Sherlock Holmes: Father of Scientific Crime Detection

Author(s): Stanton O. Berg

Reviewed work(s):
Source: The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sep.,
1970), pp. 446-452
Published by: Northwestern University
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1141973 .
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THE JOIJRNGOFCRIMINAL LAW, CRIMINOI.OGY ANDPOLICESCIENCE Vol. 61, No. 3
Copyright t 1970by Northwestern University School of Law Prsntedin U.S.A.

SHERLOCKHOLMES:FATHER OF SCIEAlUlC CREE DETECTION

STANTON (). BERG

The authoris a consultingfirearmsexpertin Minneapolis,Minn. He is a fellowin the American

Academyof ForensicSciencesand a memberof the InternationalAssociationof Identificationand
severalorganizationsinterestedin firearms.Mr. Berghas contributedto thisJournalandothertechni-
cal publications.He writesof his long interestin SherlockHolmes,and this interestingpresentation
tracesthe interrelationship
of the SherlockHolmesstoriesand the growth of scientificcrime detec-
tion. EDITOR.

Reading has always been one of my most to attach a significanceto the literaturethat is
enjoyablepastimes.This interestresultedin my greater then pure and simple entertainment.
early introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle's Aside from some admitted personalbias, I feel
SherlockHolmes.I spent many enjoyablehours a strongcase can be made that the Qamous sleuth
duringmy youth devouringthe series of stories. hada decidedstimulatinginfluenceon the develop-
A re-readingof the talesin lateryearshas however ment of modernscientificcrime detection. I do
beena continuingsourceof pleasureto me. not claim that this theory is originalwith me as
other writers have briefly touched on the idea
UNIVERSAL APPEAL
from time to time. I do not howeverfind any in
The SherlockHolmes storieshave presenteda depthtreatmentof the conceptthat Holmesacted
phenomenonof universal appeal. The master as a catalystin the evolvingof the moderninvesti-
detective employingobservation,deductive rea- gative, identificationand forensic sciences. I
soning,and scientificknowledgehas fascinatedthe think it would be interestingat this point to
youngand the old, the richand the poor.Somerset reviewwhat othershavehad to say on this theory.
Maughamhas writtenof the great admirationof
Doyle and Holmesby the intelligentsia.Sherlock OTHER AUTHORS
Holmes has appearedin 60 narratives(56 short The CriminologistAshton-Wolfe writing in
stories and 4 full length novels) publishedbe- The IllustratedLondonNews (27 February1932)
tween 1887 and 1927. The stories have enjoyed said:
enormousinternationalpopularitydown through
the years. Scores of articles, essays, and books "Manyof the methodsinvented by ConanDoyle are
have been written analyzing the stories, their today in use in the scientificlaboratories.Sherlock
origin and the charactersof both Holmes and Holmesmade the study of tobaccoashes his hobby.
Dr. Watson.A numberof "Holmesian"clubsare It was a newidea, but the policeat once realisedthe
in existenceof whichthe "BakerStreetIrregulars" importanceof such specialisedknowledge,and now
is the most famous.PresidentFranklinRooseveltX every laboratoryhas a completeset of tables giving
the appearanceand composition of the various
a Holmesfan, is reportedto have christenedthe ashes. . . mud and soil fromvariousdistrictsare also
IntelligenceDepartment "Baker Street" during classifiedmuch after the manner that Holmes de-
the SecondWorldWar.Even in the presentspace scribed. . . poisons,hand-writing,stains, dust, foot-
age there is little indication that the public prints, traces of wheels, the shape and position of
affectionfor the "Holmesian"lore is about to die wounds. . . the theoryof cryptograms,all these and
out. Thiscurrentinterestis evidencedby literature many other excellentmethodswhich germinatedin
to be found in a diverse array of publications. ConanDoyle's fertile imaginationare now part and
The literaturecan be found in universitypubli- parcelof every detective'sscientificequipment."
