But this was too easy an answer to my friend's question.

He wanted and deserved more than that, and I set out to give it to him.
My first inquiry was in the direction of original sources.

I sought out the man in the district attorney's office who had had the widest general experience and put the question to him.

This was Mr.Charles C.Nott, Jr., (now judge of the General Sessions) who had been trying murder cases for nearly ten years.

It so happened that he had kept a complete record of all of them and this he courteously placed at my disposal.