The Red Thumbmark quotes

“but I see you are taking the same view as the police, who persist in regarding a fingerprint as a kind of magical touchstone, a final proof, beyond which inquiry need not go. Now, this is an entire mistake.

A fingerprint is merely a fact⁠—a very important and significant one, I admit⁠—but still a fact, which, like any other fact, requires to be weighed and measured with reference to its evidential value.

”

“That may or may not be,” he retorted. “

My point is that the presumption of innocence is a pure fiction; that the treatment of an accused man, from the moment of his arrest, is that of a criminal.

However,” he concluded, hailing a passing hansom, “this discussion must be adjourned or I shall be late at the hospital. What are you going to do?”

“Never mind that,” said he.

“A sound thinker gives equal consideration to the probable and the improbable.”

Thus encouraged, I proceeded to set forth the theory of the crime as it had occurred to me on my way home in the fog, and I was gratified to observe the close attention with which Thorndyke listened, and his little nods of approval at …

… he states that a fingerprint affords evidence requiring no corroboration—a most dangerous and misleading statement which has been fastened upon eagerly by the police, who have naturally been delighted at obtaining a sort of magic touchstone by which they are saved the labour of investigation.

But there is no such thing as a single fact that ‘affords evidence requiring no corroboration.’ As well might one expect to make a syllogism with a single premise.

”

“No, sir,” he answered gloomily.

“The laboratory has torn itself away from me.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Hornby’s memorandum block was among the papers on the table, it would rise to a high degree of probability.

The obvious moral is, never disregard the improbable.

By the way, it is odd that Reuben failed to recall this occurrence when I questioned him.

“Impossible!” he exclaimed, with mock sternness.

“Nobody but an utter fool arrives at a conclusion without data.”

“Then I must revise my definition instantly,” I rejoined. “Let us say that a guess is a conclusion drawn from insufficient facts.”

We must go prepared to meet any contingency that may arise. This is my invariable practice, and even if the case turns out to be quite simple, the labour is never wasted, for it represents so much experience gained.”

“Casper and Taylor are pretty old, aren’t they?” I objected.

“So is suicide,” he retorted drily. “It is a capital mistake to neglect the old authorities. ‘There were strong men before Agamemnon,’ and some of them were uncommonly strong, let me tell you.

“Casper and Taylor are pretty old, aren’t they?” I objected.

“So is suicide,” he retorted drily.

“It is a capital mistake to neglect the old authorities. ‘There were strong men before Agamemnon,’ and some of them were uncommonly strong, let me tell you.

“I should say it is a miniature shell or explosive bullet.”

“Wrong!” said Thorndyke. “A very natural inference, but a wrong one.”

“Then what is the thing?” I demanded, my curiosity still further aroused.

A single glance at the point of the steel rod made the whole thing clear, and I gave a whistle of consternation; for the “rod” was a fine tube with a sharply pointed end.

“The infernal scoundrel!” I exclaimed; “it is a hypodermic needle.”

“Yes. A veterinary hypodermic, of extra large bore. Now you see the subtlety and ingenuity of the whole thing. If he had had a reasonable chance he would certainly have succeeded.”

But you, who are so strong and wise, must make allowance for a woman who is neither. It is all so terrible that I am quite unstrung; but say you are not really displeased with me, for that would hurt me most of all.”

Oh! Delilah! That concluding stroke of the shears severed the very last lock, and left me⁠—morally speaking⁠—as bald as a billiard ball.

Henceforth I was at her mercy and would have divulged, without a scruple, the uttermost secrets of my principal, but that that astute gentleman had placed me beyond the reach of temptation.

But that is not my object. In my case the habit is one that has been deliberately cultivated—not in reference to letters only, but to everything that comes into my hands—the habit of allowing nothing to pass without a certain amount of conscious attention.

The observant man is, in reality, the attentive man, and the so-called power of observation is simply the capacity for continuous attention.

As a matter of fact, I have found in practice, that the habit is a useful one even in reference to letters; more than once I have gleaned a hint from the outside of a letter that has proved valuable when applied to the contents.

“Yes,” I answered. “

The uncleanness of the criminal is not confined to his moral being; wherever he goes, he leaves a trail of actual, physical dirt.

It is not so long ago that the dock and the bench alike used to be strewn with medicinal herbs, and I believe the custom still survives of furnishing the judge with a nosegay as a preventive of jail-fever.”

… in clear, ringing tones, and with remarkable distinctness, Reuben bowed to the clerk, and the process of swearing-in the jury was commenced, while the counsel opened their briefs and the judge conversed facetiously with an official in a fur robe and a massive neck chain.

Very strange, to unaccustomed eyes and ears, was the effect of this function⁠—half solemn and half grotesque, with an effect intermediate between that of a religious rite and that of a comic opera.

Above the half-suppressed hum of conversation the clerk’s voice arose at regular intervals, calling out the name of one of the jurymen, and, as its owner stood up, the court usher, black-gowned and sacerdotal of aspect, advanced and proffered the book.

Anstey rose with the little red-covered volume in his hand.

“A ‘Thumbograph,’ my lord,” said he, “is a book, like this, in which foolish people collect the thumbprints of their more foolish acquaintances.”

He passed the volume up to the judge, who turned over the leaves curiously and then nodded to the witness.

“not sometimes wrong and sometimes right, as would have been the case if they had made mere guesses, but wrong every time.

When they are quite certain, they are quite wrong; and when they are doubtful, they incline to the wrong conclusion.

This is a very strange coincidence, Dr. Thorndyke. Can you explain it?”

“I think I can, my lord,” he replied. “

The object of a forger in executing a forgery is to produce deception on those who shall examine the forgery.

”