He triumphantly exhibited his figures made with a stubby pencil on a bit of grimy paper:
7/28/13
7
—
21
21
—
00
The figures were impressive but Shea was not wholly convinced. “There’s a easy way o’ provin’ that,” he declared. “Ye add 13 seven times,” and he made his column of figures according to his own formula. Then, starting from the bottom of the 3 column, he reached the top with a total of 21 and climbed down the column of 1’s, thus: “3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.” “Burke is right,” he announced with finality.
This was Shea’s exhibit: