The untrustworthiness of the eye-witness as to detail was recently
demonstrated by Professor McKeever at the Kansas State College in the
following manner.[2] He asked twenty-five students at the college to
witness a short drama, and immediately afterwards to write a detailed
description of the characters and incidents.
[2] _Daily Mirror_ report.
This little drama, which was supposed to take place in one of the
class-rooms, ran as follows:--
Jones, a tall man, wearing a hat and a black mask over his eyes, nose
and mouth, and dressed in a grey rain-coat rushed in carrying a salt
bag half full of nails in his left hand and a small wrench in his
right hand. Across his left cheek was a streak of red paint.
When just inside the door he turned and pointing the wrench at some
pursuers, shouted "Stand back, or I'll shoot." He then ran across the
room, fell on his knees, and dropped the bag, saying, "There it is,
take it"; after which he got up and rushed from the room.
Smith dashed into the room after Jones, crying "Give it up, you
scoundrel," and picked up the bag which Jones had dropped. White,
short and stout, dressed in a blue serge coat and cap, and carrying a
revolver with its cylinder removed, came in last. He called out to
Smith, "Take it from Eddie, he won't hurt you!" He then went out after
Jones but before Smith.
The professor pretending to be alarmed jumped up from his chair and
exclaimed, "Men, what are you up to here?"
These were the actual facts, and the manner in which the accounts of
the twenty-five witnesses disagreed may be shown by a few examples of
the different particulars described:--
Jones' appearance: (1) Black coat, light mask. (2) Red mask, cheeks
painted red. (3) Black coat, mouth painted red. (4) Carried pistol.
(5) Cheeks more than natural redness; club in his hand; dark suit. (6)
Dark suit. (7) Black clothes. (8) Red mask on; black clothes. (9)
Hatless.
Smith's appearance: (1) Wore a grey suit. (2) Six-footer. (3) Dark
grey suit. (4) Bareheaded. (5) Blue suit.
White's appearance: (1) Dark suit and raincoat. (2) Bareheaded. (3)
Hardly noticed him (nearly everyone said this).
Smith's conduct: (1) Carried pistol and snapped it several times. (2)
Came in last; went out second; said "Get out of here." (3) Carried
pistol, snapped it several times, and cried "Stop or I'll shoot,"
aiming at Jones. (4) Dropped umbrella on floor. (5) Came in last,
stayed behind; yelled "Catch that man!"
Professor's conduct: (1) Said: "What's all this?" (2) Said: "What does
all this mean?" (3) Said: "Here." (4) Said: "Hullo, what's going on
here"? (5) Said: "Who are these men?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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