The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-09
Concerning signatures.

cerning signature experts the occasion
being the late "Taylor will case," which
turned in great measure on the genu-
ineness of the testator's signature.
More than twenty years ago, i'll Gin
cinnati, 1 copied the Declaration Of In
dependence, e,appending fac sim'les Of the
siener's names. Mr.. Thomas Stevens,
at the same time editor of the Cincin-
natl Atlas, took occasion in pleasant
way to doubt my assertion that l had
copied the signatures with pen. To
convince him, / asked him to sign his
name on sheet of paper, which he did
l Immediately wrote ten copies Of his
signature, above and below the original,
and handed him the paper to select his
own. After a careful examination, he
selected one as his own. He was wrong.
He tried again and again, with the same
result, and finally, by mere guess work,
he hit the right one. And it was re-
fact that after he had really
his own, he could see the
most astonishinging absurdiies in all the
others.
Some six years ago was speaking
with well-known publisher of this city,
who sat at his desk,signing some checks
that the book-keeper had prepared for
him. The signature was of the firm, land
was a peculiar one, as he wrote it.
casually remarked that it was an elegant
signature for forger. He promptly
responded that there was no forger that
could sign that name so as to deceive
him.
"Oh, yes, there is" said 1.
"Where is he I"
"He is standing at your elbow
"Do you mean to say" said he, "that
you can initiate that signature so that /
cannot detect the forgery
81 mean to say" said I, "that think
1 can do it, and am willing to try it."
eff you will write that signature" he
replied, so that l cannot distinguish it
from my own, / will"
"There, there, don'tb rash should
dislike to take advantage of your pres
ent excitement. If you will just write
the signature at the top of that letter
sheet, well see what little impudence
can do" IN
He did as requested. took the sheet
and went to the book-keeper's desk
Here exchanged it for another of the
same kind, and in the same relative po-
sition initiated the signature in very
free, careless way, not attempting a SER
vile copy, bnt preserving the character
istic strokes. then very carefully wrote
underneath it three faithful signatures,
all my own. These took to the pro-
prietor, and told him to select his own
signature. With surprisingly little effort
he pointed out the first signature, and at
once began to criticise with severity my
base limitations. ,
"Well," said I, 81 will confess they
are not as well done as l expected to do
them,or as l could do them if my nerves
were steady. But ieaIly," said /, ''don't
you think that if one of these signatures
were placed at the bottom of your ordi-
nary check, your bank would honor the
check p
"Well, no." said he, 81 don't think il
would.
81 suppose" said I, 'there is no doubt
about the top siguature-that would
bring the cash ?"
"Oh, yes; 1 should like to see our
bank refuse that signature for an ordi-
nary sum"
81 then went to the book keepers
desk and produced the original sigma
ture.
"How about this ?" said I.
He looked at the siguature-then at
my ."5ase imitation''-then at the crowd
of interested spectators who had quietly
gathered around, and who were begin
ming to take in the richness of the joke,
and finally he burst out in an expressio n
of astonishment, chagrin, merriment,
vexation and perplexity, and holding out
his hand with unconditional surrender
written all over his face, he exclaimed,
"Soldw
That was the only word in the Amer
ican language that could appropriately
express the situation.
But the sell was very easy one anG
required no skill at all. The fact is that
when the original signature was CON-
pared with the forgeries the discrepan-
cies were so palpable that ga wayfaring
man, though fool" need not be taken
in and yet. if my friend had not been a
deacon, which he was-and is-and if l
had been as most forgers, | could have
won very Iice sum had / offered to
stake it on the issue.
Finally to convince the deacon that he
was not the only fool in the firm, call
ed upon one of the other partners, and
showing him the three false signatures,
asked him to decide which was the gen.
uine. With a great show of ready dis
cernment he selected the top one, and
began at once to point out the weak
spots in the others; simply by compar-
ing with what he considered the genuine
"Yes'" said he, they are pretty fair imi-
tations, but don't you see, the length of
this Q and the turn of this IL (? Now look
at the original, and see where this capt.
tai J swoops around. There is an at.
tempt at il in tie imitation, but it is a
very weak one."
"Then you couldn't be imposed upon
by one of these lower signatures ?"
said 1. -
.'No, not l. They bear forgery upon
their very face.
'Well, how about the first one? No
mistake about that? You would readily
cash check with that signature ?"
ooh, yes that is all right. Anybody
who ever seen the aeacon's sign manual
could tell it at glance"
So the deacon divided up his chagrin
with the junior partner, and felt better
or worse, I've forgotten which.
The fact is, no man is safe in swear
ing to his signature-not even Horace
Greeley to his own-for no man writes
a signature twice alike. although he may
preserve the characteristics. And
would give very little for the testimony
of "experts," unless backed by pretty
strong collateral evidence. 1t would
y