cations, professionaljournals,newspaperfeature
articles, and even as full page color cartoonsin Henry Morton Robinsonin his book Science
PZayboy magazine. Catches theCritninal(1935)states:

A GREATER SIGNIFICANCE "WhenSherlockHolmeswhippedout his magriifying

glass to examinea flakeof Latakiatobaccofoundon
Becauseof the pleasureMr. Holmeshas given the smyrnarug in the BoscombeValleyaiiair,he be-
me, I supposeit is not unusualthat I wouldseek came not merely a very charmingcharacterin de-
446
1970] SHERLOCKHOLMES SCIENTIFIC CRIME DETECTION 447
tective fictionbut an exponentof a wholenew way of Afterwardshe givesproofof his skillby instantly
looking at life. The enormouspopularityof Conan recognising
theoriginof a mudstain."
lZoyle'sheroand the downrightaffectionin whichhe
has been held for nearly fifty years can perhapsbe Luke S. May (Criminologist,Director of the
best explainedby identifyinghim with that elusive ScientificDetectiveLaboratories,Presidentof the
wraithknownas the time spirit - the proteanshadow Institute of ScientificCriminologyand President
that hoversover an age, compellingit to think, act, Emeritusof the NorthwestAssociationof Sheriids
write its stories and catch its criminalsin a highly and Police) in his book Critne'sNetnesis (1936)
particularizedmanner. For Sherlock Holmes dra- states the following:
matically typified the new spirit of investigative
curiositythat brokeover the world duringthe latter "However,many of Bertillon'sexploits in the sci-
half of the nineteenthcentury;while he was endear- entiXicinvestigationof crime outrivalthose of Sher-
ing himselfto us with his lensesand test tubes,other lock Holmes,the figmentof ConanDoyle's imagina-
searchersand analysts-detectives all were track- tion. Without disparagingprogressivepolice officers
ing down the constituent elements of matter, and of all nations, I believe that the writingsof Conan
delving into the atomic mystery of life itself . . . a Doyle have done more than any other one thing to
new heaven and earth were unrollingbefore men's stimulateactive interestin the scientificand analyt-
eyes, a heaven and earth that demandedto be ex- cal investigationof crime. All of these men helped
plainedin terms of the newscientificmethod." introducea fundamentallynew techniquein crime
detection."
Sir SydneySmith (Professorof ForensicMedi-
cine, EdinburghUniversityand formerlyMedico- CONTE1EPORARIES 0E HOL1WES
Legal Expert to the Ministry of Justice, Egypt)
Probablythe greatestevidenceof the value and
in his autobiographyMostlyMurder(1959) com-
influenceof the Holmes stories can be found by
mentsas follows:
lookingto Holmescontemporaries in the fieldsof
"Therein lies the value of the Sherlock Holmes the police and forensicsciences.In this area we
stories apart from their excellent entertainment. will examinesome of the prominentpioneerswho
Today criminalinvestigationis a science, and the were responsible for developing our modern
ploddingpolicemangaping admiringlyat the gifted scientific crime investigation and identification
amateuris an anachronism.This was not always so methods.We will find that they were willing to
and the changeowes much to the influenceof Sher- give credit to SherlockHolmesboth as a teacher
lock Holmes. An authormay feel satisfactionwhen of scientificinvestigativemethods as well as a
his fictionis acceptedas true to life. ConanDoyle had
germinatorof the ideas they later fosteredinto
the rare, perhaps unique, distinctionof seeing life
being.
become true to his fiction.... Full of significance
and interest, however-especially to anyone con- Bertillon is one of these. Alphonse Bertillon
(1883-1914)a Frenchcriminologistis regardedby
cernedprofessionallywith the detectionof crimeand
some as the creator of the forensicscience. He
criminals is the anticipationof modern scientific
encouragedthe developmentof scientificmethods
methodsof investigation.For instance,the use of the
hand lens and the microscope;the measuringtape;in all areasof criminalinvestigation.He founded
the plaster cast of footprints; the extraction and
the Departmentof JudicialIdentity in Paris and
examinationof dust and the like from clothing;and
was its first chief. He is noted for devising the
the discriminationbetween bloodstains and otherfirst scientificsystem for the identificationof the
stains."
personthrougha numberof detailedanthropologi-
In the book Conan Doyte A Biographyby cal measurements (Anthropometry).He also
Pierre Nordon (l967) we find the following pionereda standardsystem of criminal(Mugg)
reference: photographyutilizinga full frontand profileview.
