"My opinion is that during the night, someone established a single
frame of the opus we were working on. Once this single frame was
established, the person removed from the set one object, after which
he wiped the stage clean, returning that to the equipment as power but
without the object which accounts for seventy thousand kilowatts of
energy."
"Mr. Woodart, is there any correlation between this power and the
Einstein Formula?"
"No. The matter is not made--manufactured. It is converted. The energy
represents the power required to carry the matter from a storage place
to the stage. It is somewhat like lifting a weight to a certain height.
There is no correlation between the foot-pounds of energy expended in
such and the mass-energy of the stone. However, in lifting a stone,
the energy expended in lift will be returned when the stone is let
down--excepting that part which is removed from the total while the
stone is held in midair."
"Then it might be difficult for you to determine just what was removed
from the set?"
"It might be," said Woodart, looking hard at Harry Foster.
"That is all, Mr. Woodart." To the jury, Jones said: "I think you will
find that the testimony just given will prove that duplication is
possible. My next witness will show just who was duplicated. I now call
Lieutenant Miller to the stand."
* * * * *
"Lieutenant Miller, when you came to the apartment of Harry Foster,
what did you find?"
"I found Harry Foster, dead of gunshot wounds."
"And what else?"
"A revolver."
"And?"
"The revolver was in a far corner of the room," said Miller. "The dead
man could not have used it upon himself for numerous reasons, even
though the only fingerprints on the weapon were unmistakably those
of Harry Foster. One reason is the distance between the body and the
weapon; the wounds produced instant death. Another reason is that
the dead man's right hand was in his coat pocket--clenched around a
duplicate of the revolver."
"You can establish the authenticity of this?"
"Both weapons had the same serial number. Both bore the same scars from
use. Both weapons produced the same landmarks upon test bullets. Yet at
that time only one weapon had been fired; the one tossed in the corner."
"Your Honor, I enter as Exhibit A these weapons, duplicates of one
another. They are definite proof that duplication of objects did take
place."
"Evidence accepted."
"It will be noted that the serial number on these guns is registered in
the name of Harry Foster. I will suggest no indictment at this time for
the criminal act of having two weapons with the same serial number but
I do suggest that it be remembered."