CHAPTER XVI.
The Expert in the Witness-box.
When the expert has been called upon to give an opinion upon the genuineness of writings he embodies his conclusions in a report of which the following may be taken as a fair example:—
To the Chief of Police.
Sir,
REX versus JONES.
In accordance with your instructions dated —— I beg leave to inform you that I have made a careful examination of the document marked A, and attached hereto, and compared it with the documents marked B, C, D, E and F, also attached.
I have arrived at the conclusion that the document A was written by the same hand as produced B, C, D, E and F.
The main reasons which have led me to form this opinion are these:—
First, although the writing in A bears at first sight no resemblance to that of the other documents, the difference is only such as experience leads me to expect in a writing which has been purposely disguised, as I believe this has been.