Bertillon,an earlySherlockHolmesfan, is quoted,
"The fact that the publicationof Conan Doyle's as saying:
first books coincidedwith progressin the scienceof
criminologyraised the questionas to whetherthese "I love detectivestories.I wouldlike to see Sherlock
could be cause and effect and if so to what degree. Holmes methods of reasoningadopted by all pro-
Conan Doyle's first novel was not exclusivelycon- fessionalpolice."
cernedwith detection,but he preparedthe way by
insisting on the value of observationand scientific Dr. Edmond Locard (describedbelow) ad-
methods. When Dr. Watson first meets Holmes,he vises that a medico-legalstudy of the Sherlock
finds him in the middle of a chemicalexperiment. Holmesstorieswas made by the faculty of medi-
448 STANTON O. BERG
cine at Lyons at the suggestionand request of
Bertillon.(Even in the presentday, the Sherlock
Holmes stories are used as model investigative
examplesas evidencedby an articlein the March
1964 Journal of CriminolLaw, Critninologyand
Police Scienceentitled "The Manly Art of Ob-
servation and Deduction" by Hogan and
Schwartz).
Dr. EdmondLocardwas also willing to credit
SherlockHolmes with having considerableinflu-
ence upon the developmentof scient;ficcrimn
detection methods. Dr. EdmondLocard (1877-
1966)was a Frenchcriminologistof greatrenown.
His formaleducationwas both in medicineand
law. He sought the applicationof all kinds of
scientific and laboratory methods to criminal
investigation.He was directorof the Laboratory
of TechnicalPoliceof the Prefectureof the Rhone.
This laboratorybecamean internationalcenterfor
study and researchfor studentsworld wide. He
was founder and director of the Institute of
Criminalistics.
He was the authorof a numberof
booksandpaperson the subjectz f forensicscience.
He is noted for developmentof the identification
techniqueknownas Poroscopy.He also did con-
siderablework in the area of dust analysis and
authored papers on the results. He developed
laboratory methods to facilitate questioned
documentexamination.This consistedof micro-
chemical medods of ink examination and a
metricalanalysis of handwriting.Inring Wallace
in The SundayGentlemen(1965) quotes Locard:
"Sherlock
Holmeswas the first to realizethe im-
portanceof dust. I merelycopiedhis methods."
In the novel A Study in ScarletpublishediIl
1887,Holmesmakesreferenceto a monographhe
had writtenupon the subjectof cigarashes, their
differencesand distiIlctions.Dr. Locard turned
this literary fiction into fact by subsequently
writinga paper on the identificationof tobaccos
by a study of the ashes found at the scene of a
crime.
Dr. Locardpublisheda paper in 1922 (Paris)
underthe title of "Policiersde Romainset Policiers
de Laboratoire,"which attachesconsiderableim-
portanceto the influenceof the Holmesstorieson
modern scientific crime detection. Locard also
points out that the specialistsin the field found
considerableinterest in the Sherlod Holmes
tales. In 1929a paperwas publishedin the Reaue
Internatiorale dReCriminalistiquetitled "The
Analysisof Dust Traces,"in whichLocardstates:
[Vol.61
"I hold that a policeexpert,or an examixiingmagis-
trate, would not find it a waste of his time to read
Doyle's nove]s. For, in the adventuresof Sherlock
Holmes,the detectiveis repeatedlyaskedto diagnose
the origin of a speck of mud, which is nothingbut
moist dust. The presenceof a spot on a shoe or pair
of trousersimmediatelymade knownto Holmesthe
particularquarterof Londonfrom which his visitor
had come,or the roadhe had traveledin the suburbs.
