The wisdom of Ying's case adjudication

Author: Xu Deqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: This book selects nearly a hundred ancient cases of different types, classifies them comprehensively into "Evidence Gathering," "Verification," "Close Examination," "Interrogation," "Case Resolution," "Suspicious Cases," "Investigation," and "Capture" sections. Each type of case features both engaging storylines and incisive analysis, while also comparing ancient and modern case-solving methods by referencing contemporary similar cases.
Who owns the coin? — Using an object to gather evidence
Once upon a time in ancient times, an oil seller and a vegetable seller came to the court, arguing loudly. The vegetable seller held a silver coin and said to the county magistrate, "Just now, when I was going to buy cloth, this oil seller saw me holding the coin and wanted to snatch it. I didn’t let him take it, but he then claimed the coin was his. Your Honor, this coin is what I brought from home this morning. I wanted to exchange it for small change, but no one would exchange it for me. In the end, I gave the coin to this vegetable seller to exchange, and he took it without giving it back to me."
"Is that really what happened?" the county magistrate asked. Both men swore by the heavens that they were telling the truth.
"Do you have any evidence? Such as witnesses or physical evidence?" Both men shook their heads.
"Well, I will find evidence for you!" Hearing this, both men widened their eyes in astonishment, filled with doubt. Could he really find witnesses or physical evidence?
The county magistrate then had someone bring a basin of clear water and said to the vegetable seller, "Throw the coin into the water!" Both men didn’t understand what the county magistrate meant but did as instructed.
After the coin soaked in the water for a while, the county magistrate looked at the water and laughed heartily. "This coin belongs to the vegetable seller," he said.
"How could it be the vegetable seller’s?" the oil seller exclaimed.
"You’re still lying!" the county magistrate retorted to the oil seller. "Your hands are covered in grease. Any coin you’ve touched must have left oil marks. But this coin, when soaked in water, leaves no trace of oil on the surface. How could it be yours?"
The oil seller looked at his greasy hands and was speechless for a long time.
This county magistrate’s method of gathering evidence was truly simple—a basin of water solved the problem. Because whether or not the coin had oil marks was difficult to see with the naked eye, while water has the property of floating oil. By using water, evidence could be obtained effortlessly. This kind of wisdom in using an object to gather evidence is truly admirable.
With the development of modern science, the "objects" used in evidence gathering have become more advanced. Instruments such as microscopes, magnifying glasses, and cameras help us obtain evidence like hair, blood, handwriting, footprints, fingerprints, and odors.