The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Thumb Mark, by R. Austin Freeman

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Title: The Red Thumb Mark

Author: R. Austin Freeman

Release Date: February 17, 2004 [EBook #11128]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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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