A spot of clay and chalk originatedin Horsham,a
peculiarreddishbit of mud could be found nowhere
but at the entranceto the post office in Wigmore
street."
Furtheron in the paper Locardindicatesthat the
interest of his laboratoryin the study of dust
resulted from absorbingthe ideas put forth by
Holmes.
There has been the suggestion that perhaps
Hans Gross,an Austrian,is really the one to be
creditedwith the applicationof scientificmethods
to the fields of criminalinvestigationand identi-
fication.There is also the suggestiontbat Doyle
may have actually gotten the ideas used in the
Sherlock Holmes stories from reading Gross.
Hans Grosswas an examiningmagistratein Graz,
Austria and authored an early textbook on
criminal investigation, Handbuchfur Untersu-
chungsrichter (Manuatfor ExaminingMagistrates).
The book many times changed and revised is
still printed today under the title Crimiral
Investigation.In this book, Gross strongly ad-
vocated the application of scientific methods.
Historical chronologywould however tend to
showthatif anything,Grossreceivedhisideasfrom
Doyle and Holmes.The book by Grosswas first
published in 1893. The first Sherlock Holmes
story was publishedin December1887. (A Study
in Scarlet)In fact by the time the Gross book
cameout Doyle had tiredof his heroand arranged
for the literarydeath of Holmes in the gorgeof
ReichenbachFalls. (TheFinal Problem,December
1893) The seriesof storieswere later rejuvenated.
There is of course no way of knowing whether
Gross ever read the Sherlock Holmes stories,
but history has established that the Holmes
methodswerethe firstin print.
Creditis also given to SherlocltHolmesby the
GermanciphereSpert Sittig, anotherof his con-
temporaries.Ernst Sittig (1887- ) was a German
linguistand cipherexpertbornin Berlin. He was
professorat Konigsbergin 1926and Tubingenin
f929. His special field was comparatirreIndo-
European linguistics particuIarlyCyprian and
Etruscanepigraphy,Germanistics and Lithuanian.
 1970] HOLMES SCIENTIFIC CRIME DETECTION
SHER10CKE
He publishedthe Cypriote and the Etruscanin-
scriptionsfor the PrussianAcademyof Science.
He also authoredseveralimportantworks.Sittig
givesHolmescreditfor a descriptionof the tech-
rsiquethat he (Sittig) later used to decipher
Cretaninscriptions.In the connectionwith this
creditbySittigit is interestingto note the following
passagesfromThe Adventureof the DancingMen
(l)ecember1903):
"I am fairlyfamiliarwith all formsof secretwritings,
and am myself the author of a triflingmonograph
uponthe subject,in whichI analyzeone hundredand
sisty separate ciphers, but I confess that this is
entirelynew to me. The objectof thosewho invented
the systemhas apparentlybeen to concealthat these
charactersconvey a message, and to give the idea
that they are the mererandomsketchesof children."
Holmesthengoeson to laterdescribein detailjust
howhe was able to decipherthe codedcharacters.
EVIDENCE IN TEESTORIES
A review of the SherlockHolmes stories and
novels will quickly reveal the wide spectrumof
scientific methods and interests utilized by
Holmesin his manycases.Almosteveryone of the
forensicsciencesas we knowthemtodayis touched
upon in some manner or the other. While the
application of the many forensic sciences is
standardproceduretoday, they were not so in
Holmes'day. In the first SherlockHolmesnovel
(A St?alyin Scarlet,1887)Dr. Watsonfirst meets
Holmesm a chemicallaboratoryjust as he made
an importantdiscovery:
"I've found it! I've found it, he shouted to my
companion,runningtowardsus with a test-tube in
his hand, "I have found a re-agentwhich is precipi-
tated by haemoglobin,and by nothing else."...
"Why,man it is the most practicalmedico-legaldis-
covery for years. Don't you see that it gives us an
illfallibletest for blood stains?"... "The old guai-
acum test was very clumsyand uncertain.So is the
microscopicexaminationfor blood corpuscles.The
latter is valuelessif the stains are a few hours old.
