r sat down, and the judge glanced at Anstey.

"You tell us," said the latter, rising, "that you observed two
good-sized drops of blood on the bottom of the safe. Did you notice the
condition of the blood, whether moist or dry?"

"The blood looked moist, but I did not touch it. I left it undisturbed
for the detective officers to examine."

The next witness called was Sergeant Bates, of the Criminal
Investigation Department. He stepped into the box with the same ready,
business-like air as the other officer, and, having been sworn,
proceeded to give his evidence with a fluency that suggested careful
preparation, holding an open notebook in his hand but making no
references to it.

"On the tenth of March, at 12.8 p.m., I received instructions to proceed
to St. Mary Axe to inquire into a robbery that had taken place there.
Inspector Sanderson's report was handed to me, and I read it in the cab
on my way to the premises. On arriving at the premises at 12.30 p.m., I
examined the safe carefully. It was quite uninjured, and there were no
marks of any kind upon it. I tested the locks and found them perfect;
there were no marks or indications of any picklock having been used. On
the bottom of the inside I observed two rather large drops of a dark
fluid. I took up some of the fluid on a piece of paper and found it to
be blood. I also found, in the bottom of the safe, the burnt head of a
wax match, and, on searching the floor of the office, I found, close by
the safe, a used wax match from which the head had fallen. I also found
a slip of paper which appeared to have been torn from a perforated
block. On it was written in pencil, 'Handed in by Reuben at 7.3 p.m.
9.3.01. J.H.' There were two smears of blood on the paper and the
impression of a human thumb in blood. I took possession of the paper in
order that it might be examined by the experts. I inspected the office
doors and the outer door of the premises, but found no signs of forcible
entrance on any of them. I questioned the housekeeper, but obtained no
information from him. I then returned to headquarters, made my report
and handed the paper with the marks on it to the Superintendent."

"Is this the paper that you found in the safe?" asked the counsel, once
more handing the leaflet across.

"Yes; this is the paper."

"What happened next?"

"The following afternoon I was sent for by Mr. Singleton, of the
Finger-print Department. He informed me that he had gone through