Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-04-22
AsouT HANDWRITING
An Expert Explains How Easy II IL 20
Tell Chalk from Cheese.


4 profession which Is an old and hon
orcd one. hut which has not received
distinguished recognition until recently,
IL TINT 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 as 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, MS to leave no doubt in their
minds.
Every person." said Mr.. ID. T. Ames,
the famous handwriting expert the other
day, "has peculiar characteristics, and
no two handwritings are exactly alike
Personalities enter MS 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 80
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.
THE forger has the advantage of hav.
ing before him u copy upon which he
may practice until he has attained enough
skill to reproduce il, or he may make use
of the various mechanical means for Sc
curing a coryeet outline by which he will
be guided In reproducing his copy
Where the former method is employed
there is usually fatal lack of accuracy
"a to form. The other method usually
leaves signs of the slow and hesitatinl
movement required for carefully follow
ing an outline also several retouches o.
the shaded lines, which when examined
under IL microscope are Mt once apparent
Forgeries thus made may generally b,
demonstrated from the very character o
the work without any reference what
ever To the general signature.
"An amusing instance of the detection
of this class Of simulations occurred ii
my own experience some time since whel
called to "A certain law Office for the pur
pose Of examining contested will. Tn
junior member of the firm took occasion
to speak disparagingly Of expert exami
nations of writing, saying that clerl
Of his could copy his own signature s.
closely that he was unable himself to de
tect the difference, nor did he believ
that any expert could do so. had neve
seen the writing of the lawyer or that o
his clerk. After few minutes the law
yer handed me "A sheet of legal cap GOV
cred from top to bottom with his name
remarling that portion of the sig
: natures had been written by himself an
] portion by his clerk, and reteratin
his belief that it was beyond the powe
of an expert TO determine which wer
, his and which the clerks.
Taking the paper in my hand
looked at the signatures for not NOR
than one minute. You wrote that, tina
! 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.
, its turns, shades, grace Of line and a
! there was apparent a full. natural move
ment, while in another set there weI
hesitancy in the lines, angles in the plaC
{ Of round turns. shades varying in plac
, and degree, different slant and gener,
( want of homogeheousness So it wa
/ very easy to tell them apart. "-Ne'
i York Recorder.