The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

"AAo oeSSAiiPIS " urge AS SHOWN Dy LII.
Persifor Frazer, whose discoveries along
this line have been of such notable value
in recent court trials, the successful
forgery of document is a physical i'm
possibility. if opportunity is given the
scientist for microscopic examination
and the application of up-to-date tests.
To successfully forge, the criminal must
possess the brain, heart, pulse-beat,
nerve-force and personal habits be-
longing to the author of the forged doc
ument-inded, the Iatters anatomy and
under the microscope expresses the man
most graphically. The test OF Prof.
Frazer's methods in the celebrated Mo-
lineux murder trial in New York last
year was most conclusive, and his sys-
tenn was one of the important factors
in the solution of that mystery and the
conviction of the murderer
In his recent work on the subject
C'Bibliotics. or the Study Of Documents"
LippincotD Prof Frazer gives pla es Of
some of the exhibits Used in the Mo-
lineux trial, which illustrate the hope
lessness of successful forgery. For ex-
ample, the ink lines which appear to the
naked eye to be even and graceful, ex-
hibit, when mejgnifed under the mi
croscope 100 diameters, a vast collection
of marginal projections which remind
one of the map of coast line filed with
bays and promontorles Instead Of an
even curved line we see a great broad
band more gnarled and crooked than an
ancient grape vine. These fuctua lions,
Que to nerve-:mpulse, are 10th lateral AMI
vertical. The elasticity of the steel
nibs Of the pen and the flow of the fluid
ink express the nerve force of the man
in manner of which he is entirely IN
conscious and, were he conscious, he
would be powerless 10 control The Mo-
lineux lines, magnifed until they look
the size of a two-inch ribbon could
scarcely fail to be recognized, and GER
tainly could not be initiated What ap-
pears to the naked eye to be smooth
and even ink line shows under the mi
croscope to be four time as wide and
heavy at one spot as It is at another
point only a hairbreadth away. How
can forger contend with such com
pick microscopic fact? No art or skill
can duplicate the product Of Involuntary
nerve force
Prof. Frazer notes three different kinds
of fluctuations in the ink lines one exc
cutes each of which may be character
istic enough to suggest the author The
first kind is detected by the naked eye,
and Is the customary tremor of weak
ness. fraud, or flteracy. The second
kind is produced by the rapid pulsations
of nerve force exerted on the muscles of
the fingers, causing first, extremely mi
mute lateral motions of the pen, and Sec
ond, variations in vertical pressure Civ
ing rise to rapid and minute fluctuations
in ink flow and the consequent narrow
ing and widening of the ink line. This
second class of variations shows under
the microscope with a magnifying power
Of fifty to sixty diameters The third
class Of deviations Is still more minute
and requires a mag1ifying power of 120
diameters. This class takes the form of
minute serrations or ysfnuses on the mar
gin Of the ink line, usually more numer-
Gus on one edge than ON the other Of the
lines of a given writer
The deviations Of both the second and
third class are produced by involuntary
movements of the writing arm and fin
gers, and are most expressive proofs of
identity or non-identity. In this re-
spect they compare with the impress Of
the lines of ones thumb upon wax so
that writer may be known by the mi
crosco2ic fluctuations, by the tremocs
and marginal frnges on his Ink lines.
Each has his own, set of fluctuations
which mark him whenever he puts pen
to paper, and the only way to change
them is to change his life and anatomy.
The faintest pen scratch is it's own tell
tale evidence Of the identity of the pen
man.
In order to bring out strongly the char
acteristic marks Of a given penman's
ink stroke Prof Frazer has adopted
Cations plan of a composite photograph.
In this way the incidents and accidents
are eliminated, and the strong charac-
teristios which express the man are en-
phasized so that the jury can see for it
self without depending upon expert op'n-
ion, The variations due to accidents of
paper, pen, position, environment and
temporary mood fade away in the COM
posite photograph and give the observer
only the landmarks of the penman's
physical structure and character The
composite photograph of ones ink lines
becomes as positive proof of ones iden-
tity, as the photograph of his face or
hands. Indeed, in one way the proof
in the case of the ink lines is more posi-
tive because the microscopic fluctuations
photographed are involuntary and not
susceptible of being masked or in any
way altered in appearance
The value of Prof. Frazers discoveries
has been thoroughly recognized by the
courts of New York. Pennsylvania and
other states where his methods have
been eY,onlOved il, the Settlino of iroDOr-