The Red Thumb Mark

itself to the legal mind, and then my client, Mr. Reuben Hornby, can fill in the

d dealer in precious metals generally. There is a certain amount of outside assay work carried on in the establishment,

h were articled to their uncle, with the view to their ultimately becoming partners in the house; and the

rding to circumstances. Of course every effort is made to have as little gold as possible on the premises, and the bars are always removed to the bank at the earliest opportunity; but it happens unavoidably that samples of considerable value have often to remain on the premises all night, and so the works are furnishe

rested in a diamond mine, and, although transactions in precious stones form no part of the business of the house, he has, from time t

contained stones of exceptional size and value. Under these circumstances Mr. Reuben was sent down to the docks at an early hour in the hope the ship might arrive in tim

m in the safe?"

. Reuben delivered up the packa

ndyke, "and what

ng, when the safe was opened,

een broken into?

tomed rounds, had heard nothing, and the safe was, outwardly, quite undisturbed. It

ere the keys of the saf

s nephews-whichever happened to be in charge at the time. But on this occasion the keys did not go out of his custody from the tim

tended to throw suspicion u

ho abstracted the diamonds must have cut or scratched his thumb or finger in some way, for there were two drops of blood on th

ood?" asked

he drops and then, while still wet with blood, had been

and wha

"to make a long story short, the thumb-print ha

ns with a vengeance. I had better jot down

which he wrote "Reuben Hornby," and then, laying the book open on a

reference to this thumb-print. There is no

rt of the experts is that the thumb-print does not agree with any of the thumb-prints of criminals in their possession; that it is a very peculiar one, inasmuch as the ridge-pattern on the bulb of the thumb-which is a remarkably distinct an

e, "that the paper bearing the thumb-print

und was a leaf from Mr. Hornby's memorandum block. He had pencilled on it some particu

Hornby opened the safe in t

iamonds were missing, and then he observed the paper with the thumb-mar

did not notice the thumb-mark, sinc

and turned it over that Mr. Hornby discovered the thumb-print. Apparently the thief had taken hold of the parcel, with the paper on it, and

have identified this thumb-mark as that of Mr. Reuben Hornby. May I

all the employees in the works; but this Mr. Hornby refused to sanction-rather quixotically, as it seems to me-saying that he would not allow his nephews to be subjected to such an indignity. Now it was, natural

ntlemen in whom he had reposed such complete confidence and whom he had known all their liv

'Thumbograph,' or some such name, consisting of a small book of blank paper f

e," said Thorndyke, "in fact, I have one,

go Mrs. Hornby, the wife of John H

euben, "it was my cousin Walter who

he experts at Scotland Yard. He pointed out that the procedure was really necessary, not only in the interests of justice but in the interests of the young men themselves, who were regarded with considerable suspicion by the police, which suspicion would be completely removed if it could be shown by actual comparison that the thumb-print could not have been made by either of them. Moreover, it seemed that both the young men had expressed their willingness to have the test applied, but had been forbidden by their uncle. Then Mrs. Hornby had a brilli

op and make good the loss of the diamonds out of his own funds, but, as that would have amounted practically to compounding a felony, he had no choice but to prosecute. As

nce taken?" as

remanded for a week, bail having been accepted

not agreeably impressed by the lawyer's manner, which seemed to take his client's guilt for gran

your client to do?" Tho

f on the clemency of the court as a first offender. You

ushed crimson, b

e defending an innocent man or are we endeavouring to obta

shrugged hi

best answered by our c

inquiring glance at Re

ourself in any way, Mr. Hornby, but I mus

d to withdraw, but R

or about the thumb-print that was found in the safe. I do not, of course, expect you to believe me in the face of the overwhelming evidence against me,

you did not plead 'gu

d I never will," r

ho has entered that plea," remarked Mr. Lawley. "It is of

e, convicted and sentenced, but I shall continue to maintain my innocence, whatever happens. Do y

hich I should agree to undertak

euben anxiously, "do you find it possible

thesis of your innocence, I should not be willing to expend time and energy in searching for evidence to prove it. Nevertheless," he continued, seeing the light of hope break out on the

e voice, "and can face it like a man if only you do not take my guilt for

omise you. The long odds against us are themselves a spur to endeavour, as far as I a

aftsman, though faultlessly kept. Thorndyke set on the table a large condenser such as is used for microscopic work, and taking his client's hand, bro

ceive any trace of a scar on either the right or left. Will you go over them, Jervis? The robbery took place a fortnight

y part of each hand without being able to de

said Thorndyke, pressing the electric bell-push by his chair. "I w

tions, retired, and presently returned carrying a box, which he laid on the table. From this receptacle Thorndyke drew forth a bright copper plate m

are beyond criticism as to cleanliness, but we w

nd gave it a final rub on a piece of chamois leather. The thumb having been thus prepared, he squeezed out a drop of the thick ink on to the copper plate and spread it

card a beautifully sharp and clear impression of the bulb of the thumb, the tiny papillary ridges being shown with microscopic distinctness, and even the mouths of the sweat glands, which appeared as rows of little white dots on the black lines of the ridges. This manoeuvre was repeated a dozen tim

urnished with all the necessary means of com

en Thorndyke, having pricked his own thumb with a needl

the needle into a little shallow pool, "it is not every lawyer

ore on two cards, writing a number with hi

ry investigation, and if you will now give me your address, Mr. Hornby, we may consider our business concluded

ings with hardly concealed impatience, and he now

athom your intentions. And, by the way, I should like to have a few words with you on ano

the lawyer's pretence. "Don't hurry on my account; my time is my own-at

ut at the same time, do not lose heart. Keep your wits about you and let me

and, as the door closed after him,

said, "just to hear what line you propose to take up, fo

d you propose?"

ems to be this: our young friend has stolen a parcel of diamonds and has

judging until I have sifted the evidence and acquired a few more facts. This I hope to do in the course of the next day or two, and

ng the young rogue to entertain hopes that will only make his fall the harder-to say not

ever, I will look into the matter and commun

stairs, and when the footsteps at length died away, he cl

have been very happy in his choice of a solicitor. By the wa

so," I

ourse-to work up this case? I have a lot of other work o

t truth, that I s

ms, and you can commence your duties at once. And now let us light our pipes and fini