“The opinions of B, C, and D on the question whether the letter is in the handwriting of A are relevant, though neither B, C, or D ever saw A write.

“The opinion of E, who saw A write once twenty years ago, is also relevant.”

Article LI I:  “Comparisons of a disputed handwriting with any writing proved to the satisfaction of the judge to be genuine is permitted to be made by witnesses, and such writings, and the evidence of witnesses respecting the same, may be submitted to the court and jury as evidence of the genuineness or otherwise of the writing in dispute.  This paragraph applies to all courts of judicature, criminal or civil, and to all persons having by law, or by consent of parties, authority to hear, receive, and examine evidence.”

CHAPTER XX

TAMPERED, ERASED, AND MANIPULATED PAPER

Sure Rules for the Detection of Forged and Fraudulent Writing of Any
Kind—­A European Professor Gives Rules for Detecting Fraud—­How to
Tell Alterations Made on Checks, Drafts, and Business Paper—­An
Infallible System Discovered—­Results Always Satisfactory—­Can Be
Used by Anyone—­Vapor of Iodine a Valuable Agent—­Paper That Has
Been Wet or Moistened—­Colors That Tampered Paper Assumes—­Tracing
Written Characters with Water—­Making Writing Legible—­How to Tell
Paper That Has Been Erased or Rubbed—­What a Light Will
Disclose—­Erasing with Bread Crumbs—­Hard to Detect—­How to Discover
Traces of Manipulation—­Erased Surface Made Legible—­Treating
Partially Erased Paper—­Detecting Nature of Substance Used for
Erasing—­Use of Bread Crumbs Colors Paper—­Tracing Writing with a
Glass Rod—­Tracing Writing Under Paper—­Writing With Glass Tubes
Instead of Pens—­What Physical Examination Reveals—­Erasing
Substance of Paper—­Reproducing Pencil Writing in a Letter
Press—­Kind of Paper to Use in Making Experiments—­Detecting Fraud
in Old Papers—­The Rubbing and Writing Method.

Prof.  G. Brynlants of the Belgian Academy of Sciences, who has made the detecting of forgery and disputed handwriting a study for twenty years, recently made public an account of the researches he had made and deductions arrived at with a view of making known how frauds and alterations are made on checks, drafts, and business paper generally and how same can easily be detected.  The system he recommends is now in use in nearly every bank in Europe and the result of his work and his recommendations should be carefully read and the system applied by the banks and business houses of the United States, when occasion requires.

The following article has been specially prepared for this work; and if its recommendations are carefully carried out it will prove a sure rule for the detection of forged and fraudulent handwriting: