The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-07
EXPERTS in HANDWRITING.
Methods They Employ to Identify Worl
of the Pen,

of the Pen.
In view of the important part that
experts in questioned handwriting al
ready have played in the now famous
Adams poisoning case, and the fact that
IL was chlehy on the evidence of a num-
Der of the leaders in this profession that
an arrest recently has been effected,
some light on this lttle-known bust
ness of expert chirography may be op-
perfume. One often hears a man boast
or MS ability to successfully duplicate
another persons signature or hand
writing, and to the casual observer the
counterfeit really will bear a striking
resemblance to the original. However,
let the two be placed in the hands of
an expert on questioned handwriting
and he will pretty quickly determine
Whlch is the original and which the
forgery. Furthermore. HI will tell YOU
what process was used to make the du-
plicate, for there are several methods
in use among forgers, and can even tell
the composition of the ink.
From one of the best known experts
on handwriting and who has figured
consplcuously in this celebrated New
York case, some interesting facts rela
tive to this subject recently We're learn
ed. 10 the question: What is the pri-
mary requisite for conscientious opin-
T.
ted handwriting?" this expert, unhesi-
| tatingly replied, IAN utter and entire
absence OF either feeling or prejudice
In other words, one should be perfectly
dispaSSlonate when engaged in such a
| work"
To make his analysis the expert uses
a maSnlfying glass of great power and
by strict and close attention to the
subject matter he can determine the
making the individual letters and the
formation of the words and also the
several inks that were used. Hand
writing as defined by this expert is a
mechanical operation pure and simple
Its general excellence or the reverse is
large dependent upon the education
which the hand has received. When
man sits down to write he mechanical
ly reproduces on paper what is in his
| mind, and this may be said to be his
natural handwriting. Should he stop
to think, even for a moment, not of
what he is transferring to the paper
| but of the writing itself. he instantly
ceases to write his natural hand, the
transcription becoming only a copy or
drawing from memory.
In the opinion of the expert, emphat-
ically expressed, a person never writes
| twice exactly alike. This is stated to be
|
| quent developments revolve when ex-
aiming manuscript. Let several ex-
amples of the natural handwriting of
| an individual be compared. 1t is true
| that there will be general similarity,
| but. as has been asserted, when placed
| in Juxtaposition or subjected to a care
| ful comparison, no two words or letters
will be found to be alike. Thus it is not
the similarity between two pieces of
|
with some experts. but rather the ma
tural dissimilarity Based on this point
such experts occupy distinct position
| by themselves, since other experts take
what is called the positive side. With
the first-named class, however, hand
writing is a science of negatives.
In the determination of any hand
writing there is no actual rule to guide
| an expert, as each case must be law
| unto itself The time of day that the
signature was made and the condition
for the moment of the Individual have
| considerable bearing on the case, as
has also the writer's general physical
| condition. Whether he was standing
| or sitting when the signature was
made is matter of Importance The
| quality of the paper and the make Of
| pen also have to be taken into c1nsid-
| Grafton. In case of forgery, where the
forger has employed finger movement
writing with the muscles and appar-
emily without education, there is
| scarcely any difficulty in arriving at a
conclusion. The long flowing hand is
| easy to detect. When however, the
writing is finical a large mass of ma
terial has to be examined before a de-
cision can be reached
The testimony of an expert is without
doubt the most dangerous kind of evil
| dence when not supported by addition
al testimony; but. on the other hand, il
the known facts fit in we'll, it is the
strongest kind of testimony that can be
submitted, and is usually known as
"opinioned evidence" There probably
is no class Of professional witnesses
which is subjected to such severe cross
examination as experts in handwriting
and. considering the great importance
of their testimony, they should be evel
ready and willing to explain the meth
| DDS employed by them in arriving a