Mr. Cole.

unnatural specimen, one that had been made at an abnormally reduced writing speed.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Can you expand further on what you mean by "quality of the line"?

Mr. Cole.

Well, quality of line is--refers to the sharpness of the edges of lines, to the absence of tremor, waver, patching, retouching, and similar defects.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Cole, could you explain the basis on which you were able to make an identification of a questioned writing as being authored by the Person who wrote a standard writing?

Mr. Cole.

This is based upon the principle that every handwriting is distinctive, that since the mental and physical equipment for producing handwriting is different in every individual, each Person produces his own distinctive writing habits. Of course, everyone learns to write in the beginning. by an endeavor to repeat ideal letter forms, but practically no one is able to reproduce these forms exactly. Even though a person might have some initial success during the active period of instruction, he soon departs from these and develops his own habits. It may be said that habit in handwriting is that which makes handwriting possible. Habit is that which makes handwriting efficient. If it were not for the development of habit, one would be obliged to draw or sketch.
Some habit would be included even in those efforts. But the production of handwriting rapidly and fluently always involves a recording of personal writing habit. This has been confirmed by observation of a very large number of specimens over a long period of time, and it has further been demonstrated by, on my part, having a formal responsibility for rendering decisions about the identification of handwriting based upon an agreement of handwriting habit in situations where there would be a rigorous testing of the correctness of these decisions by field investigators, for example, of the law-enforcement agencies, and a demonstration that these results were confirmed by other evidence. This is the basis for identification of handwriting.

Mr. Eisenberg.

As I understand it, you mean you would make a preliminary identification of a suspect on the basis of handwriting and it has been your experience that field investigation confirms that determination with additional evidence?

Mr. Cole.

This is not what I would call "a preliminary identification." This would be a formal presentation and formal report to other Persons who are interested in the problem, and the investigation would be continued from that point.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Cole, is handprinting as well as cursive writing unique to every individual?

Mr. Cole.

Well, I would say much of it is. Not all of it. Handprinting doesn't always give the same amount of information about writing habit as does cursive writing.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Are you always able to identify the author of a writing if you have a questioned document and a standard document?

Mr. Cole.

No, sir; not always.

Mr. Eisenberg.

And can you expand on that?

Mr. Cole.

Well, some handwriting doesn't include enough distinctive features, or in some cases there may not be enough of it to give a complete enough record of handwriting habits to be certain that you have a basis for identification.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Do you need a sufficient basis in both the questioned and the standard?

Mr. Cole.

Yes.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Do the standards that you have selected provide a sufficient basis for making identification?

Mr. Cole.

They do.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Without going into every questioned document separately, do the questioned documents which you have reviewed at my request each individually provide a sufficient basis for comparison?

Mr. Cole.

Yes, sir.

Representative Ford.

Is there a difference of opinion in your profession as to how much or how little you need for this purpose?