Now, this appearsto act as well whetherthe bloodis
old or new. Had this test been invented, there are importance
hundredsof men now walking the earth who would
long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes.". . . ashes carlbe fourld in A Studyin Scartet(1887)
"Criminalcases are continuallyhinging upon that
one point. A man is suspectedof a crime months
perhapsafter it has been committed.His linen or
clothesare examinedand browiish stains discovered
upon them. Are they blood stains, or rust stains, or
fruit stains, or what are they? That is a question
449
which has puzzledmany an expert, and why? Be-
cause there was no reliabletest. Now we have the
SherlockHolmestest, and therewill no longerbe any
difficulty."
The importanceof an accurate,sensitive and
dependabletest for blood was not over rated by
Holmes. At the time this novel was published
(1887) considerablework was being done in the
areaof blood or serology.It was near the end of
the l9th centurythat a 100%reliable technique
for the identificationof bloodstains was dis-
covered.This is the spectroscopicmethod.It was
found that hemoglobin has a characteristic
absorptionspectrum.Spectroanalysiswas found
to also be an effectivemeansof identificationfor
very minute quantitiesof blood. It was in 1901
thatPaulUhlenhuth,a Germanprofessor,developed
a method of distinguishung betweenanimal and
human blood. Thereafter methods for blood
groupingand otherserologicaldiscoveriesquickly
followed.Thereare numerousreferencesthrough-
out the series of stories concerningHolmes in-
terest in chemicalanalysisand its applicationto
the investigationof criminalmatters. A typical
examplecan be foundm TheNaval TreatytOcto-
ber 1893):
"Holmeswas seated at his side table clad in his
dressinggown and workinghard over a chemicalin-
vestigation.A large curved retort was boiling furi-
ously in the bluishfame of a Bunsenburner,and the
distilled drops were condensing into a two-litre
measure.My friendhardlyglancedup as I entered,
and I, seeing that his investigationmust be of im-
portance,seated myself in an armchairand waited.
He dippedinto this bottle or that, drawingout a few
drops of each with his glass pipette and finally
broughta test tube containinga solutionover to the
table. In his righthandhe held a slip of litmuspaper.
You come at a crisis,WatsonX said he. If this paper
remainsblue, all is well. If it turns red, it means a
man'slife. He dippedinto the test-tubeandit {lushed
at onceinto a dull, dirtycrimson.Hum!I thoughtas
much!he cried."
Holmes' interest in tobacco ashes and their
to criminalinvestigationswas briefly
mentioned above. The first referenceto tobacco
"I gatheredup some scatteredashes from the iloor.
It was dark in colour and flakyuch an ash as is
only made by a Trichinopoly.I have made a special
study of cigar ashes in fact, I have written a
monographupon the subject.I flattermyself that I
450 STANTON O. BERG [Vol. 61

can distinguishat a glance the ash of any known not very sharp knife, and two have had the ends
brandeitherof cigaror of tobacco." bitten offby a set of excellentteeth.Thisis no suicide,
Mr. Lanner. It is a very deeply planned and cold
Furthercommentcan be foundin TheSign of Pour bloodedmurder."
tFebruary1890):
Mention was made earlierof Holmes' interest
"Oh, didn't you know?"he cried, laughing.4'Yes,I
in the value of clues consistingof dust and dirt
have beenguilty of severalmonographs.They are all
upon technicalsubjects. Here, for example,is one particles.An exampleis foundin TheFive Orange
Upon the Distinction Between the Ashes of the Pips (November1891):
VariousTobaccos.In it I enumeratea hundredand
forty formsof cigar,cigarette,andpipe tobacco,with "You have come up from the south-west, I see."
colouredplates illustratingthe differencein the ash. "Yes,fromHorsham.""Thatclay and chalkmixture
It is a pointwhichis continuallyturningup in crimi- which I see upon your toe caps is quite distinctive."
nal trials, and which is sometimesof supremeim-
Otherexamplesare found throughout the stories
portance as a clue. If you can say definitely,for
and such referencescan be found in A Study in
example,that somemurderhad been doneby a man
Scarletand TheSign of theFour.
