ortion
to the width and height of the letters, than occurs in the genuine
signature from which they are copied in imitation. This want of
proportion occurs generally from making the lines connecting the
letters of the signature longer than those of the copy.

At the same time, while these characteristics are common to forged
writing, to make them available in formulating an opinion from an
analysis they must be substantiated by every other occurring in the
writing. It must be clearly kept in view that general impressions
derived from a cursory examination of a disputed or reproduced
signature should have no weight in the mind of the examiner before
proceeding with the analysis, as such an impression is apt to lead the
investigation into a particular line of research and it should be
understood that the work of the examiner must relate to the comparison
of the details in each of the writings as to their correspondence or
difference.

As before stated in this chapter, and a fact that should be remembered
in studying fraudulent signatures, that one of the commonest and
easiest means of reproducing a signature is to put the genuine
signature on a piece of glass, lay another piece of glass on top of it
and fasten the piece of paper that is to receive the forgery on top of
that. Then by holding the glass strips to a bright light, the original
signature casts a shadow through, which may be traced in pencil. From
this tracing the ink forgery is completed.

But when a forgery done in this way is put under a strong magnifying
lens it will not bear scrutiny. If the original has a strong down
stroke on the capital letters the movement will be free and will leave
the pen lines with smooth edges. The man who is tracing such letters
cannot trust himself to the same free movement of the pen and the
result under the glass shows hesitancy and uncertainty. Also if other
lines in the signature be lighter than the forger naturally uses the
same hesitancy will be shown. When the lines have passed scrutiny, too,
there is another "line" test which will show that the impossibility of
one's writing two signatures alike has been accomplished.

From dotted points made above the genuine signature straight lines are
drawn radiating from it to certain portions of certain letters in the
signature that is forged. When the forged signature is replaced in the
glass and the other on top, as is done in the tracing, these radiating
lines will fall one