The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-04-21
SIGNATURE EXPERTS.
Intereresting Facts for Business Men.

s. s. Packard, noted as a skillful PEN
man, writes to the New York Mail con-
corning signature experts" the occa.
sion being the late ''Taylor will case,
which turned in a great measure on the
commences of the testator's signature
More than twenty years ago in Cincinna-
Il copied the Declaration of 1ndepep-
dence appending fac SimiIes of signer's
names. Mr.. Thomas Stevens, at that
time editor of the Cincinnati Atlas, took
occasion in pleasant way to doubt my
assertion that had copied the signature
with pen. To convince him, L asked
him to sign his name on a sheet of pa
per, which he did. Immediately wrote
ten copies of his signature, above and
below the original, and handed him the
paper for him to select his own. After
. 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 a remarka-
bic fact that after he had really dis.
covered his own, he could see the
most astonishing absurdities in all the
others.
Some six years ago / was speaking
with we'll known publisher of this
city, who sat at his desk signing some
pared for him. The signature was OF
the firm, and was a peculiar one, as ne
wrote 1t. / casually remarked that that
was an excellent signature for a forger
He promptly responded that there was
no forger could sign that name so as to
deceive him.
"Oh, yes, there is" said 1.
"Where is he ?"
"He is standing at your elbow"
"Do you mean to say" said he, ''that
you can initiate this signature so can
not detect the forgery"
81 mean to say" said !, "that l think
I can do 1t, and am willing to try it,"
'tIf you will write that signature" he
resplied, $50 that cannot distinguish il
from my own, will
"There, there, don't be rash should
dislike to take advantage of your pres.
emit excitement. If you will just write
the signature at the top of that letter
sheet wen see what little impudencC
can do"
He did as requested. took the sheet
and went to the book-keeper's desk
Here exchanged it for another of the
same relative position. l initiated the
signature in very free, careless way, not
attempting a servile copy, But preserv-
ing the characteristic strokes. l then
WY C0ACAuAlJ WEONC IL lhECN
faithful limitations, making four sigma.
lures, all my own. These / took to the
proprietor 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 sever
ity, my base limitations.
"Well," said j, 81 will confess they
are not as well done as expected to dc
them, or as / could do them if my
nerves were steady. But, really" said
/, 'don't you think that if one of these
signatures was placed at the bottom OF
your ordinary check your bank would
honor the check"
SWELL, no." said he, 81 don't think il
would"
81 suppose" said 1, ''there is no doubt
about the top signature-that would
bring the cash ?"
@Oh, yes, should like to see oul
bank refuse that signature for an ordi.
nary sum-"
/ then went to the book-keeper's
desk and procured the original sigma.
ture.
allow about this p" said 1.
BE looked at the signature-then al
my sbase Limitations at the crowd
of interested spectators who had quiet
~ gathered around and who were be-
cunning " ehAC III Tue ElCuucsS OI INT
Joke, and finally he burst out in an ex.
preston which was mixture of aston.
ishment, chagrin, merriment, vexatior
and perplexity, and holding out his
hand with unconditional surrender
written all over his face he exclaimed
ssEold 70
That was the only word in the Amer
Jean language that could adequately ex
press the situation.
But the sell was very easy one anC
required no skill at all. The fact is tina
when the original signature was com
pared with the forgeries the discrepen
eies were so palpable that "a wayfarinG
man, though he be q fool" need not b.
taken in T; and yet. if my friend had no
been deacon, which he was-and is
and II had been as most forgers,