who was smokingan Indian Lunkah, it obviously
The scienceof fingetprintingalso receivessome
narrowsyour fieldof search.To the trainedeye there
is as much differencebetween the black ash of a
treatment in the SherlockHolmes stories. One
Trichinopolyand the white fluffof birds-eyeas there
case brieflytoucheson fingerprintsas a meansof
is betweena cabbageand a potato." identificationwith an attempt at forgery of a
One can find other similar comments and thumbimpression.The Adventureof the Norwood
illustrations in The BoscombeValley Mystery Builderpublishedin October1903, contains the
(October1891): followingaccount:

"He had stood behindthat tree duringthe interview
between the father and son. He had even smoked
there. I found the ash of a cigar, which my special
knowledgeof tobaccoashesenablesme to pronounce
as an Indiancigar.I have, as you know,devotedsome
attention to this. . . Having found the ash, I then
looked round and discoveredthe stump among the
moss wherehe had tossedit. It was an Indiancigar,
of the varietywhich are rolledin Rotterdam.""And
the cigar-holder?" "I could see that the end had not
been in his mouth. Thereforehe used a holder.The
tip had been cut off, not bitten off, but the cut was
not a cleanone, so I deduceda blunt pen-knife."
As a last exampleof Holmes' use of tobacco
ashes is the one found in The Residen!Patient
(August1893):
"Hereare four cigar-endsthat I picked out of the
fireplace.""Hum!"said Holmes, "have you got his
cigar-holder?""No, I have seen none." "His cigar-
case, then?""Yesit was in his coat-pocket."Holmes
openedit and smelledthe single cigarwhich it con-
tained. "Oh, this is a Havana, and these others are
cigarsof the peculiarsort which are importedby the
Dutch from their East Indian colonies. They are
usuallywrappedin straw,you know,and are thinner
for theirlength than any otherbrand."He pickedup
the four ends and examinedthem with his pocket-
lens. "Twoof these have been smokedfrom a holder
and two without,"said he. "Twohave been cut by a
"Ashe held the matchnearer,I saw that it wasmore
than a stain. It was the well marked print of a
thumb. "Look at that with your magnifyingglass,
Mr. Holmes.""Yes,I am doingso." "Yourareaware
that no two thumbmarksare alikeP22 "I have heard
somethingof the kind." "Wellthen, will you please
compare that print with this wax impressionof
youngMcFarlane'sright thumbtaken by my orders
this morning?"As he held the waxen print close to
the bloodstain,it did not take a magnifyingglass to
see that the two were undoubtedlyfrom the same
thumb. It was evident to me that our unfortunate
client was lost . . . Very simply when those packets
were sealed up, Jones Oldacre got McFarlane to
secureone of the sealsby puttinghis thumbuponthe
soft wax. It would be done so quickly and so natu-
rally, that I daresaythe young man hirr3self has no
recollectionof it. Verylikelyit just so happened,and
Oldacrehad himself no notion of the use he would
put it to. Broodingoverthe case in that den of his, it
suddenly struck him what absolutely damming
evidencehe couldmake againstMcFarlaneby using
that thumb-mark.It was the simplestthing in the
worldfor him to take a wax impressionfromthe seal,
to moistenit in as muchbloodas he couldget froma
pin-prick,and to put the markupon the wall during
the night, eitherwith his own hand or with that of
his house-keeper.If you examineamongthose docu-
mentswhichhe took with him into his retreat,I will
lay you a wager that you find the seal with the
thumb-markuponit."
1970] SHERLOCKHOLMES-SCIENTIFIC CRIME DETECTION 451

Obviouslymuchworkhad alreadybeendone in It is a subjectto whichI havedevotedsomelittle

the broadarea of fingerprintsprior to the above
SherlockHolmesadventureappearingin print in
October1903. There had been the work of Her-
schel, Faulds, Purkinje, Galton, Vucetich, and
Henry. Their work was howeverlargely in the
area of the anatomy,recordingand classification
of fingerprints.The results were almost entirely
in the personal identificationarea of the field.
