So far I had nothing but conjecture to work on.
But in looking over the living-room I found near the table, on
the hardwood floor, a spot--just one little round spot. Now,
deductions from spots, even if we know them to be blood, must be
made very carefully. I did not know this to be a blood-spot, and
so was very careful at first.
"Let us assume it was a blood-spot, however. What did it show? It
was just a little regular round spot, quite thick. Now, drops of
blood falling only a few inches usually make a round spot with a
smooth border. Still the surface on which the drop falls is quite
as much a factor as the height from which it falls. If the
surface is rough the border may be irregular. But this was a
smooth surface and not absorbent. The thickness of a dried
blood-spot on a non-absorbent surface is less the greater the
height from which it has fallen. This was a thick spot. Now if it
had fallen, say, six feet, the height of Mr. Langley, the spot
would have been thin--some secondary spatters might have been
seen, or at least an irregular edge around the spot. Therefore,
if it was a blood-spot, it had fallen only one or two feet. I
ascertained next that the lower part of the body showed no wounds
or bruises whatever.
"Tracks of blood such as are left by dragging a bleeding body
differ very greatly from tracks of arterial blood which are left
when the victim has strength to move himself.
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