ABSTRACT
Inference from circumstantial evidence is a very common method of historical reconstruction, even apart from the unravelling of political crimes. There is one kind of inference which, although it is not concerned with generalization, is like inductive inference inasmuch as it is inference from facts rather than from propositions, is a reverse process, and proceeds by way of hypothesis. Inference from circumstantial evidence can be abundantly illustrated from the files of newspapers, and from political and literary histories. Circumstantial evidence is particularly common in connection with attempts to trace criminals, but of course it is not confined to such cases. According to Greek mythology the underworld of the dead is a land of darkness, where the sun never breaks through the mists and clouds. An arbitrary selection of circumstances may send innocent people to prison or even to the gallows.
