liable　to　delusion　or　fraud；　is　safest　and　most　powerful。　　The
  machinery　of　human　justice　cannot　guard　against　the　remote　and
  improbable　doubt。　　The　inference　is　persistent　in　the　affairs　of
  men。　　It　is　the　only　means　by　which　the　human　mind　reaches　the
  truth。　　If　you　forbid　the　jury　to　exercise　it；　you　bid　them　work
  after　first　striking　off　their　hands。　　Rule　out　the　irresistible
  inference；　and　the　end　of　justice　is　come　in　this　land；　and　you　may
  as　well　leave　the　spider　to　weave　his　web　through　the　abandoned
  court　room。〃
  The　attorney　stopped；　looked　down　at　Mason　with　a　pompous　sneer；
  and　retired　to　his　place　at　the　table。　　The　judge　sat　thoughtful
  and　motionless。　　The　jurymen　leaned　forward　in　their　seats。
  〃If　your　Honor　please；〃　said　Mason；　rising；　〃this　is　a　matter　of
  law；　plain；　clear；　and　so　well　settled　in　the　State　of　New　York
  that　even　counsel　for　the　People　should　know　it。　　The　question
  before　your　Honor　is　simple。　　If　the　corpus　delicti；　the　body　of
  the　crime；　has　been　proven；　as　required　by　the　laws　of　the
  commonwealth；　then　this　case　should　go　to　the　jury。　　If　not；　then
  it　is　the　duty　of　this　Court　to　direct　the　jury　to　find　the
  prisoner　not　guilty。　　There　is　here　no　room　for　judicial
  discretion。　　Your　Honor　has　but　to　recall　and　apply　the　rigid　rule
  announced　by　our　courts　prescribing　distinctly　how　the　corpus
  delicti　in　murder　must　be　proven。
  〃The　prisoner　here　stands　charged　with　the　highest　crime。　　The　law
  demands；　first；　that　the　crime；　as　a　fact；　be　established。　　The
  fact　that　the　victim　is　indeed　dead　must　first　be　made　certain
  before　anyone　can　be　convicted　for　her　killing；　because；　so　long　as
  there　remains　the　remotest　doubt　as　to　the　death；　there　can　be　no
  certainty　as　to　the　criminal　agent；　although　the　circumstantial
  evidence　indicating　the　guilt　of　the　accused　may　be　positive；
  complete；　and　utterly　irresistible。　　In　murder；　the　corpus　delicti；
  or　body　of　the　crime；　is　composed　of　two　elements：
  〃Death；　as　a　result。
  〃The　criminal　agency　of　another　as　the　means。
  It　is　the　fixed　and　immutable　law　of　this　State；　laid　down　in　the
  leading　case　of　Ruloff　v。　The　People；　and　binding　upon　this　Court；
  that　both　components　of　the　corpus　delicti　shall　not　be　established
  by　circumstantial　evidence。　　There　must　be　direct　proof　of　one　or
  the　other　of　these　two　component　elements　of　the　corpus　delicti。
  If　one　is　proven　by　direct　evidence；　the　other　may　be　presumed；　but
  both　shall　not　be　presumed　from　circumstances；　no　matter　how
  powerful；　how　cogent；　or　how　completely　overwhelming　the
  circumstances　may　be。　　In　other　words；　no　man　can　be　convicted　of
  murder　in　the　State　of　New　York；　unless　the　body　of　the　victim　be
  found　and　identified；　or　there　be　direct　proof　that　the　prisoner
  did　some　act　adequate　to　produce　death；　and　did　it　in　such　a　manner
  as　to　account　for　the　disappearance　of　the　body。〃
  The　face　of　the　judge　cleared　and　grew　hard。　　The　members　of　the
  bar　were　attentive　and　alert；　they　were　beginning　to　see　the　legal
  escape　open　up。　　The　audience　were　puzzled；　they　did　not　yet
  understand。　　Mason　turned　to　the　counsel　for　the　People。　　His　ugly
  face　was　bitter　with　contempt。
  〃For　three　days；〃　he　said；〃　I　have　been　tortured　by　this　useless
  and　expensive　farce。　　If　counsel　for　the　People　had　been　other　than
  play…actors；　they　would　have　known　in　the　beginning　that　Victor
  Ancona　could　not　be　convicted　for　murder；　unless　he　were　confronted
  in　this　court　room　with　a　living　witness；　who　had　looked　into　the
  dead　face　of　Nina　San　Croix；　or；　if　not　that；　a　living　witness　who
  had　seen　him　drive　the　dagger　into　her　bosom。
  〃I　care　not　if　the　circumstantial　evidence　in　this　case　were　so
  strong　and　irresistible　as　to　be　overpowering；　if　the　judge　on　the
  bench；　if　the　jury；　if　every　man　within　sound　of　my　voice；　were
  convinced　of　the　guilt　of　the　prisoner　to　the　degree　of　certainty
  that　is　absolute；　if　the　circumstantial　evidence　left　in　the　mind
  no　shadow　of　the　remotest　improbable　doubt；　yet；　in　the　absence　of
  the　eyewitness；　this　prisoner　cannot　be　punished；　and　this　Court
  must　compel　the　jury　to　acquit　him。〃
  The　audience　now　understood；　and　they　were　dumfounded。　　Surely　this
  was　not　the　law。　　They　had　been　taught　that　the　law　was　common
  sense；　and　this；this　was　anything　else。
  Mason　saw　it　all；　and　grinned。　　〃In　its　tenderness；〃　he　sneered；
  〃the　law　shields　the　innocent。　　The　good　law　of　New　York　reaches
  out　its　hand　and　lifts　the　prisoner　out　of　the　clutches　of　the
  fierce　jury　that　would　hang　him。〃
  Mason　sat　down。　　The　room　was　silent。　　The　jurymen　looked　at　each
  other　in　amazement。　　The　counsel　for　the　People　arose。　　His　face
  was　white　with　anger；　and　incredulous。
  〃Your　Honor；〃　he　said；　〃this　doctrine　is　monstrous。　　Can　it　be　said
  that；　in　order　to　evade　punishment；　the　murderer　has　only　to　hide
  or　destroy　the　body　of　the　victim；　or　sink　it　into　the　sea？　　Then；
  if　he　is　not　seen　to　kill；　the　law　is　powerless　and　the　murderer
  can　snap　his　finger　in　the　face　of　retributive　justice。　　If　this　is
  the　law；　then　the　law　for　the　highest　crime　is　a　dead　letter。　　The
  great　commonwealth　winks　at　murder　and　invites　every　man　to　kill
  his　enemy；　provided　he　kill　him　in　secret　and　hide　him。　　I　repeat；
  your　Honor；〃the　man's　voice　was　now　loud　and　angry　and　rang
  through　the　court　room〃that　this　doctrine　is　monstrous！〃
  〃So　said　Best；　and　Story；　and　many　another；〃　muttered　Mason；　〃and
  the　law　remained。〃
  〃The　Court；〃　said　the　judge；　abruptly；　〃desires　no　further
  argument。〃
  The　counsel　for　the　People　resumed　his　seat。　　His　face　lighted　up
  with　triumph。　　The　Court　was　going　to　sustain　him。
  The　judge　turned　and　looked　down　at　the　jury。　　He　was　grave；　and
  spoke　with　deliberate　emphasis。
  〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury；〃　he　said；　〃the　rule　of　Lord　Hale　obtains　in
  this　State　and　is　binding　upon　me。　　It　is　the　law　as　stated　by
  counsel　for　the　prisoner：　that　to　warrant　conviction　of　murder
  there　must　be　direct　proof　either　of　the　death；　as　of　the　finding
  and　identification　of　the　corpse；　or　of　criminal　violence　adequate
  to　produce　death；　and　exerted　in　such　a　manner　as　to　account　for
  the　disappearance　of　the　body；　and　it　is　only　when　there　is　direct
  proof　of　the　one　that　the　other　can　be　established　by
  circumstantial　evidence。　　This　is　the　law；　and　cannot　now　be
  departed　from。　　I　do　not　presume　to　explain　its　wisdom。　　Chief…
  Justice　Johnson　has　observed；　in　the　leading　case；　that　it　may　have
  its　probable　foundation　in　the　idea　that　where　direct　proof　is
  absent　as　to　both　the　fact　of　the　death　and　of　criminal　violence
  capable　of　producing　death；　no　evidence　can　rise　to　the　degree　of
  moral　certainty　that　the　individual　is　dead　by　criminal
  intervention；　or　even　lead　by　direct　inference　to　this　result；　and
  that；　where　the　fact　of　death　is　not　certainly　ascertained；　all
  inculpatory　circumstantial　evidence　wants　the　key　necessary　for　its
  satisfactory　interpretation；　and　cannot　be　depended　on　to　furnish
  more　than　probable　results。　　It　may　be；　also；　that　such　a　rule　has
  some　reference　to　the　dangerous　possibility　that　a　general
  preconception　of　guilt；　or　a　general　excitement　of　popular　feeling；
  may　creep　in　to　supply　the　place　of　evidence；　if；　upon　other　than
  direct　proof　of　death　or　a　cause　of　death；　a　jury　are　permitted　to
  pronounce　a　prisoner　guilty。
  〃In　this　case　the　body　has　not　been　found　and　there　is　no　direct
  proof　of　criminal　agency　on　the　part　of　the　prisoner；　although　the
  chain　of　circumstantial　evidence　is　complete　and　irresistible　in
  the　highest　degree。　　Nevertheless；　it　is　all　circumstantial
  evidence；　and　under　the　laws　of　New　York　the　prisoner　cannot　be
  punished。　　I　have　no　right　of　discretion。　　The　law　does　not　permit
  a　conviction　in　this　case；　although　every　one　of　us　may　be　morally
  certain　of　the　prisoner's　guilt。　　I　am；　therefore；　gentlemen　of　the
  jury；　compelled　to　direct　you　to　find　the　prisoner　not　guilty。〃
  〃Judge；〃　interrupted　the　foreman；　jumping　up　in　the　box；　〃we　cannot
  find　that　verdict　under　our　oath；　we　know　that　this　man　is　guilty。〃
  〃Sir；〃　said　the　judge；　〃this　is　a　matter　of　law　in　which　the　wishes
  of　the　jury　cannot　be　considered。　　The　clerk　will　write　a　verdict
  of　not　guilty；　which　you；　as　foreman；　will　sign。〃
  The　spectators　broke　out　into　a　threatening　murmur　that　began　to
  grow　and　gather　volume。　　The　judge　rapped　on　his　desk　and　ordered
  the　bailiffs　promptly　to　suppress　any　demonstration　on　the　part　of
  the　audience。　　Then　he　directed　the　foreman　to　sign　the　verdict
  prepared　by　the　clerk。　　When　this　was　done　he　turned　to　Victor
  Ancona；　his　face　was　hard　and　there　was　a　cold　glitter　in　his　eyes。
  〃Prisoner　at　the　bar；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　been　put　to　trial　before
  this　tribunal　on　a　charge　of　cold…blooded　and　atrocious　murder。
  The　evidence　produced　against　you　was　of　such　powerful　and
  overwhelming　character　that　it　seems　to　have　left　no　d