Science and the Criminal

Cases-Handw

riting was that of the writer himself, or of someone who had seen the

of the cases mentioned in other parts of this book, such as the t

fence was that the girl had drowned herself in a fit of depressio

her, and a man named Beale gave evidence that he believed it to be i

ut the judge (Baron Hatsell) remarked that they might ask

brother was al

I know she was no such person

ritten in her more sober st

y it to be her hand unl

is like my s

you believe it

believe it; because it

in the handwriting of Sarah Stout there was evidence to show that although she was

andwriting in this country is a curious one, and sho

of a signature and the judge refused to admit this as evidence. The point was carried to the Court of Appeal,

andwriting might be regarded as an expunged chapter in the book of evidence. In spite of this dictum, however, the evidence o

not actually seen written, or with the author of which he was unacquainted, expert evidence of thi

iting

ert, and owing to a mistaken idea as to the nature of his evidence, the view

een attached to the conclusions of the expert, so that as soon as it could be shown that he had made a mistake, no

re afraid to trust their own judgment in matters of handwriting, and powers almost occ

ute points of resemblance and difference, and he is thus in a position to point out in what respect and to what extent two handw

expert is only a matter of opinion, and that the real decision rests with them. In this way it is possible for the judge to

Brampton was at the bar, had such faith in his methods that

a case in which he was under cross-examin

lible results, and had further stated that his son

e, "your son working on your

ther with some pride

ay, he, too,

n replied t

ere ever a case in which you and yo

unfair one, but on being pressed was forced to admit that on a certain

, "How comes it then that two infa

rly liable to fall into traps like this, and many

t in a hole" by his opponent, who tells the story in these words: "When I rose to examine I hand

of care, saying as he performed that operation, 'I see, Mr. Hawkins, what you are going to try to do-you want to put me in a hole.' 'I

iderable time, answered: 'No; they were writt

nt persons,

certa

in the hole! I wrote them myse

s illustrated by a capital story that was told recently by Sir Edward Carson in a letter to the Times. An Irish counsel

aid the bewil

he last assizes said he would

ed case in which handwriting experts were proved to be utterly mistaken. This was the

Kearns, who had at one time served with him upon the City Council, accusing him

who was acquainted with Sir Francis Truscott to the effect that the mo

the writing on the post card had been done by the same individual who had written certain letters of the defendant which he h

minute comparison of the libellous post card with letters in the admitted writing

ew both Mr. Kearns and Sir Francis Truscott, and was aware that the friendship between the

ard," he said. "It

n the charge was brought against Sir Francis Truscott, and that as soon as h

the handwriting of his son and not in that of Sir Francis. Evidence was also given by another witness who knew

at they had heard sufficient, and b

orged signature swore positively that he had written it, while he was

ed as to deceive even the man whose writing it purports to be is afford

went into the witness-box and in all good faith swore that his genuine signature upon

in connection with the forged deed, that Abel's signature upon it had been forged, and the con

h a deed that was produced bore the signature of Lord Eldon. The solicitor in the case had no doubt as to this being a

have been as numerous as those of mistaken identi

ing not only wrongly identified, but of being also the unfortunate possessor

and it was long before it was established that the witnesses upon whose evidence he had be