IV.

HANDLING OF DOCUMENTS AND QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

A. THE CARE OF DISPUTED DOCUMENTS AND DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

1. It is a basic requirement, that when a document becomes disputed and deposited in court
or  with  the  attorney, in order to  maintain  its original condition,  it  should be kept
UNFOLDED AND  IN  A  SEPARATE, PROPER SIZE ENVELOPE OR
FOLDER. This is true not only for the disputed documents, but for many other important
documentary evidence.
2. It is also advisable that right  after  the document becomes disputed, or questioned, it is
important to make not only the usual photo static copy (Xerox),  but also a proper
photograph or photo-enlargement, done if possible  by the document expert or under the
supervision  of  the document expert.
3. When working in the preparation of case, it is often necessary  for the lawyer or
court to handle repeatedly  the disputed  document.  Should this be necessary, instead of
handling and working with the original document, the photograph should be used.
4. Every touching, folding, refolding or pointing to certain parts of a document, can change
the physical condition of the case.  For example, touching with wet hands or fingers can
create smearing in the ink, pointing with a pencil can leave marks that create a suspicion
of previous pencil marks, or experiments as proof of attempted forgery.
5. Pointing a document with any other instruments, such as sharp stick, can cause slight
damage which although it can not be seen by the naked eye, can show definite marks
under the microscope or on the enlarged photograph.
6. No test should be made to alter the conditions of the document; for example, the old-
fashioned ink test, which was used to determine the age of the ink-writing.
7. Should any test be necessary, insist that it should be done in the presence of a chemist, or
in court, or in front of both parties involved the case.

B. DO's and DON'T's in the CARE, HANDLING AND PRESERVATION OF

DOCUMENTS

1. “DO’S”
a. Take disputed papers to Document Examiner's Laboratory at the First Opportunity.
b. If storage is necessary, keep in dry place away from excessive heat strong light.
c. Maintain in consequential document, unfolded and in transparent plastic envelope or
evidence preserver.

2. “DONT’S”
a. Do not underscore, make careless markings, fold, erase, impress rubber stamps,
sticker, write on, or otherwise alter any handwriting.
b. Do not smear with fingerprints powder or chemicals.
c. Do not carry handwriting document carelessly in wallet, notebook or brief case on
grounds of interviews.
d. Do not handle disputed papers excessively or carry then in pocket for a long time.
e. Do not  marked  disputed  documents  (either  by   consciously writing instruments or
dividers)
 f. Do not mutilate or damage by repeated refolding, creasing, cutting, tearing or
punching for filing purposes.
g. Do not allow anyone except qualified specialist to make chemical or other tests; do no
treat or dust for latent finger prints before consulting a document examiner.

C. HANDLING CHARRED DOCUMENTS

1. Those extremely fragile must be handled as little as possible and transporting them to the
laboratory requires extra-ordinary care. With forethought and caution they can be
brought from the distant fire scene to the laboratory.
2. They should be moved in the container in which they are found whenever possible.
When the fragments are not packed tightly, they should be padded with lightweight
absorbent cotton. If jarring can not be entirely eliminated jarring the box must be kept to
a minimum.
3. Thus every precaution must be taken in handling and transporting the charred residue in
order to prevent the large pieces from becoming unnecessarily and badly broken. The
fragment must be held firmly without crushing and prevent movement or shifting when
finally packed in a sturdy container.

MODULE VI
OTHER DOCUMENT CHALLENGES

A.INDENTED WRITING - Indented writing is a term usually applied to the partially

visible depressions appearing on a sheet of paper underneath the one on which the visible
writing appears. These depressions or indentation are due to the application of pressure on
the writing instrument and would appear as a carbon copy if a sheet of carbon paper had
been properly inserted. Indentation may also appear on a blank sheet of paper if such is
used as a backing sheet while typing out a message on a typewriter. Methods of
examination are:
1. Physical methods maybe used by passing a strong beam of nearly parallel light almost
horizontally over the surface of the paper.
2. Fuming the document maybe of values in some cases.
3. Powders of various kinds maybe used without changing the document.

B.PAPER – These are sheets of interlaced fibers - usually cellulose fibers from plants, but
sometimes from cloth rags or other fibrous materials, that is formed by pulping the fibers
and causing to felt, or mat, to form a solid surface.

DEVELOPMENT OF PAPER MANUFACTURING

1. It is widely claimed that invention of paper is generally attributed to a Chinese court
official, CAI LUN (TSAI LUN), in about A.D. 105. He is the first to succeed in making
paper from vegetable fibers, tree barks (mulberry tree), rags, old fish nettings.
2. The art of papermaking was kept secret for 500 years; the Japanese acquired it in the 7th
century A.D.
3. In A.D. 751, the Arab city of Samarkand was  attacked  by marauding  Chinese and some
Chinese  taken  as  prisoners  were skilled  in papermaking and were forced by the city
 Governor  to build  and  operate a paper mill and Samarkand soon  became the
papermaking center of the Arab world.
4. Knowledge of papermaking traveled westward, spreading throughout the Middle East,
the Moorish invasion of Spain led to the invention (A.D. 1150) or erection of the first
European paper mill, at JATIVA, province of VALENCIA.
5. Knowledge of the technology spread quickly and by 16th century, paper was
manufactured throughout most of Europe.
6. The first paper mill in England was established in 1495.
7. The first such mill in America in 1690.
8. The first practical machine was made in 1798 by the French inventor Nicholas Louis
Robert. The machine reduced the cost of paper it supplants the hand-molding process in
paper manufacture.
9. Robert's machine was improved by the British stationers and brothers Henry
Fourdrinier and Sealy Fourdrinier, who in 1803 produced the first of the machines that
bear their name.
10. The solution of the problem of making paper from cheap raw material was achieved by
the introduction of the groundwood process of pulp making about 1840 and the first of
the chemical pulp processes approximately ten years later.
11. CHLORINE - This was introduced in the 19th century for bleaching and colored linen
could already be manufactured for paper.
12. ESPARTO – This is a grass grown in Libya, also in Spain and North Africa was first
introduced in England in 1861.
13. STRAW – This was used to make paper in 1800.
14. SULPHITE – This is a paper from wood was not attempted until 1869 and paper called
SULPHITE (modern type) was first used between 1880 and 1890.
15. OLDEST MANUSCRIPT - Letters dated A.D. 874 have been found in Egypt and the
oldest manuscript in England on cotton paper dated AD 1890.