"What are your official duties?"
"My principal occupation consists in the examination and comparison of the finger-prints of criminals and suspected persons. These finger-prints are classified by me according to their characters and arranged in files for reference."
"I take it that you have examined a great number of finger-prints?"
"I have examined many thousands of finger-prints, and have studied them closely for purposes of identification."
"Kindly examine this paper, Mr. Singleton" (here the fatal leaflet was handed to him by the usher); "have you ever seen it before?"
"Yes. It was handed to me for examination at my office on the tenth of March."
"There is a mark upon it—the print of a finger or thumb. Can you tell us anything about that mark?"
"It is the print of the left thumb of Reuben Hornby, the prisoner at the bar."
"You are quite sure of that?"
"I am quite sure."