Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-07-14
HANDWRITING
EXPERT HERE
John F. Tyrell. Well Known
Throughout the Country,
Testifies in Hunt Case.
PROMINENT WITNESS IN
THE MOLINEAUX CASE
Gives an Interesting Account Of
His Work to a Reporter
Representative.

One Of the leading witnesses il the
Hunt case is John +. Tyrrell, OF Mil
waukee, an eminent authority on
disputed handwriting and one who
has had many years. experience as an
expert witness in famous cases in the
courts of the United States and
Canada. A representative of the
REPORTER applied to Mr.. Tyrrell for
an interview Sunday and was received
in a cordial manner. Questions were
asked concerning the method OF
solving handwriting puzzles and his
experience as an expert in this line.
To these, Mr.. Tyrrell replied in part:
individuality in Handwriting.
"In the first place, writing is an
art acquired by practice from
standard under the guidance of
teacher and while the pupil is under
the teachers guidance he does not
exercise his own ideas in the matter,
but follows the teachers instruction.
Sometimes in class in school we
find many of the pupils writing alike.
When they get out into the world,
away from the teachers influence
and think and act for themselves,
their individuality asserts itself, and
the pupils who in school wrote alike
will no longer do so.
Peculiarities Determine Identity.
"There are many reasons why their
handwritingS are influenced-differ-
ence in The calling they pursue, their
trade or occupation, the opportunities
they have of cultivating the art of
writing and their natural aptitude
for initiating or inventing form.
''Some have great deal of writing
to do; others. very little; some are
naturally methodical in their acts
and mode of doing things; others are
nervous and quick TO put things
through with rush. These various
dispositions lend to the writings
something peculiar to themselves.
The effect of all these circumstances
and individualismS is to make the
writing of one person different in a
greater or less degree than that of any
other person in the world.
"It is by reason OF these peculiaritias,
sometimes termed characteristics,
that upon comparison of handwrjt-
ings, person skilled in the art Of
determining the identity of the
writing is enabled to determine
accurately whether a certain writer
has written certain documents.
Many do Not know Themselves.
''The majority OF the people fail to
realize that to every individual nature
has given a distinct sort of hand
writing as she has given him a
peculiar countenance, voice and
manners, and the belief that detection
is improbable or impossible induces
many to engage in some unlawful act
that they would not did they but
know how comparatively easy and
certain the detection of their deed is.
"Tallerand, the French jurist, said,
Give me two lines of mans hand
writing and / will hang him.
meaning doubtless that one who
would be so foolish as to commit his
fortunes to tell-tale pen and ink.
would leave other traces Of his wrong
doing.
Genuine. Initiated ami Disguised Writings.
Experience tends to prove that in
the majority OF cases it is the ignorant
who engage in questionable practices
where the pen Is used. A person
engaged in forging signature to a
hundred thousand dollar note or
million dollar will does not have the
same control of bis nerves that he
would have IL he were engaged in
forging the same signature just for fun.
There is a quality about a signature
made Under such circumstances that
is quite noticeable when the e;gna-
ture is contrasted with the genuine.
sin the case of the genuine sigma
ture there is freedom of execution
suggesting acquaintances with the
form of the signature, while In the
limitations there is not infrequently
to be observed what is known as
tremor or fraud. This is especially
noticeable in signatures initiated by
the tracing process, where the desire
is to follow the line accurately
necessitating slow increment.
SIN the case Of disguised writings
the writer is not endeavoring to
initiate another writer. but is trying
to execute the writing and at the
same time conceal his identity. Ia
this he is not likely to be successful,
except, perhaps, to limited degree.
II his writing is to the extent OF
several lines, his identity Is always
certain to be disclosed.
"Perscns so attempting to disguise
their handwritings fall into series I
errors. In the first place, they think
Jney know the pecuiiarities of their