With the remaining part of the operation Thorndyke proceeded carefully
and deliberately. The inking-slab was rolled afresh for each impression,
and, after each, the thumb was cleansed with petrol and thoroughly
dried; and when the process was completed and the prisoner led back to
the dock, the twenty squares on the paper were occupied by twenty
thumb-prints, which, to my eye, at any rate, were identical in
character.
The judge sat for near upon a minute poring over this singular document
with an expression half-way between a frown and a smile. At length, when
we had all returned to our places, he directed the usher to bring in the
witnesses.
I was amused to observe the change that had come over the experts in the
short interval. The confident smile, the triumphant air of laying down a
trump card, had vanished, and the expression of both was one of anxiety,
not unmixed with apprehension. As Mr. Singleton advanced hesitatingly to
the table, I recalled the words that he had uttered in his room at
Scotland Yard; evidently his scheme of the game that was to end in an
easy checkmate, had not included the move that had just been made.
"Mr. Singleton," said the judge, "here is a paper on which there are
twenty thumb-prints. Ten of them are genuine prints of the prisoner's
left thumb and ten are forgeries.
Pages:
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273