Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-15
ARE YOU A GOOD risk?
Bonding Companies Favor Folks
who Write Bad Hand.
slOo,ooo,Ooo EHBEzzLEMENT YEARLY
Man Who casses a Lot 10 Good Risk
Because He Is Hunan-Ex.conyiets
Are Poor Risks.
BY F. ]. Haskin.


favorable impression upon bonding
company, be fat, profane, married and
have bad penmanship. All Of these
characteristics, usually looked upon as
handicaps by the general public, are re-
sarded as highly desirable by the big
New York bonding companies which
underwrite thousands Of embezzlement
risks each year.
It, is estimated that the large total OF
500 900, 900 is annually embezzled In
this country; The total number Of
known embezzlers whose defalcations
are discovered Is around 5000. These
startling figures explain why the bond
ing companies have found it necessary
to make an elaborate study Of charac-
ter. environment and psychology in un-
derwriting embezzlement risks. After
many years of such study and expert
ence. they have been able to definitely
label some human traits good risks and
others bad.
According to William B. Joyce, pres.
ident of the National Surety company
of this city, the man who cusses a lo'
| is a good risk, not because he is pro-
fame, but because he Is essentially hu'
man. His mind" says. Mr.. Joyce, "hai
safety valve through which he pour'
his excess emotions. He is far safer
than the quiet, suppressed individual
who stiles his natural impulses"
Mr.. Joyce has been studying th'
! characteristics Of enlbezz,ers for mor'
than twenty years, during which time
he has formulated the following guides
for underwriters:
ut is always the trusted enploye
who gets away. with the most money.
There is no age at which embezzle
ment ceases.
Young and uniformed characters ART
the chief offenders.
Margin speculation leads to NOR
embezzlements than cards or dice; bet
ting on the ponies ranks a close sec
ond.
"Ex-conyicts are the poorest risks O.
all.
Since prohibition, many embezzle
ments have been caused by the higl
cost Of bootleg liquor"
Fat people are considered bette
risks than lean ones; because the obese
are on the whole more placid and con
tent with their lot, and less inclined Z
morbid srecklessness. Married risks ar,
preferred to single risks, as tam'
horses are preferred to wild ones
Cranks of every kind, moreover, arr
readily accepted by the surety cornpa
nies for the same reason that profan'
men are favored. In other words, peo
pie who flaunt their idiosyncracies suf'
fcientIy to be termed "cranks" at leas
get the poison out Of their system.
Good Psnnen Often Bad.
Perfect penmanship Is regarded witt
the deepest distrust by most bonding
companies. H. T. Cole, inspector OF th'
| American Surety company here, wht
in the last twenty years has accumu-
lated handwriting specimens OF hun
dreds Of embezzlers, says he believes
that superior penmanship is an unfail
ing characteristic Of embezzlers. HI
does not deny that many an homes
man writes a tidy hand, but it is, ex
tremely rare to find defaulter 'wht
writes poorly.
MY opportunities for studying suci
handwriting follow the opening Of eaci
new embezzlement case" says Mr.. Cole
"for the first procedure is to study th'
application which the accused man fill
ed out with his pen before being EN-
ployed in a position of responsibility
And I'm not speaking only Of book
keepers, bank tellers and other men IL
positions requiring good hand, for, WI
are called upon to bond office boys
salesgirls, railroad conductors, restau
rant cashiers, and others required t
handle money without any tall feats o.
penmanship.
I'm looking over our files Of business
criminals, comprising examples from
every kind of trade everywhere, com'
across few specimens of poor hand
writing-not more than one to every
fifteen that are above the average O.
excellence. In other words about 8;
per cent. Of the defaulters in our file:
have been first-class penmen. And
have examined thousands of applica
tions Of men who afterward Wen
wrong.
Richard NJ. McKenna Of the detective
division of the New York police de.
partment, who has made a specta
study of handwriting in connection
with criminal investigation, support!
Coles interesting observation.
From my study of the handwriting
of crooks" he says, Il believe thai
vanity and the desire to deceive have
great deal to do with the cultivation