Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-06-14

A CASE WHERE A MAN COULD NOT
TELL HIS OWN SIGNATURE.
some Tales That Have Been Told by
Handwriting - why Clergyman
Was Allowed to Accept u Gala
story That Reads Like Romance.


Occasionally we see in public prints
that certain forgcrics are SO skillfully
executed that even the owner of the
name cannot tell whether his signature
is forged or genuine. This is considered
by some as indicating extraordinary skill
on the part of the forger and also that
an experts opinion in such Il case must
be of no value, since the owner of the
name doesn't know his own handwriting.
But there is nothing unusual about either
the skill displayed or the occurrence.
Writers themselves are usually unac-
quainted with those teltae minor char
acteristics which form the basis of an
experts opinion.
The writer was n witness in n case
some years ago in which some bankers
and others were tcstifying as experts on
the other side. AS they claimed to be
able to identify offhand the signature of
the plaintiff the writer had the plaintiff
write his own name several times leaving
spaces between. In these spaces the
writer forged the plaintiffs name. In
less than ten minutes the attorney asked
the plaintiff which were his and which
were forgcd-so that the opposing cx-
perts might be properly cross examined
utas borore had watched tho writer forge
his name was unohle to nicl, out bis own
SIGNATURES with tho ink IN tbom scarce.
ly dry.
So much Cor knowing ope's own hand.
writing
Tho storios of many casos in tbe so,v.
inc of which handwriting has n1aved q
nrominant mart road ike ron}nnrns
4 TOW vcars oro committee from q
church brorgbt 10 tho ofico 81 tho u,ritoI,
several lottcrs written and moilod an dif-
ferent dates from vorious cities calling
tho nastor Of thnir church 70 folds Of
greater usefnlness--ot larger soInries-
each lotter Offering q fow hundred dollars
moro thon tho nrecedinr ono Tnon tho
recent of each call n committee meeting
WINS hold and tbo nostor's SALARY raised
to moot tho oror of tbe call Tho fourth
coll within vear cousod the committed
70 decide that thcv had reached their
limit and also aroused susnicion Whom
tho documonts vere brought IN tho writ.
cr,s ofice. two questions wore oskod-
6rst oro orr oro nj tho forr lo,,ors i,
ono bopdvr;t;n, md socond are thev
IN tbo bardwri,;rc % tbo no-sor yrbo
wrote tho standards n ftervord admittcd
"a bo tho nostor(3 Il wos decidod tbot oil
forr oooIls" u.a,o r,r;tton no tho came
norsor orJ bo ,ba nostor T. ,vos docid.
ed n lot him take tbe last call
Rllv Wnodword ol;oo Cpl, uou,ov ~
tbo nr;rco ~ cor,h,ars and hIaclr,iIcrs
r.bo hoos+od on tbo ,r;.,oes s+ond tbot
be was cor voor. old ord rad hnor o,-
ros,od o. +i,nos hut rovor cor,ictad
onco " was convicted tbot ti,neNtbe mir.
tv-oicbtb-ond bv bis bord,vriting This
conviction was for b,aclm,u in ondoav-
orinc to fr;ohton . wealthy and boror.-
hlo contlemnn into naving s1Oo 600
Woodward oIwoys "n1ovod cor loroa
stakes" ne no axnressed II He admit.
TOD that in tbroo mon,bs ho cho,tod HE
victims ~ orer 81 O0o OOo Arrested
time and time again no wricgIed ou+ ~
Tho clutches ~ +bc law Inv various roons
--orco IN On oIih; nror;,g +bo+ h. uos in
ioil in ona town IN tho d,v no wos
charood With . rohherv in orothor c,+v
Se1orol voars 400 tbe Nv yort corrts
hrouobt % I;oht a story which eonaIed in
interest tho tales Of Dumas Scott and
Sterenson A Roston rewsnanor writar
and ART critic of prominence and family
win, 70 +bo olloaod d;scoyory tb,+ Ne
was using his papcr 70 bull and bear the
stocks in which he himsoIf was sneculot.
ing at the Same time. left Boston in 1874
He fool, With him $40 600 which ouothar
man cloimed and ouiatlv established him.
COLI in Now Yorl.
nv Investment and sneculation thi.
sruc fortune grow to 81 600 600 or moro
yo+ ma oro in Now Yorl, l,naxv thot ,bs
"\tisn," ne no WINS called nossossod
enoryh to Inv ovon tho cbeonest Rovory
mooI 10 would HING around rastouront,
and eot scrons and Ieavincs CIothes Lr
roT.or bo,ght md WINS o1,yors clad ir
fIthv rogs His ono obsorbing Dossior
wac music and If was tbo ono thinr 70,
which no ronId snend monev Ue woulf
hoo odmiseion and trv IN induce wei
dressad auditors 70 nav his wav in I'm,
If tboso ecbowns foilod os n last resort
bo you'd INV for tho cheanest scat in m,
bouso
Ono cold dov !, tho middle If Docom
ber 1885, rho Wiser, was RIM over u,
n coh Whom ho was takon "a tho bosni
toI II was found thar bo had no under
woor No sb;rt No yost orIr tho racgo,
coot ,bot Lo b,d worn for % vears IT.
hocoad 70 ho t.Lar "bon,o" And src,
boma--o s,uoIid garrat, Here no die,
fory ao~s la+ar
A Iowver nrodncod m old nover of AZ
.ornor ci,or bin, h., ,bo ..NIisor" 7
u,.s doc"ront which coro ahsolrt
WA ~ tho at+orror Tbis otto,.nn,
tIo;,na., thot ,ha daoaosoa nod nron,iso,
~ iaa,o on 90 h;s rronor,v 70 he ;.do,r
nc, friondn naming tho LAWYER Ua ba,
,r;trossos 20 rrova tbis md cI,iuod TIM
tho iii ,n;sor', +runl, had heor r;aod on,
80, -. -,