The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 19, 1863,

chemist's shop, particular care should be taken
by some responsible person that all poisons are
safely locked up, so that no hurry or confusion
may lead inexperienced assistants into mistakes
that that may terminate fatally. Whoever put
been nnvemryixitguoroe iraonttoorthveerybeettalreelmeauest euotithtoer haveuotiee
anything peculiar about it. It is thenotacci-
dents first
time, by any means, that precisely
similar
em-
ployed t
have occurred, and
y
in such matters. It is also a pity that
et it does
produce greater caution on the pa
r n
t ofo t seem
those
there is not a better knowledge among all
classes concerning the ar pearance of poi-
sons, since such information would guard
against many dreadful errors that are
daily occurring. Had the lady possessed any
such knowledge she would not have drunk the
draught, and if any of her servants had noticed the
remains of the mixture which was left in the
bottle when they were washing it, they might at
least have been in time to procure remedial mea-
sures for their unfortunate mistress. The other
case was that of a nurse giving morphia to an
infant instead of dill-water. The coroner who pre-
sided at the inquest made a most valuable sugges-
tion, to the effect that all bottles containing poisons
should have peculiar kinds of stoppers. By this
means the ignorant, who cannot read, and even
those whose eyesight is defective, can readily guard
against the commission of fatal blunders. The
fact is that too much care cannot be taken in all
matters relative to medicine, and the reverse is
generally the order of the day. It is very lament-
able to hear of so many untimely deaths occurring
from want of the commonest care being used on one
side and the simplest knowledge possessed on the
other. Until people will have the sense to perceive
that ignorance and bad management are at the root
of all these sad occurrences, they will never learn
how to prevent their recurrence. It seems strange
that with so many warnings before them they will
not seek to rectify the fatal errors so constantly com-
mitted by the adoption of the only means that may
serve as a remedial measure, and seek to obtain the
knowledge that will be of such essential service to
them. •

It is quite time that 801110 check should be put to
the dangerous practice of omnibus racing which has
lately become so much the custom. On Monday
an inquest was held at St. Bartholomew's Hos-
pital on the body of an omnibus conductor who was
run over and killed on Thursday last in Holborn.
It appears from the evidence of those who witnessed
the occurrence, that two omnibuses were racing
violently along towards the City, one slightly in
advance of the other. The deceased conductor
jumped off his board for some purpose, and was
almost instantly knocked down by the second
omnibus, and killed on the spot. On further in-
quiry it turned out that the conductor had got
down for the purpose of inquiring of a passer by if
she was going by his omnibus. It seemed also that
the unfortunate conductor was himself greatly to
blame, because he used no care when he descended
from his board. He was in a state of great excite-
ment, apparently, concerning the racing, and one of
the passengers by the omnibus in question stated
that he kept continually urging his driver to
greater speed. When they came opposite Fur-
nival's Inn, where the accident happened, he got
down, and then seemed only intent on the dan-
gerous sport in which they were engaged. He
went forward telling his own driver to pull across
the road to stop the other omnibus, and at the
same time walked backwards so that he got in
the way of the second omnibus. Soma said
that the driver of the second ♦ehicle
might have pulled up quicker than he did,
and others that it was impossible for him to have
done so. This is a question very difficult to decide,
but it is certain that had he not been proceeding at
so rapid a pace the accident would not have oc-
curred. The jury did not come to a decision re-
garding the conduct of the driver—some were for a
verdict of manslaughter, and some for a
verdict of a contrary character. It is
not the fault of one party more than
another in these cases of furious driving and reck-
less conduct. It is the system itself which is so
bad, and which cannot be too strongly condemned.
It is productive of innumerable risks to passengers,
as they are scarcely allowed sufficient time to get
in or out of the conveyances in consequence of the
conductors calling out and the omnibus starting
before they are safely settled iuside, or fairly out on
the road. It is to be hoped that the whole of the
omnibus trade will take warning by this occurrence,
and not continue the fatal practice any longer.
There should be stringent laws in force against the
system, and the police should exercise a strict watch
until the practice is altogether put down. It is
impossible for either the drivers or conductors to
attend to their business properly while their
thoughts are engaged in a totally opposite manner ;
and the fearful risks that they expose themselves
to, as well as the danger to all the passengers, and
also the passers by, are convincing proofs that this
practice is a most obnoxious one, and it is strange
that more attention should not have been given to
the subject before by those empowered to interfere.

SCIENTIFIC DETECTION OF FORGERIES.—The
methods used by the forger are different in eharac-

ter and in degree. In some instances he imitates simply
the writing and signature of another person, as at the
bottom of a will, deed, or other document. This capacity
of imitation is possessed by few, and a quick eye may
soon be able on comparison of two specimens of writ-
ing to determine a real as distinguished from a forged
hand. The points to be observed in this research have
reference, first, to what is called the strength of the writing,
for no two hands bear on the pen with equal force;
next, as to the angle of each letter in relation to the line on
which it is written; thirdly, to the distance of one letter
from another; fourthly, to the angles of the letters them-
selves; fifthly, to the way in which certain letters are dotted
or crossed; and lastly, to the mode in which long letters are
made to terminate. Assuming that in any given case where a
comparison has to be instituted there is so much difficulty in
the way that the naked eye fails to make the determination,
recourse is then to be had to enlargement of the writing by
means of a powerful lens. This enlargement brings out in
unmistakeable relief any differences which may exist between
two specimens of writing, and we ourselves knew of an
example in which the false signature of a gentleman was
detected by this method, he himself having been unable to
affirm on common observation that the signature was a
forgery. It is to be specially remembered, however, in
conducting the inquiry, that not one nor even two differ-
ences are sufficient to mark the distinction; but if in any
given case there is a combination of differences, even
trough these may net be presented in each letter, the
u g o
feasilypa pe
r a
b y
evidence becomes decisive by accumulation of details, and
of course the mere decisive according to the number
of points of difference.eren
is
a simple experiment.ce.
Ihis
Write down brought
on t
a piece out very
single word twice over, then let another person copy the
first word in imitation, with the strictest attention to
details. To the eye the distinction between the words

from the same hand may seem as gnat as between the
originals and the imitation. Now, however, with a power-
fulttihme
times,
firsta n original d
then
word u aagnndi fyo if n
tgh ge acsosp, iendc -.-Nevaosrod t h
found that in every letter there are at least four essential
analyse each by the six points given above. It will be
seasylzeteonf
point of difference. This analysis concluded, turn to the
second word written by the same hand, and although
differences may be presented in respect to the sae
of the letters, the analysis will yield character-
istics the same, in the main, in all the details.
The detection of forged signatures by this mechanical
analytical method is so simple and so perfect in its results,
that we wonder it has not been universally adopted in legal
...,teTniti s
z
be avbersotiutt ioz.suh Byc pmerafteheetmionatiacsaltmo
beeas duermemonensttrsatiitve, mightand
to yield evidence far more valid than that of circumstances,
on which life of
EsTen.stein7cteEdr,—lNA)GociAal c SpcAi3EnAcel /u?esveitsp.in
A STEAM S
preparation for the °immix)", of London.