The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-11-17
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Detected.

The current number Of the PcAman' S
Art journal contains complete a paper
on disputed Handwriting" prepared
by its editor, =. T. Ames, the well
known penmanship expert, and read be-
! fore the Business Educators Conven-
ton. The subject is OF such broad and
general interest as to warrant the repro
duction OF the article in these columns:
This is subject that has been grow
ing greatly in Importance during the
past few years-that is the legal investi-
cation OF questions arising from hand
writing in our courts Of justice. With
reference to the value of such labor as
experts are allie to perform il this re-
spect there is a wide difference OF opin-
| ion Many of the jurists Of our day
esteem it highly, and many not quite so
highly. The question really comes to
be-is there any such a thing as scientific
and satisfactory investigation of the
various phases under which handwriting
appears in our courts. We all know that
forgeries are very numerous-that
scarcely week passes in this city that
there are not tried causes involving in
some manner the genuiness of hand
writing. Most OF those present are
familiar with the methods resorted to by
forgers in producing their work. The
great majority of forgeries are not by
persons who are skilled in the art OF
penmanship; many of them are of so
imperfect character that a good Judge
would wonder that there had been any
question raised respecting it. [ have
been called to investigate forgeries
where there was scarcely a semblance to
the genuine writing sought to be imi-
tated, others where there would be a
general outline, but the character OF the
work would at once stamp it as spurious.
The great proportion OF the forgeries Of
signatures are perpetrated by means OF
tracing-the parties making an outline
with pencil and then writing it in with
ink-forgeries of that class are very
easily detected when carefully ezi mined
with a good glass, and especially with
good microscope. Another class, and
the most dangerous, are prepared by
skillful writers taking a signature and
practiciDg upon 1t, as upon copy, until
it can be reproduced by the forger with
a tolerable degree OF accuracy, some
times to an astonishing degree. | have
seen such signatures where it was impos-
sible to determine with any degree OF
certainty whether the signatures was
spurious or genuine. Forgeries executed
by the tracing process are ln7arlably
demonstrated to be such, believe, be-
cause no man can at the first following
of tracing make :; ,.4gnature which will
deceive person who IS familiar with the
genuinc-the shades will be different,
and the strength OF the lines will be
different, and where there are short
comings in this respect they have to be
covered by retracing. These will appear
under the glass in overlapping layers of
ink. This vii also be true Of forged
signatures that are traced by holding
them to the light, as to a pane OF glass
or to light, but there is also different
movement, and hence different quality
of line-there is that in the writing
which shows It is not written with the
ordinary and natural motion OF the
hand. There will also be nervous
rcmor, and the slower the hand is
moved the more apparent will this be.
Ii one signature is placed over another
and found to cover it in every respect, 1t
is inevitably the case that one is Jorge
ry. Most forgeries are unskilfully exc
cuted by Il professional, or by one who
might be called a pen artist. Many are
made by clerks who get an idea that they
can reproduce their employers sigma
ture; they have had very good opportu-
mites to get acquainted with the genu-
inc, yet rarely fail to be detected.
One of the most frequent phases IN
which these Investigations arise is in
disguised handwriting il the form of
abusive, Matchmaking, threatening or
obscene letters. Persons unfamiliar with
this matter can scarcely realize the ex-
tent to which this species OF crime is
carried. [ venture to say that during
the past year there has not been one
week in which packages Of anonymous
letters have not been brought to my
Office for Investigation. Many OF them
are Of the very worst character-many
threatening the lives OF people. many
abusing parties, and many growing out
of the strikes. Only recently letters
have come from the proprietors or man
ayers of railroad who have been threat
cned with death by supposed employees.
All manner OF means are resorted to by
writer's to conceal their identlfy-some-
times the letters are even hand printed.
Sometimes they are so skillfully executed
that no trace OF the identity OF the writer
is left. These cases, however, are rare,
for very few persons can write to the ex-
tent of u page of any sheet and lmpart
to it some OF their own characteristics.
The worst OF all handwriting to inves-
ticate void would be that Of a school boy
who had no characteristics to his hand
writing-wno has not practised under
circumstances which impaired any lndl-
! yiduality-or personality to his writing.
i If two teachers OF writing should write
letter and bring it up absolutely, ac-
cortling to principle, to the standard OF
any system, there could be no compar-
son as to the personal characteristics OF
the writers. As we 60 into business,
however, We depart from the standard
/ forms OF the school-room, and each OF
these departures constitutes the peculiar
personality of the writer Here was
illustrated upon the blackboard nulner-
Gus specimens OF these habitual changes
These departures are mostly unconscious;
Il person gradually british these varl'-
tons in his practice illustrated by the
letter l. on the board!.
4 short time ago had occasion TO
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