The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-28
SIGNATURE EXPERTS.

corning signature experts" the occasion
being the late Taylor will case" which
turned In great measure on the genuine
ness Of the testators signature: More
than twenty years ago, In Cincinnati,
copied the Declaration Of Independence,
appending fac Simles OF the signersi
names. MIR. Thomas Stevens, at thar time
editor Of the Cincinnati atlas, took occa.
sion in pleasant way 10 doubt my asser.
tion that / had copied the signatures with
q pen. To convince him, l asked him ia
sign his name on sheet Of paper, which
he did. Immediately wrote ten copies
of his signature, above and below the
original, and handed him the paper fol
him to select his own. Afler q careful
examination he selected one as bis 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 1t was 0 remarkable fact that after he
had really discovered his own, he could
see the most astonishing absurdIties in all
the others.
Some six years ago was speaking with
well known publisher of this city, who
sat at bis desk signing some checks that the
book keeper had prepared for him. The
signature was ofthe firm, and was a pc
culiar one, as he wrote 1t, l casually re-
marked that that was an excellent sigma
ture Ior forgef. He promptly responded
that there was no fOrger could sign that
nameso Us 10 deceive him.
"Oh, yes, there Il" said l.
"Where Is heI"
"He Is standing at your elbow"
"Do you mean to say" said he, "that
you can initiate that signature 50 cannot
detect the forgery|
II mean to say" said l, that 1 think I
can do 1t, and ain willing TO try It,"
"Ifyou will write that signature" he
replied, $50 that cannot distinguish 1t
from my own, Iwill"-
"There, there, don't be rush; should
dislike to take advantage Of your present
excitement. lfyou will just write the
signature at the top Oi that letter sheet,
we'll see what a little impudence can do. "
He did as requested took the sheet
and went TO the book.keeper's desk. Here
l exchanged 1t for another Of the same
relative position, l initiated tho signature
In very free, careless way, not attempt.
Ing servile copy, but preserving the
characteristic strokes. then very care.
fully wrote underneath il three faithful
limitations, making four signatures, all my
own. These took 10 the proprietor and
told him to select his own signature, With
surprisingly little effort he pointed out the
ilrst signature, and at once began TO crlti-
cize with severity, my base limitations.
"Well," said l, " will confess they are
not as well done as expected odo them,
or as could do them II my nerves were
steady, But, "really," said I, don't you
think that II one ot these signatures were
placed at the bottom Of your ordinary
check your bank would honor the check." !"
"Well, no." said he, II don't think 1t
would"
II suppose" said l, "there Is no doubt
about the top signature-that would
bring the cashf"
"0h, yes, should like to see our bank
refuse thatsignature for an ordinary sum"
I then went to tho book.keeper's desk
and produced the original signature.
allow about thisT' said l.
He looked at the signature-then at my
"base limitations" at the crowd Of
interested spectators who had quietly
gathered around and who were beginning
to take in the richness Of the joke, and
finally he burst outin an expression which
was a mixture Of astOnishment, chagrin,
merriment, vexAtion and perplexity, and
holding out his hand with unconditional
surrender written all over his face, he ex-
claimed, "soldp
That was the only word in the Ameri.
can language that could adequately ex-
press the situation.
But the sell was very easy one and re-
quired no skill at all. The fact Is that
when the original signature was compar.
ed with the forgeries the discrepancies
were so palpable, that "a wayfaripg man,
though fool" need not be taken in; and
yet, Il my friend had not been deacon,
which he was-and is-and II had been
as most forgers, l could have won very
nice sum, had l offered to stake 1t on the
issue.
Finally, to convince the deacon that he
was not the only fool in tho firm, l called
up one Of the other partners, and showing
him the three false signatures, asked him
to decide which was the genuine. Wirh
. great show Of real discernment he sci.
ected the top one, and began at once to
point out the weak points in the Others,
simply by comparing with what he con.
sidered the genuine. "Yes," said he,
''they are pretty fair limitations, but don't
you see the length Of this 0 and the turn
Of this nj Now, look at the original, and
see where this capital ] sweeps around.
There Is an attempt at 1t In the limitations
but It Isl very weak one.
"Then you couldn't be imposed upon by
one oI these lower signaturesY said l.
"No, not l. They bear forgery upon
their very face"
"Well, how about the first one! No
mistake about thatg You would readily
cash check with that signature@
"Oh yes, that is all right Anybody
who ever saw the deacon's sign manual
could tell that Of q 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 swearing
to his signature mot even Horace Greeley
to his own-tor no man writes q signature
twice alike, although be may preserve the
characteristics. And l would give very
little for the testimony Of experts" un,
less backed by pretty strong collateral
evidence. Itwould not be difficult, ordin
arily, TO indentify q body OF writing, such
as . page or even a dozen lines, but 10 dc,
eide as to the genulneness Of asingle word