The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
y THE TWO
THUMB PRINTS
ALIKE
Copyright. by w. G. chapman.)
By BERRY PHILLIPS

thumb-print. Here 1t Is:
Lewis Halstein had adopted his
nephew Richard in infancy. He was
q queer old character; he had brought
the boy up in idleness, alleging that
work was beneath the dignity of a
gentleman. That alone shows that
Lewis Halstein was decidedly eccen-
:ric. At twenty-four, when his nephew
left college, he came home to find his
hic than ever. Remember, Richard
aad never been trained to work. He
was about as capable Of earning a
living as Polynesian set down in the
streets Of New York. Less so, for the
Polynesiani could so on exhibition as
the Wild Mon of Borneo and earn his
two dollars day. Richard Halstein
could not. He looked the ordinary
type of better-class American, and
here was nothing about him that
would make any man look at him
twice in the street.
Richard Halstein came home to fall
m love with Mildred James, the daugh-
ter of his uncle's neighbor. When he
heard of the engagement he was furi-
ous. He turned his nephew out of his
home penniless.
Richard seems to have had a rather
hard time. However, it was the uncle
who took the initiative. He asked
him back, and the butler testified that
ne heard the two quarreling all the
evening in the old mans library. He
listened, as a servant will do, and
heard Lewis Halstein order his nephew
out of the house for good. Following
this, Richard Halstein stamped out in
a rage. At nine the next morning
Lewis Halstein was found lying dead
In his library. upon the floor. He had
evidently fallen from his chair when
a shot fired from behind entered his
brain, Upon the table were pen and
ink and paper, and it was surmiseG
that he had intended to alter his will,
which was found to be in his nephew's
favor.
Upon the polished mahogany back
of the chair on which he had been
seated was found thumb-print. 1t
was Richards. That was the one fact
against him.
The thumb-print could not have been
made earlier in the evening, because
the butler testified that after Rich
ards departure he had heard the old
man drag the chair from the living
room; it was high chair, such as he
used when writing at table instead
Of at his desk.
Richard was arrested and placed on
trial. There was no other evidence
against him, but thumb-print is al
ways thumb-print. Only Miss James
believed in his innocence-unless his
lawyer, Tom Fellowes, did.
Fellowes was queer card. He had
studied medicine before law. and had
been expelled from the medical school
for some prank. He had not the best
reputation as a lawyer. He was fond
of tackling dubious cases; but he won
them. Perhaps he was the best law
yer Richard could have had. At any
rate, he struck stroke in court which
q was one of the jurymen) dunn
founded us and everybody. He pro-
duced One-Lamp Ike.
One-Lamp Ike was local character,
half-witted, against whom the worst
known was robbery, petty thieving
which had landed him repeatedly in
Jail, and had more often still secured
him a thrashing and nothing more.
The counsel for the state had pro-
duced evidence to show that the finger
print remains through life. Fellowes
was cross-examining his last witness.
"You say that only two cases in a
hundred million are to be found of
similar thumb markings on different
men," he said. "Are there hundred
million finger-prints in the world?"
II don't know" responded the wit
ness testify. II haven't counted them.
There are good many"
''Name the two cases in which the
thumb or finger-prints were found to
be the same"
81 don't know of any two. 1 believe
there are none."
.Then what is your ground for the
statement that two cases occur in a
hundred million?"
81 suppose that merely means that
it only occurs in an impossibly large
number" retorted the witness uneas-
lily.
"You admit, then, that you were
speaking loosely"
Il say that there are no two men in
less than hundred million with sim
liar finger or thumb-prints."
II will call the man known as One
Lamp Ike" said Mr.. Fellowes.
The court was agog now. Fellowes
purpose became evident, and there was
breathless silence as he produced
sheet of paper, pad coated with
lamp-black, or some similar sub
stance, and a magnifying glass.
"One-Lamp Ike" said Mr.. Fellowes
'you have never had your finger-printS
taken before?"
AHNo, your honor" answered the i'm