Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-03-28
ABOUT HAhowalTlNc.



Toll Chalk from Cheese.
A profession which is an old and hon
ored one. but which has not received
distinguished recognition until recently,
Is that of handwriting expert. This
kind Of testimony now carries much
more weight with judge and jurymen
than it did some years ago, by the man.
ner in which the testimony is given.
The expert nowadays does not ask the
court and jury TO accept his private
opinion Es to the genuineness Of sigma
ture, but produces such proofs of the
reasons which have made him reach the
conclusion by means of diagrams, photo
graphs, etc, as to leave no doubt in their
minds.
Every person, said Mr.. D. T. Ames,
the famous handwriting expert the other
day, 'shas peculiar characteristics, and
no two handwritings are exactly alike.
Personalities enter rs much into mans
penmanship as in his daily intercourse
with friends or acquaintance. The
| forger, for instance, cannot know his
own habits or control his own hand SO
as to set it aside entirely at will Mere
will power can have little effect ON the
formation of letters, and even, although
he may try, the skillful forger cannot
wholly hide his own individuality.
Forgeries are more frequently confined
| to single signature.
1.-The forger has the advantage of hav-
ing before him copy upon which he
| may practice until he has attained enough
skill to reproduce it. or he may make use
of the various mechanical means for se-
curing correct outline by which he will
be guided In reproducing his copy.
Where the former method is employed
| there is usually fatal lack of accuracy
as to form. The other method usually
leaves signs Of the slow and hesitating
movement required for carefully follow
ing an outline, also several retouches of
the shaded lines, which when examined
under microscope are at once apparent.
Forgeries thus made may generally be
demonstrated from the very character OF
the work without any reference what
ever to the general signature.
IAN amusing instance of the detection
of this class of simulations occurred in
my own experience some time since when
called to certain law office for the pur-
pose of examining contested will The
junior member of the firm took occasion
to speak disparagingly of expert exami-
nations of writing, saying that a clerl
of his could copy his own signature &C
closely that he was unable himself to de
tect the difference, nor did he believe
that any expert could do so had never
rr,f< 1.x klot
his clerk. After few minutes the law
yer handed me sheet of legal cap GOV
cred from top to bottom with his name
remarking that portion Of the sig
natures had been written by himself ani
portion by his clerk, and reiteratins
, his belief that it was beyond the powel
of an expert to determine which were
his and which the clerks.
talking the paper in my hand
looked at the signatures for not NOR,
than one minute. You wrote that, thai
and that said, indicating three of tn.
, signatures, and your clerk wrote tn,
. rest The lawyer admitted the correct
ness of my answer, and expressed grea
surprise at its readiness and accuracy
and asked how had determined it.
explained that in looking down the pag
observed that the writing of one elias
: of names was entirely homogeneous. Il
it's turns, shades, grace of line and al
. there was apparent a full, natural move
ment, while in another SCI there wer
hesitancy in the lines, angles in the plac
: of round turns, shades varying in plac
and degree, different slant and genera
: want of homogeAeousness. SO it wa
: very easy to tell them apart. Ne,
:, York Recorder.