Science fiction -- Periodicals; Science fiction, American -- Periodicals
"His first machine produced the vibrations of invisibility in a field
with a three-foot radius in all directions. That is, it caused every
solid object, within this atmospheric field, to vibrate at the rate,
tone, or speed of invisibility. This machine was in no sense rotary. It
departed from the original example of a revolving wheel and entered
instead into general vibration in a given or measured field.
"The pulsations or vibrations of an ordinary automobile engine will
cause every ounce of metal, or solid, in the automobile--including the
driver--to vibrate at the same rate or momentum. This is a known fact,
and it provided the basis for Darrow's experiments.
* * * * *
"Darrow built two machines. The first had a field with a radius of three
feet on all sides. This was used by the killer in his murders. Jouret
stole this machine first, thus paving his way for the second robbery.
"With the first machine in his possession, Jouret was able to commit the
Darrow murder without being seen. He had to have the second and larger
machine, however, to make his auto disappear. He stole the larger
machine at the time of the Darrow murder, and with it he had his auto
vanish, as the gardener testified.
"Both machines were hopelessly smashed in the wreck, but with Darrow's
documents at hand, we might be able to construct another and a larger
model. A machine built on the proper scale will make a plane or a
battleship invisible and should, as Darrow said, make war against this
country impossible.
* * * * *
"Digging into Jouret's history we found that the 'Misses Jouret' were
one-cell triplets. Their mother, Mrs. Doris Nettleton, an English woman,
was a member of Jouret's troupe, as was the father.
"The mother died at the birth of the triplets. The father died a few
years later. The company was touring Australia at the time. Jouret and
the father had the birth of only one baby recorded. She was named Doris,
after the mother. The other girls also used this one name. They now have
only one name among them until the court gives them individual names.
"Jouret never let but one girl be seen at a time. The reason was that he
and the father had planned to use the girls, when grown, to create a
surprising stage illusion. In this illusion, one girl was to act as the
earthly body and the other girls as the astral bodies of the same
purported individual.
"The father died, and Jouret retired before he ever got around to
staging the illusion. Jouret continued the deception, however, because
it appealed to his showman's nature.
"The girls, at all times, were under the hypnotic control of Jouret,
and, of course, knew nothing of his crazed intellect or crimes. Upon his
arrest Jouret released the girls from the spell of years.
"The Misses Nettleton say that Jouret was always kind to them and was an
ethical showman until his mind gave way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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