Sorrow gives every line of the writing a downward inclination.  Temporary affliction will at once show in the writing.  A preoccupied mind, full of trouble, cares little whether the letter then written is legible or not; hence the writing is erratic, uncertain, and the confusion of mind is clearly exhibited in every line.  Irritable and touchy persons slope the nourishes only, such as the cross of the letter “t” and the upper parts of the capital letters.  When the capital letters stand alone in front of the words and the final letters also are isolated, it betokens great creative power and ideality, such as would come from an author and clever writer.

The most personal part of a letter or document is, of course, the signature, but alone without any other writing it is not always a safe guide to character.  In many instances the line placed below or after a signature tell a great deal more than the actual name.  A curved bending line below a signature, ending in a hook, indicates coquetry, love of effect, and ideality.  An exaggerated, common-like form of line means caprice, tempered by gravity of thought and versatility of ideas.  An unyielding will, fiery, and at the same time determined, draws a firm hooked line after the signature.  A wavy line shows great variety in mental power, with originality.  Resolution is shown in a plain line, and extreme caution, with full power to calculate effect and reason a subject from every point of view, is shown by two straight dashes with dots, thus —­:—­

The personality of a writer can never be wholly separated from his works.  And in any question of date or authenticity of a document being called in dispute, the value of graphology and its theories will be found of the utmost importance, for the various changes in the style of handwriting, or in the spelling of words, although, perhaps, so minute and gradual as seldom to be remarked, are, nevertheless, links in a chain which it would be extremely hard to forge successfully so as to deceive those acquainted with the matter as well as versed in its peculiarities.

See specimens of handwriting in Appendix with descriptions thereof.

CHAPTER XIX

HANDWRITING EXPERTS AS WITNESSES

Who May Testify As An Expert—­Bank Officials and Bank Employees Always Desired—­Definition of Expert and Opinion Evidence—­Both Witness and Advocate—­Witness in Cross Examination—­Men Who Have Made the Science of Disputed Handwriting a Study—­Objections to Appear in Court—­Experts Contradicting Each Other—­The Truth or Falsity of Handwriting—­Sometimes a Mass of Doubtful Speculations—­Paid Experts and Veracity—­Present Method of Dealing with Disputed Handwriting Experts—­How the Bench and Bar Regard the System—­Remedies Proposed—­Should an Expert Be an Adviser of the Court?—­Free from Cross-Examination—­Opinions of Eminent Judges on Expert Testimony—­Experts Who Testify without Experience—­What a Bank