The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-21
HOW TO DETECT FoRGERiEs.

While the American Bankers associa
| ton was in session at San Francisco re-
Gently the president of Il bank in that
! city asked Theodore kytka, the hand
writing expert, TO give the bankers some
practical advice respecting the best
means of detecting forgeries Mr. kyt-
ka prepared his paper, but being called
away on an important case at Vancouver.
was never able to present it in person.
| The manuscript was given to the New
York Evening Post correspondent and
appeared recently in that paper for the
first time
Mr.. Kytka says at the outset that no
device has ever been designed which can
be relied upon to Illustrate the forger in
his work. He values highly. however.
first class triplet color dinerentiating
lens Of about one inch diameter This.
he thinks should be near at hand in
every bank for quick use in case of need.
He adds:
Expert forgers never resort to tracing.
They practice the signature or the writ
ing they intend TO forge. until proficient:
in that case the forged writing will al
ways contain some of the forger's char
acteristics. Some forgers place the gen.
nine signature upside down. and then
beginning with the end of the last letter
the writing is copied or quickly drawn
This style of forgery is dijcult to detect
at first, but with the aid of a lens and
microscope the up and down strokes are
at variance with the ggenuine writing.
The confidential booKkeeper or cashier
has often found it convenient, at times,
to ill out the body of check so as to
allow space TO insert figures without
recourse to chemical erasure. For in
stance: y check is made out for $4,000
Between the printed s. mark and the
written 40o.00.' there is space enough lief.
To insert Il figure 4 and in the written
words four hundred there is space
enough left between the four and hun
bred TO instert the letters teen. OF
course. no perforating machine is used
on these checks before altering. After the
changes are made the machine is used
for punching $1,000
The most dangerous forgers are those
who re sort to chemical erasures and the
paint brush. at times initiating the work
of the perforating machine. after filling
in the holes with paper pulp. then raising
the original check or draft by the use of
a pen-knife. the steel punch OF darn
ing needle. The alteration in the hand
writing itself is done by the use Of me-
;a.l:c dyes, sometimes with water coll
OTIS. and brush or pen
The simplest way to combat this class
of check or draft raisers is first 10 use
paper devoid of all watermarhs; the tint
on the check should appear in three light
alternating ani,ine co'ors. printed with
he least possible greasy matter. Some
European printers, however. add just
enough geiatiae TO the inks to make the
tint prints safe and able to resist blur
ring. This moment ferger wishes TO
raise the amount of The check and ap
plies acid or alkaline solution with the
intent Of oaliterating any portion of he
writing. the tiat design fades instantly
and the swiEd.er " Il not be able TO mi
tate the tint design satisfactorily. Any
attempt, no matter how clever. should
be disclosed by the tr.rlet lens.
Another way OF causing trouble for
The fosger is by writing the body q the
check with Hack waterproof carbon ink.
This ink upon driving resists the avp.ica-
ton of acid or alkaline so,ut;ors and
cannot be erased without destroying the
paper
"Perforating machines sre really an sid
TO the skilled forger in throwing payias\
tellers of their guard. An expert can
easily remove perforated cipher by
ling itw Ih paper contained from the
check itself. He does this hy cutting off
a strip q the margin. and in that way
fil.ns up the perforated hcl.s- Win a
round steel punch or dsrninr uee3e h
then alters the perforated nugneer or
adds the necessary numerals. The sn-
pies, way Of detecting this margin Is u
take hold of each end % the check. pass
il up and down against a sharp eige
OF counter. pressing il steadily mean
while II filed. The inserted pssFer viii
de,sch itself in places, or perhaps fail
out"