McKeever’s Experiment on Fallibility of Eye-witnesses—Gorse Hall Murder—Cases of Mistaken Identity—Gun-flash Recognition—Self-deception—Tichborne Case.
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.
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.