Mr. Eisenberg.

Would you need to find as many differences as similarities in order to say there was a different author involved in the questioned and standard?

Mr. Cole.

No; depending upon the character of the differences. A fairly small number would prevent a conclusion of identity or show the hand of some other person, if they were really distinctive differences.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Cole, did you find any evidence in 773 that the author attempted to disguise his handwriting?

Mr. Cole.

Were you referring to 785?

Mr. Eisenberg.

785 is a reproduction of 773. You can use 785 to answer the question, yes.

Mr. Cole.

There is one faint suggestion of that possibility. It doesn't permit a conclusion that that was the purpose. But I refer to the use of a lower case "t" in the word "texas" in the return address in the upper left corner. Since this writer demonstrates a good knowledge about the formation of capital letters, it is possible that the choice to make a lower case "t" was a deliberate one, and it could have been at that particular point for the purpose of disguise. But I say if that was his purpose, it certainly was not maintained, and would be a very faint effort toward disguise.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Cole, do you consider it unusual for a person to use an alias without attempting to disguise his handwriting?

Mr. Cole.

No; I would not.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Have you had any experience along those lines?

Mr. Cole.

Yes; I have observed a number of aliases where there is no particular effort to disguise.

Mr. Eisenberg.

In your capacity as questioned document examiner of the Treasury Department, do you receive for examination checks, the endorsements on which have been forged?

Mr. Cole.

Yes.

Mr. Eisenberg.

And on any occasion does the endorsement, the forged endorsement, does the forged endorsement indicate that no effort, no attempt has been made to disguise the endorsements?

Mr. Cole.

That is a rather frequent condition, that the spurious endorsement is made without an attempt to conceal or disguise writing habit or to imitate the writing of any other person.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Cole, do you know on the basis of your experience whether individuals ever resort to handprinting as an attempt at disguise?

Mr. Cole.

Yes; it is a rather frequent method of disguise.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Now, you testified earlier that handprinting can be identified as to author?

Mr. Cole.

Yes.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Is this common knowledge, that is to say----

Mr. Cole.

It is common knowledge among document examiners. I don't think it is common knowledge among others.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Might a layman attempt to disguise his handwriting simply by resorting to undisguised handprinting?

Mr. Cole.

Yes; he might.

Mr. Eisenberg.

What are the usual evidences of disguise, by the way, Mr. Cole?

Mr. Cole.

Well, in cursive handwriting the usual evidences of disguise involve some unnaturalness, such as a reduction of writing speed, and other distortions such as writing very large, with an exaggerated freedom, where parts of letters of various words are run together; such as an exaggerated length of lower extensions and upward extensions which tends to intermingle forms and make it difficult to see the details of them; or writing very small, in almost microscopic size where, again, the width of a pen stroke itself tends to conceal details of handwriting; alterations of slant, such as a person who normally writes a forehand slant or slanting to the right, changing to a vertical or a backhand slant. Most efforts at disguise are not well planned. They usually involve a determination to alter the writing along one particular line such as writing very large, very small, or a change in the slant. Other features are the simplification of letter forms. For example, a person attempting to conceal a writing habit may feel that his