Very little was being accomplishedby way of
latent print or crime scene -identificationof
criminals.[Only Faulds had suggestedit in his
early publication.Ed.] It appearsthat the first
recordedcase of a crimescenefingerprintresulting
in a convictionwas a case in Argentinain 1892.A
womanwas convictedof murderingher two sons
based on the discoveryof several of her bloody
fingerprintson the door of the children'sroom.
The next case arose in India in 1897 where a
convictionwas obtainedon a theft chargebased
on "two brownsmudges"obtainedat the scene.
The thirdreportedcase occurredin Parisin 1902.
This was a murdercase in which severallatent
prints were discoveredon a sectionof glass from
a cabinetdoor.Bertillon(an old SherlockHolmes
fan) was credited with the identificationwhich
resultedin a convictionin 1903,the sameyear as
the above Holmes story appeared.It is alleged
that this is the 7irstcase where a criminalwas
identifiedsolely by fingerprintsfrom a record
file at a time when he was not yet a suspectand
his identity was still unknown.The first case in
the UnitedStateswas in New Yorkin 1906.While
the idea of crime scene fingerprintevidencewas
not entirelynew whenthe Holmesstorycameout,
it was still almost unheardof. I am sure that it
servedto focus some muchneededattentionon a
very important area of criminal investigation
and identification.
There is considerablematerialto be found in
the SherlockHolmes storiesin the area of ques-
tioned documents.Many of the storieswould be
delightfulreading for our document examiners.
An interestingexample is found in A Case of
Identity(September1891):
"It is a curious thing," remarkedHolmes, "that a and in a hurry.He also examinedthe "Foolscap"
typewriterhas really quite as much individualityas upon which the wordswere pasted to determine
a man'shandwriting.Unless they are quite new, no if there was a water-markto be found. In the
two of themwriteexactlyalike.Somelettersget more Adventureof the NorwoodBuilder(October1903)
wornthan othersand somewearonly on one side . . . Holmes is involved in the analysis of a will:
I think of writinganotherlittle monographsome of
thesedayson the typewriterandit's relationto crime.
attention."
In the matterof the identificationof typewriters,
it appearsthat Holmeswas the first to recognize
this potential. In the March 1967 issue of the
Journalof CriminalLaw, Criminologyand Police
Science,there is an interestingarticle by David
A. Crown entitled "Landmarksin Typewriting
Identification."The following is quoted from
this article:
"The earliest known referenceto the identification
potential of typewriting,curiouslyenough, appears
in "A Caseof Identity",a SherlockHolmesstory by
Sir ArthurConanDoyle . . . It has been established
that Doyle recordedin his diary that he finished
writing"A Caseof Identity"on April 10, 1891.The
sourceof Doyle's data has not been ascertained,but
it is of interest that his approachto typewriting
identificationis sound and that his terminologyis
precise.The earliestcommentin writingby a docu-
ment examineron typewritingidentificationwas by
Haganin 1894."
In the Houndof the Baskervilles(Atlgust1901)
numeroussuggestionsare made concerningques-
tioned document examinations. Holmes was
involvedin the examinationof a threateningnote
made up of words cut out of a newspaperand
attached to a sheet of paper to make up the
message.The messageread:
"Asyou valueyourlife or yourreasonkeepaway
fromthemoor."
Holmes identifiedthe words as having been cut
out of the Tixnesdue to the differencein printers
type. The words were determinedto have been
cut out with a very short bladed scissors,"since
the cutter had to take two snips over 'keep
away'." The words had been attached with
"gum rather then paste. " Holmes furthercon-
cludedthat the messagewas composedby a well
educatedmanbecausethe Timesis "seldomfound
in the hands of any but the highly educated."
