Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-23

thing damaging to Cortot. The detec-
tive was about to give up the search
in despair when in a bureau drawer
he saw among a lot of modish gloves
one pair of silk gloves ute worn.
It is doubtful If a Scotland Yard
man, trained though he is to consider
every possibility of a clue. no matter
how remote, would have yielded to
the bit of intuition on which Dornay
now acted. He took up a nail file from
Coriot's dresser and with 1t rubbed
away at the thumb OF the left glove
until ii was almost worn through;
almost, but not noticeably SO.
Then he went into Coriot's bed
room. On a little table by the side
of the bed stood a water carafe and
tumbler from which Coriot drank
before going to bed and on arising.
With silk handkerchief Dornay
polished them perfectly clean. Then
he slipped out of the apartment.
The following day he waited again
till Coriot left and again let himself
into his apartment. With the utmost
care he took up Coriot's carafe and
tumbler in his gloved hands, left in
their places exact duplicates he had
brought along, and departed with his
booty. At police headquarters white
powder was sprinkled on the surface
of the carafe and the tumbler. and
the camels hair fingerprint brush
was used.
The fingerprints thus found were
matched up with those on the wine
glass in the Aragio soiree and with
the prints of Coriot, the vender of
faxed paintings. Dornay had as yet
gained nothing new by all this; but
he had made absolutely sure of the
identity of Coriot. Then he waited.
SEVERAL weeks passed. Then one
~ morning another Etoile home was
robbed with the familiar features of
the former burglaries-expert work
manship, expert selection of art OBJ
iects, and discrimination shown
against anything that would not har-
monte with the furnishings OF that
imaginary palace pictured by Dor
nays art dealer.
Dornay brought along the best
fingerprint man In the Paris detective
service.
Listen, you have here the most
delicate job of your life" he told him
II am hoping to find fingerprints. But
they may be so exceedingly faint that
unless you work with the finesse of a
needlepoint you will miss them"
They went to work with microscopic
care. The finest gray powder was
sprinkled on neutral colored surfaces,
black on light surfaces, white on dark.
With a camels hair brush the finger
print man gently f1icked away at the
powder that did not adhere. Sure
enough, delicate telltale lines of pow
der began to emerge in those char
acteristlc patterns which are to the
| hngerprint man what the scent of
Faint almost to the point of invisi-
| bility, there was yet enough there to
| work on, after the prints were magni-
| fed and photographed. Every one of
| them was the imprint of left thumb.
| 1t was the thumb of Coriot.
1t was with this hope that Dornay
| had filed thin the fabric on Coriot's
glove thumb. He knew that the lines
of perspiration which make up
| fngerprint can on occasion penetrate
a very thin layer of porus fabric.
Coriot, not knowing that his thumb
| was only partially protected, worked
on in the gloves he used on his Jobs
and signed the authorship of his latest
exploits more surely than if he had
written his name.
x X x
THE moment Doorway read the YER
dict he jumped into a taxi and
rode to where one of his colleagues
was camping on Coriot's trail, pre-
sumably without the latter's knowl-
edge 1t was at an afternoon at the
home of a member of the Chamber
of Deputies. Dornays man, watching
| the house from across the street, nod
| ded as Dornay came up.
HE is still there" he told Doorway.
Are you sure?" Doorway asked.
Yes. The party is still early and
no one left except a. young woman
who got faint and had to be helped
| to her taxi"
Him. Well, go in there and ask
| for NJ. Rene Fuchs. If you get him,
arrest him. I'll wait out here"
| Dornay's man, who was not full
| 1edged detective but a rather obvious
| policeman detailed for this task in
| plain clothes, was quite flattered at
being given the responsibility of ar
resting Coriot. He mounted the steps
of the house, rang the bell. was ad-
mitted by the housemaid and asked to
see NJ Fuchs.
Tell him to come out into the