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Circumstantial evidence, Markham, is the utt‘rest tommyrot imag‘nable. Its theory is not unlike that of our present-day democracy. The democratic theory is that if you accumulate enough ignorance at the polls, you produce intelligence; and the theory of circumst‘ntial evidence is that if you accumulate a sufficient number of weak links, you produce a strong chain.

— S. S. Van Dine The Benson Murder Case (1926)

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More quotes by S. S. Van Dine

Giving full rein to one‘s cynicism as one goes along produces a normal outlet and maintains an emotional equilibrium.

The Bishop Murder Case (1929)

I trust the clergy are not involved in this problem. They‘re notoriously unscientific. One can‘t attack them with mathematics.

The Bishop Murder Case (1929)

“Good God!” he mummered. “I don‘t know what to believe.”
“In that respect,” returned Vance, “you‘re in the same disheartenin‘ predic‘ment as all the philosophers.”

The Benson Murder Case (1926)

Only, as long as we‘re going insane we may as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.

The Bishop Murder Case (1929)

“Oh, my dear fellow! I’m not indulgin’ in implications. I’m merely givin’ tongue to my youthful curiosity, don’t y’ know.”

The Bishop Murder Case (1929)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: S. S. Van Dine (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.