s or pocket magnifier
will suffice--but the writer has found it better to use a microscope
objective of low power (four or five diameters), which is provided
with an easily slipping sleeve, terminating in a diaphragm which cuts
out the light entering the outside rim of the lens. This sleeve may be
pushed out for one or two centimeters, and the particular spot under
examination isolated from the adjacent parts without undue
magnification. It is one of the popular fallacies that a high
magnifying power is desirable in all cases of difficulty, but usually
the reverse is the case in questions of handwriting.

Experts have sometimes impressed the jury with the fact that they had
employed on some thick and opaque document, powers of several hundred
diameters without the lately applied illumination from the side,
reflected by a glass plate, introduced obliquely into the tube of
the microscope. Without such aid no microscopist need be told that
the light would be wanting to illuminate the field under these
circumstances. The best authorities prescribe a magnifying power of
not more than ten diameters for ordinary observation. For special
purposes higher powers are sometimes useful. An ocular examination of
the ink in the various parts of a written paper, document or
instrument of any kind will generally decide whether it is the same.

CHAPTER XII

SIGNATURE EXPERTS THE SAFETY OF THE MODERN BANK

A New Departure in Banks--Examining All Signatures a Sure
Preventive Against Forgery--The "Filling-in" Process--How One Forger
Operated--Marvelous Accuracy of a Paying Teller--How He Attained
Perfection--How Signature Clerks Work--A Common Dodge of Forgers--Post
Dated Checks--A System That Prevents Forged and Raised Checks--Not a
Forged or Raised Check Paid in Years.

[The following article has been kindly contributed by the manager of
one of the largest English banks, located in London.]

One of the most trying positions in our business, is that of signature
expert--the man who has to examine daily every draft that comes in
through the clearing house and vouch for its genuineness. Our bank,
one of the largest in London, employs six clerks who do nothing all
day long but examine checks, and when I tell you that it is no
uncommon thing for 10,000 drafts to come in during a single day you
will understand that the job is not altogether the sinecure it is
popularly supposed to be.

These clerks have not only to scrutinize t