points to individual letters in words or groups of words in authentic
and bogus specimens, these radiations point at once to the fact that
the same person did not write the matter.

These are some of the things upon which the handwriting expert works
upon and brings to bear in proof of reproduced signatures and
handwriting in general. How the more or less inexpert person discovers
questionable showing in these duplications are many. His intuitions
may suggest his doubts. Material evidences may have come to bear upon
him. Likelihood of some one person's having self-interests in the
matter may induce him to make sure.

In the case of a banker or business man, having large interests and
required to affix his signature to many papers of moment, he ordinarily
makes it certain that through adapted whorls and freehand sweeps of the
pen, the signature will be least careless and inviting to the
adventurous forger. In much of his personal correspondence with
strangers, however, this adapted and unusual signature frequently
becomes a source of loss to himself and irritation to his correspondents.
In the case of hundreds of such individuals, the writing to a stranger
in expectation of a reply becomes an absurdity for the reason that
the person addressed is hopelessly barred from reading the name
attached to the letter. A plain signature is always the best.




CHAPTER IV

ERASURES, ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS