The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-11
EXPERTS IN WRITING
TNE SPECIAL METHODS USED By Ex-
PEsTs ~ HANDWRITING.

How Forged Signatures aud Spurious Doc
umssts Are Detected - Tracing Up the
Authors Of Anonymous Letters How
These Experts Start In the Business.
1t IL doubtful II any Chicago expert
IN handwriting IL moro widely known
among tho members Of tho legal pro-
fession than Marshall ID. Ewcll, who
is a fellow Of the Royal Microscopical
society Of England, doctor Of law
and Of medicine and tho author Of sew
eral legal textbooks. He figured az an
expert witness In the famous Davis will
case In Montana, the not less celebrated
contest Of the alleged will Of Senator
Joseph X. Mcdonald Of Indiana and the
Jerome will case tried iH the probate
court of Cook county.
"Many of the most unique and anus
ing Demands" said Mr.. Eweu recent
ly, (Which are made upon the frsterni-
ty OF experts never reach the public.
They are settled outside Of the court
room and are not of record. Only q few
weeks ago was called upon by very
dignified and scholarly gentleman, and
was not surprised to learn that he be-
longed to the faculty Of one Of Cbicago's
most prominent educational institu-
tions. But ON the occasion Of his call
he was ~ angry az he was cultured. No
expert testimony was needed to estab-
lish that fact in the mind Of any per-
son who saw him % he entered my Of
foe and warmed 70 the subject which
had inspired him to call for my pYofes-
sional services
"As he drew from his pocket man.
uscript he said:
"I have been made the object, sir,
tack on tho part Of some mischievous
student. and propose to hunt down its
author. cost what II may
"'Is it in poetry?' I asked, thinking
to mollffy his excitement little by that
playful remark.
"No, SIR, was his spirited answer.
1t isn't. Il only assumes to be-
"He then handed me the manuscript
"a formidable array Of verse-and
closely watched the expression Of my
face as read II. Byron. in his Eng,
lish Bards and Scotch Reviewers, did
not give the critics of that day any
sharper thrusts in smooth rhyme than
the anonymous author Of this metrioal
epistle dealt the dignified professor. Il
was really a very oreditable perform
ancs az oaustio competition. OF course
my client had his suspioions regarding
the probable author Of the oommunica-
tion and produced specimens of hand
writing by the suspected persons. I
made a thorough and judicial examina-
tion of the submitted documents and
was compelled to inform the professor
that believed no two Of the submitted
specimens had been executed by the
same person. Itwas bitter disappoint-
ment to him, as he was burning with
righteous Indignation, and, If I may
judge from superficial appearances,
would have paid more than his fee for
the privilege Of laying a beechen rod
upon the author Of the verse, to the
time of cut for every line.
Sometimes the consequences of an
investigation in this line Of work lead
where we least expect. This is partic-
ularly true regarding anonymous COM
munioations and their authors. A ply
sician living in western town sent me
disgraceful letter which had been re-
ceived through the mails by member
of his family. Accompanying it were
several letters and documents, the au-
thors Of which were presumably open
to the suspicion of having written the
offensive epistle. / subjected the speci-
mems to the usual comparisons and mi
croscopical examinations and fixed upon
one Of them as being the work of the
person whose disguised handwriting
constituted the principal letter.
"My report brought an immediate re-
ply in which the physician protested
that my conclusion could not by any
possibility be correct, as the writer Of
the specimen which had selected was
his own professional associate. in whose
character he had the utmost confidence.
He confessed that he had added his part
ner's letter to those written by the per-
sons whom he really suspected Of the
offense in question only to test my pow
ers Of discrimination and to give ju-
uACAuAAy AmpuNuoA hoNOA W 0Ao OhSAAo .
investigation.
"In my reply to him I pointed out in
detail the reasons which had led up to
my decision, placing particular stress
upon the fact that the formation Of the
propositions, participles and other small
words was, despite the attempt at vari-
alton, too nearly identical In the two
specimens for any mistake as to their
common authorship. This reasoning 30
impressed the startled physician that he
determined to confront his professional
partner with the accusation. This he
did, with the result that the accused
man confessed his guilt. I was not sur
prised, for the person who is oowardly
enough to write an Objectionable and
unsigned communication will seldom
have the courage to deny his guilt when
boldly charged with It.
1--WE are quite frequently called to
pass upon blackmailing letters and