The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-08-22
SOME GOOD ADVICE,
o. T. BLAIR EATON.

Tom, eou Aave Sharned Q LOG os law
here, but IN the Worl9 soc don't want
to- practice law. Sos wars 90 practice
Nmmon aehse % ssa& cNnrsndA
sense is three QuaFeers - sAe aglIa.
There are all sorts Of ehin@ o. Che
profession that certain lawyers set
great store by, xech SNdecisions. 1aeli-
cate differences in law principles, aG-
pert testimony. etc. Such men, if they
have any success. usually land on, She
bench. while the practical attorney
gets rich"
Soon after entering upon my pro.
fesssion a Mr. ArbuckIe, Il very rich
man. gave me one of his small cases.
involving $5O0 Peter Winfield had
sued him for the amount as part of
an account due. and Arbuckle claimed
that he had never ordered the goods
it represented Winfield was a small
dealer, ArbuckIe prominent capital
list. When the case came to trial all
| could do was to ask for voucher
To my surprise plaintiffs counsel pro
duced q letter from Mr. Arbuckle or
dering the goods When | informed
my client of the fact he was as much
surprised as J. He did not remember
writing such Il letter and was sure
he had not written it. After consuita-
ton we became convinced that it was
a forgery. and claimed in court that
n
hired the best handwriting expert to
be had. who pronounced the document
genuine.
How do y0u know that it is genu-
ine?" I asked the expert.
The question: replied the expert,
looking at me patroniZingly. involves
a statement of how | reach my pro
fessionaI conclusions. When the doc
ument was submitted to me | sought
20 determine its disstmilarities from a
conventional standard. Every person
writes with ore Of a class of move
ments we call forearm. wrist and fin
ger movements I can tell at glance
under what general system the writ
ing has been pPRned.
Il analyzeG the letter before the
court. dissected every letter and not
ed each departure from the standard,
Such dissimildrities are invariably
found to be characteristic of the writ
err He cannot depart from them
After analyzing the letter | took III
other bits of writing of his as fur
nished by my client and dissecteG
them just as in the case of the letter
submitted to me for my opinion.
found in every ore of these other speci
mems the characteristics of the letter
before the court "
How about disguised writing?"
asked
''In such cases the difficulty is not
cessfully disguise a few letters. but
in the main his natural variations
from the accepted standard will be
unmistakable. In cases of disguised
handwriting ! must first determine the
method of the disguise separating the
real from tho unreal features of the
disguiser'S natural handwriting Hav-
ing determined this. the rest is easy"
took from my pocket package of
letters
Here are specimens of chirogra-
ply said. presumed to have been
written by my client. Will you please
examine them and tell me if they are
genuine?''
The expert asked for time and was
given till the TeNt morning. Then he
came into court and testified that of
three letters | bad given him one wa:s
genuine and two were not asked
him to mark the letters. and he did
so. took them and. selecting the one
that he had pronounced in ArbuckIe's
handwriting. examined ii carefully.
Then l called fIenry Harley.
What is year profession. Mr.. Har-
ley?' | asked
'Engraver'
| handed him the letter | held. told
him to examine it and asked him if n
wrote it.
He replied that he did.
The court, the jury and the specta-
tors pricked up their ears.
Diminishing the witness. called ia
cob Untermeyer.
What is your business, Mr.. Inter
meyer?" I asked
Paper manufacturer
Examine the paper on which that
letter is written and tell me if you rec
ognize it,
1T is from a small lot we have had
in a loft for many years, an old water
mark of our firm not now used
furnished it to you a week ago."
That will do. Call Stephen Munger
Mr.. Munger. did you see Henry Harlev
write that letter."
Il did"
when and where?''
Three days ago in your office"
That win do Gentlemen of the
jury. hearing Of an engrayer who could
initiate any ones handwriting, I found
Mr. Harley and employed him f..
write this letter which has been pre-
nounced by the expert for the plaintiff
as having been written by my client.