Becausethe wordswerenot gummedto the paper
in an accurateline, he concludedthat the com-
poser of the message was careless or agitated
"Holmeshad pickedup the pages which formedthe
452 STANTON O. BERG [Vol. 61

roughdra£tof the will and was lookingat themwith victim is clearly brought out. In the Reigate
keene'st interest upon his face. "There are some SquiresOune 1893)we findthe followingaccount:
pointsaboutthat document,Lestradearetherenot?"
said he pushing them over. The oflicial looked at "The woundsupon the deadmanwas, as I was able
them with a puzzledexpression."I can readthe first to determinewith absoluteconfidence,fired from a
few lines, and these in the middleof the secondpage, revolverat the distanceof somethingoverfouryards.
and one or two at the end. Those are as clear as There was no powder-blackeniDg on the clothes.
print," said he, 'sbutthe writingin betweenis very Evidently, therefore, Alec CuIliingham had lied
bad, and there are three placeswhereI cannot read when he said that the two men werestrugglingwhen
it at all." "VVhat do you makeof that" said Holmes. the shot was fired."
"Well, what do you make of it?" "That it was
written in a train. The good writing representssta- Againin The Adventureof theDancingMen e-
tions, the bad writingmovement,and the very bad cember1903)we find mentionof the importance
writingpassingoverpoints.A scientificexpertwould of powdermarksor stains:
pronounce- at once that this was drawnup on a sub-
urban line, since nowhere save in the immediate "Therewas no powdermarkingeitheruponhis dress-
vicinityof a great uty couldtherebe so quicka suc- ing gownor uponhis hands.Accordig to the country
cessionof points.Grantingthat his wholejourneywas surgeon,the lady had stains upon her face, but none
occupiedin drawingup the will, then the trainwas an upon her hand. The absence of the latter means
express,only stopping once between Norwood and nothing,thoughit's presencemay meaneverything"
LondonBridge." said Holmes."
Holmes does not over look the importanceof
lt shouldbe noted that apparentlythe first tech-
the preservationof evidence by the techniques
nical literatureproducedon the subjectof powder
of casting.In The Sign of Four (February1890)
markingswas in the year 1898, some five years
we find the following:
after the first SherlockHolmes story coveredits
"You have an extraordinarygenius for minutiae," importance. The literature was published in
I remarked."I appreciatetheir importance.Here is France and was entitled "La Determinationde
my monographupon the tracing of footsteps, with La Distance a Laguelleun Coup de Deu a e'te
some remarksupon the uses of plasterof paris as a Tire." by Corin. (Determinationof the distance
preserverof impresses." at which a shot has been dischargedfrom a fire-
arm.)
Also in the same story is the followingcomments
Whetheror not you acceptthe case I have pre-
on the identityof bodies:
sentedin behalfof SherlockHolmesas the father
"Heretoo is a curiouslittle work upon the influence of modern scientific crime detection, for sheer
of a tradeuponthe formof the hand,with lithotypes relaxationand vicariousreading entertainment,
of the hands of slaters, sailors, cork cutters, com- let me recommendthe following:On the next
positors,weavers, and diamondpolishers.That is a evening of inclement weather, when the wind
matterof great practicalinterestto the scientificde- howlsaroundyour home and a cold rain or snow
tective-especially in cases of unclaimedbodies, or is falling, light a fire in the fire-place,put some
in discoveringthe antecedentsof criminals."
soft classicalmusicon the stereo,have a glass of
The firearms examiner will also find many drywineat yourelbow,selecta volumeof Sherlock
Holmesstoriesthat involvethe use of firearms.A Holmesand relas in your easy chair
particularlyinterestingstory is that of the Ad-
"It was on a bitterly cold and frosty morning,to-
uentureof the Empty House (September1903).This
wardsthe end of the winterof '97, that I was awak-
storydealswith the use of an earlytypeandpower- ened by a tugging at my shoulder.It was Holmes.
ful air gun. Althoughthe scienceof firearmsiden- The candlein his handshoneuponhis eager,stooping
tification or forensic ballistics as we know it face, and told me at a glance that somethingwas
today receiveslittIe attention, the importanceof amiss. "Come,Watson,come!"he cried. "The game
powderstainsand markingson the clothingof the is afoot". . .