THE RED THUMB MARK BY R. AUSTIN FREEMAN PREFACE In writing the following story, the author has had in view no purpose other than that of affording entertainment to such readers as are interested in problems of crime and their solutions; and the story itself differs in no respect from others of its class, excepting in that an effort has been made to keep within the probabilities of ordinary life, both in the characters and in the incidents. Nevertheless it may happen that the book may serve a useful purpose in drawing attention to certain popular misapprehensions on the subject of finger-prints and their evidential value; misapprehensions the extent of which may be judged when we learn from the newspapers that several Continental commercial houses have actually substituted finger-prints for signed initials. The facts and figures contained in Mr. Singleton's evidence, including the very liberal estimate of the population of the globe, are, of course, taken from Mr. Galton's great and important work on finger-prints; to which the reader who is interested in the subject is referred for much curious and valuable information. In conclusion, the author desires to express his thanks to his friend Mr. Bernard E. Bishop for the assistance rendered to him in certain photographic experiments, and to those officers of the Central Criminal Court who very kindly furnished him with details of the procedure in criminal trials. CONTENTS CHAPTER I MY LEARNED BROTHER CHAPTER II THE SUSPECT CHAPTER III A LADY IN THE CASE CHAPTER IV CONFIDENCES CHAPTER V THE "THUMBOGRAPH" CHAPTER VI COMMITTED FOR TRIAL CHAPTER VII SHOALS AND QUICKSANDS CHAPTER VIII A SUSPICIOUS ACCIDENT CHAPTER IX THE PRISONER CHAPTER X POLTON IS MYSTIFIED CHAPTER XI THE AMBUSH CHAPTER XII IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CHAPTER XIII MURDER BY POST CHAPTER XIV A STARTLING DISCOVERY CHAPTER XV THE FINGER-PRINT EXPERTS CHAPTER XVI THORNDYKE PLAYS HIS CARD CHAPTER XVII AT LAST CHAPTER I MY LEARNED BROTHER "Conflagratam An° 1677. Fabricatam An° 1698. Richardo Powell Armiger Thesaurar." The words, set in four panels, which formed a frieze beneath the pediment of a fine brick portico, summarised the history of one of the tall houses at the upper end of King's Bench Walk and as I, somewhat absently, read over the inscription, my attention was divided between admiration of the exquisitely finished carved brickwork and the quiet dignity of the building, and an effort to reconstitute the dead and gone Richard Powell, and the stirring times in which he played his part.