The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-16

you gentlemen who are interested in that
sort Of thing would like to have a trial
at It,"
Gathering around, the lawyers looked
at the bit of paper. 1t was inscribed:
Yours very tru1yh A. L. Mancher."
The writing was of an zindescribably
hashy. dashing style. the letters being
long and narrow with many ffourtshes
and the name ending in a pyrotechnic
display of penmanship. One after an
other The men examined IT, and all
agreed that the writing was of a singular
type and one that would1be we'll nigh
impossible to initiate with even approx
mate accuracy.
PENMANSHIP, BUT NOT HANDWRIT-
ING.
my opinion of that handwriting" said
lawyer who has had much to do with
photographic experts, would be that IT
was written by a man who hadn't the
full use of his fingers; perhaps one whose
hand was deformed by rheumatism.
There isn't any finger motion in those
words"
You're quite right" returned the own
er of the paper 1.-The fact is, that isn't
handwriting at ALL 50
What! Engraving?" cried the lawyer,
catching it up and examining it closely.
impossible! There's a spreading of the
ink there and one catch of a pointed pen
that shows it's pen work.
pen work 1t is" returned the other,
but not handwriting. There's a little
story connected with that bit of paper
that dates back several years and con-
tributes one Of the most successful identi-
fcatiOnS | have ever known
Remembering that you are on OATH"
said an ex-judge, in a professional accent.
please to relate all that you know about
the writing on the slip of paper I now
hand YOU $50
well, your honor" said the LAWYER.
ct goes back several years, to the time
when 1 was an express agent out in Mon
tana. In those days we handled a good
deal of money out there and all sorts of
games were put up on us to get It, for the
country was full Of slick crooks After
the company had given up few constgn-
ments OF cash to the wrong persons who
seemd to have excellent identihcations,
We shut down pretty close, and unless a
man had strawberry marks all over him,
as per diagram received we weren't Civ
ing up any package of money that came
on from the East to bring the prod son
home again. AS we found out afterwrd
there was a leak in the office that ena-
bled the crooks to put up false 1dentifica-
tions on US.
TWO TOUGH LOOKING VISITORS.
''It was while we were going our slow
est that there came into the place one day
a man who looked Ike a sickly gorilla
just back from a two weeks jamboree.
He was stunted and nut-headed and he
had big long arms that swung loose from
his shoulders and a shock of matted
hP1 I'd oil h n
tall, thin party with bandage over one
eye and miscellaneous cuts all over his
face. Take 'em together, they were as
tough a looking pair as I'd seen, even out
there, and I wondered if they had some
little game or were only on the touch.
THE gorilla came strolling up to the
counter and asked If was the express
I could do for him.. HE seemed cool
enough, but there was ailittle quaver in
his throat as he said.
lis there a package here for A. L.
Mancher? 1c
Maybe there Is I said. What were
you expecting if you're Mancher?' which
I didn't for minute believe.
Yes, I'm Mancher;' he said, eagerly.
I was expecting Money 1t might be 500
or 1t might be $780,. I sent for $780,
'HThen I remembered I'd a letter along
with a package for Mancher, saying that
he could identify himself Enthusiastically
by his handwriting I made up my mind
It would have to be all sorts Of unmistak-
ableness before Td,handqover that pack
age to the simian shobo9in front, for in
addition to my first suspicious I saw he
was beginning to shake
"'You say you're Mancher.' 1 said
Got anybody to identify your
I'm Identify him. said the hobo with
the bandage.
Which bank are you president off?
I said. He moved up. Hold on. Don't
come too close I told him, and I showed
I'D a revolver.
Jim is all right, said the gorilla
hastily. We look pretty tough. Mr..
Agent, but you'd look tough, too, If