Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-01-10
HANDWRITING AND CRIME.
/ no An Eminen. Expsrs. [

OF late years a new and curious pro-
fession has come into vogue. We allude
to that of experts in handwriting.
These gentlemen's services have for
some time been repeatedly called into
request in EHgland, especially in dis
puted will cases, but they seldom made
much impression either on 51dge or jury,
until there arose a master in the craft,
Mr.. Chabot. 1t was through a case
which occurred a few years since in the
London Probate Court that this gentle
man was brought into the first rank Of
his very limited profession, of which a
Mr.. Netherclift had up to that time been
the chief. The ground of dispute was
in relation to the win of a wealthy old
yeoman. One side claimed that the
will was genuine, the other that il was a
forgery. When the turn came for Mr..
Chabot's evidence to be given, the coun-
sci for the will gave contemptuous
smile as the expert assembled the box,
and my Lord leaned back in HIS chair
in manner which indicated II know
how much this sort of testimony is
worth" By degrees, however, matters
underwent a change. Counsel against
the will became par ticularly assured in
his bearing. Counsel for the will fid-
geted in his seat; and, what was more
important my Lord aroused himself and
began to take notes. When Mr.. Chabot
descended from the witness-box he had
broken the will aa 'f4fi faf
The Judge in summing up, said that
he must confess that previous expert
enee has not disposed him to place much
reliance ontestimony of this description,
but the present case was an exception.
Mr. Chabot's evidence was certainly
most remarkable. The point to which
the accomplished gentleman drew spe-
cial attention was the fact that he had
examined page after page Of writing
which was admitted by either side to be
that of deceased, and in no case had he
found the vowel 20" conn ected with the
other letters in the word in which it oc-
Cured; whereas, in the document alleged
to be forged, 80" sometimes stood
alone, sometimes was Joined to the
neighboring letters. rynRt.~ ~
Mr.. Chabot' services are now il con-
slant demand. and he ought to be ma
king a very large income. The Itch
borne case must alone have put great
many pounds in his pocket. Quite re-
Gently he has been employed in two no.
table cases. One Of these "Firebraee
VS.. Fnebrace and others a divorce
case, A maid-servaRt, as often happens
in such suits. is prominent witness.
She, it appears, kept diary, in which
she recorded suspicious circumstances
in her mistress conduct. This diary
the mistress got hold of, and, the servant
alleges, interpolated passages which re-
fected sadly on the morality of the ser.
want herself, and are thus calculated to
weaken the effect of her evidence
against Mrs. Firebrsce. Mr.. Chabot is
of opinion that the alleged interpola-
tions are not in the handwriting of the
servant. Hl
The other case was one, of libel, In
wE;ch. lady named Dilks was plaintiff,
ana q Mr. Shepherd defendant. In
January, 1870, Mr.. Birket, to whose
son the plaintiff was engaged, received
a letter imputing to her improper con-
duct. On the l4th of February, Valen-
tines day, plaintiff herself received two
letters, one containing some indecent
verses, and the other some Zines from
Chaucer The experts differed strongly
in regard to the similarity Of the writing
with that of Mr. Shepherd. In sum.
ming up, the Lord Chief-Justiee pointed
out that the great merit Of Mr.. Chabot
in such cases was that he gave cogent
reasons for his conclusions, and was not
content merely to state that he was Of
such and such an opinion. The jury
found for the defendant Mr.. Chabot
lately brought his ingenuity to bear upon
The yexed question Of Junius, and has
helped to strengthen the already over
evidence in favor Of Sir Philip
Francis authorship Of the famous letters.