICTION

sir? OF course not Well. then. how
You're a pretty good-looking
chap yourself. Riley" said Kennedy.
Il should think you could jolly a
housemaid. IL necessary. Anyhow.
you can get the fellow on the beat
to do tiff he isn't already to be
found in the kitchen. Why, l see a
dozen ways OF getting thk note
paper"
"oh. it's me that's the lady-killer.
sir" grtnned Riley. I'm a regular
job OF that sort Sure, I'll have
some Of them for you in the morn
ing"
Bring me what you get, the first
thing in the morning, even II you've
landed only q few samples" said
kennedy. as Riley departed. straight
eninE his tie apd brushing his hat
on his sleeve.
"And now. Walter, you too must
excuse me tonight" said Craig.
I've got lot to do, and sha'n't be
up to our apartment till very late
or early. But I feel sure I've got a
strange-hold on this mystery. If
get those papers from Riley in
good time tomorrow l shall invite
you and several others to a grand
demonstration here tomorrow night
Don't forget. Keep the whole eve
hins free., It will be big story"
kennedy's laboratory was brightly
Hshted when l arrived early the next
evening. One by one his guests
cropped in. 1t was evident that they
mad little liking for the visit, but
tions." and they had nothing to do
but accept. Each one was politely
welcomed by the professor and as
signed q seat. much as he would have
done with group Of students. The
inspector and the coroner sat back
a little. Mrs. Parker, Mr.. Downey,
Mr.. Bruce, myself, and Miss La Neige
sat in that order in the very narrow
and uncomfortable little armchair
used by the students during lectures.
AT last Kennedy was ready to
Degin. He took his position behind
used for his demonstrations before
his classes. 81 realize, ladies and
gentlemen" he began formally, "that
l am about to do a very unusual
thing; but, as you all know. the
police and the coroner have been
mystery and have requested me to
attempt to clear up at least certain
points in it 1 will begin what ]
have to say by remarking that the
tracing out of a crime like this diff
fers In nothing, except as regards
for a scientific truth. The forcing
OF mans secrets is like the forcing
OF natures secrets. Both are pieces
OF detective work. The methods en-
ployed in the detection of crime are
or rather should be. like the methods
ing scientific truth. In crime of
this sort. two kinds of evidence need
to be secured. Circumstantial evil
dence must first be marshaled, and
then motive must be found. ]
have been gathering facts. But to
omit motives and rest contented with
mere facts would be inconclusive. 1t
would never convince anybody or
convict anybody. In other words,
circumstantfaa evidence must first
lead to suspect, and then this sus-
pect must prove equal to accounting
each of you may contribute some
thing that will be of service in ar
riving at the truth of this unfortu-
nate incident"
The tension was not relieved even
when Kennedy stopped speaking and
target which he set up at one end of
his table. We seemed to be seated
over powder magazine which
threatened to explode at any mo-
ment. I, at least, felt the tension SC
greatly that it was only after he
ticed that the target was composed
of a thick layer of some putty-like
material.
Holding thirty-two-caliber pis-
tol in his right hand and aiming IT at
Che target, Kennedy picked up a
the table and held it loosely over
the muzEle of the gun. Then he fired.
The bullet tore through the cloth,
sped through the air, and buried IT
self in the target With a knife he
pried 1t out.
'1 doubt if even the inspector him
self could have told us that when an
q woven fabric the weave of that
fabric is in the majority of cases i'm
pressed on the bullet, sometimes
clearly, sometimes family"
Here Kennedy took up a piece of
fine batiste and fred another bullet
through 1t.
Every leaden bullet, as 1 have said,
which has struck such q fabric bears
an impression of the thread which is
recognizable even when the bullet
has penetrated deeply into the body.
1t is only obliterated partially or en-
tirely when the bullet has been fiat
tened by striking a bone or other
case, II only a part of the bullet is
flattened the remainder may still
show the marks of the fabric. A
heavy warp. say of cotton velvet or,
as have here. homespun, will be TN
printed well on the bullet, but even a
dne batiste, containing one hundred
threads to the inch. will show marks.
shirt and undershirt may each leave
they marks. but that does not con-
Gerry US in this case. Now I have here
a piece of pongee silk, cut from a
womaA's automobile coat discharge
the bullet through it-so. I compare
the bullet now with the others and
with the one probed from the neck of
on that fatal bullet correspond pre-
cisely with those on the bullet fired
through the pongee coat"
Startling as was this revelation,
Kennedy paused only an instant be-
fore the next.
"Now I have another demonstra-
ton A certain note figures in this
case. Mr.. Parker was reading it.
or PERHAPS rereading 1T, at the time
he was shot. I have not been able
to obtain that note-at least not in
q form such as I could use In dis
covering what were its contents.
But in q certain wastebasket I found
q mass of wet and pulp-1ike paper.
It had been cut up. macerated. per-
hapE. chewed; perhaps it had been
also soaked with water. There. was
q washbaain with running water in
this room. The ink had run, and, Of
course. was ilegible. The thing was
80 unusual that I at once assumed
that this was the remains OF the note
in question. Under ordinary circum
stances it would be utterly .valueless
II q clue to anything. But today
science is not ready to let anything
pass as vaiuelesA
II found on microscopic examina-
HoD that II was an uncommon linen
bond paper, and have taken q large
number Of Acknowledgements of the
dbers In 1t. They are all similar.
have here also about q hundred mi
,hof ~ &hA chars sv o$hor