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A look at the Killian signatures on the CBS documents
September 11, 2004 | Hiram Robert Wheeler

Posted on 09/11/2004 9:25:07 AM PDT by HighWheeler

In the CBS documents, I suspect the signatures are forgeries too. In the known versions, only the features of the capital K are studied because the variations are simple and easy to identify. Although other signature elements may have discrepancies or similarities, these were not studied.

Open a new window with this website, and compare the "K" in Killian for the known vs. the CBS versions:

The Shape of Days

(go down to the 13 images of known and suspect signatures of Jerry B. Killian)

In the known versions, I studied the capital K features because the variations are simple and easy to identify. The K appears to be made by first forming a V shape, which is a simple downstroke for the body of the K, sometimes looping slightly backwards at the bottom, then continuing an upstroke to form the upper arm. The lower arm was always a separate stroke.

Known authenticated versions:

- The upper arms are convex up or straight.
- Each has a forward-going hook (convex up) a the tip, which in most cases which complements the arch bow of the main upper arm.
- The lower arm attachment is predominantly orthogonal (90 degrees angle) to the top arm,
- The lower arm is attached at a mid-point of the upper arm, and only coincidently attached to the body of the K, if at all.
- the lower arm is created by a separate pen stroke
- the lower arm is a prominent element that the signer had pride in making.

The 3 CBS documents do not follow these patterns:

- The upper arm bow is convex down, a hammering discrepancy.
- The hook on the upper arm is backward, another discrepancy, but which also complements the discrepancy of the upper arm bow!
- The lower arm is a vestigial element, in all 3 versions, not showing the rich, bold, pride of the signer in the known authenticated versions.
- The lower arm appears to be made as a continuation of the upper arm, another strong discrepancy.
- The lower arm crosses behind the body of the K.
- The lower arm attaches to the bottom of the upper arm, not at a mid-point as is the case with the known signatures.

These discrepancies are interesting combined with the problems surrounding the technical merits of the document and the suspect provenance.


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 60minutes; forgery
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1 posted on 09/11/2004 9:25:08 AM PDT by HighWheeler
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To: HighWheeler
Questions mount on Guard memos' authenticity. A handwriting expert says the two signatures on purported Texas National Guard memos aired by CBS News this week are not those of President Bush's squadron commander, as asserted by "60 Minutes."
2 posted on 09/11/2004 9:29:27 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
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To: Admin Moderator

Thanks for the link, I was hoping that there would be some technical analysis of the signatures.

I would like to see what the paid experts think of the signatures.


3 posted on 09/11/2004 9:34:23 AM PDT by HighWheeler ("The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato)
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To: HighWheeler

Forged signature is worse for Rather of course, but even an "authentic" sig doesn't help him, as he has admitted he was working from copies, which could have easily had photoshopped authentic sigs.


4 posted on 09/11/2004 9:37:58 AM PDT by Burma Jones
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To: HighWheeler

You're welcome. Thanks for the thread.


5 posted on 09/11/2004 9:40:34 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
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To: Burma Jones

The fact that they didn't copy a signature is interesting, but it does cement any accusations of forgery.

The creator of this document at least knew they had to create the signatures, but it looks like they failed. Signature forgery aught to get the forger a few years in the clink.


6 posted on 09/11/2004 9:40:40 AM PDT by HighWheeler ("The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato)
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To: HighWheeler

If the sig is authentic then it is a cut and paste copy and the original exists somewhere. Someone should find it and voila. The odds of two handwritten sigs being identical are infinitesimal.


7 posted on 09/11/2004 9:44:53 AM PDT by Poincare
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To: HighWheeler

No one in Rather's crowd has explained why they only had copies anyway, and why they were such bad ones. These papers (probably copied 15 times each from their appearance) are from a "personal file"? Yeah, right. Who amongst us has anything like that in a personal file, regardless of our careers?


8 posted on 09/11/2004 9:46:56 AM PDT by BonnieJ
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To: Poincare

Good point. The availability of an authentic Killian signature to the forger would be the same for virtually anyone else. Proving that the documents were forged would then be a cinch.


9 posted on 09/11/2004 9:47:46 AM PDT by HighWheeler ("The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato)
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To: HighWheeler
Rather got his back against the wall, and he knows it.
Do not expect any agreement or concessions , he will fight to the end regardless of evidence, testimony, proof, timing.
Going down in flames is his only alternative.
Leaving incorrigible followers behind that were trotting with CBS anyway are his leftovers.
Plenty of fodder for future book writers in the mold of Kitty Kelly, or disingenuous filmmakers in the mold of Moore.
10 posted on 09/11/2004 9:49:23 AM PDT by hermgem
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To: Burma Jones


I think the Killian signature is a cut and paste copy


11 posted on 09/11/2004 9:59:41 AM PDT by RedMonqey (Those that bite the hand that feeds them will lick the boots that kick them)
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To: HighWheeler

If these are copies, you can cut/paste any signatures.


12 posted on 09/11/2004 10:01:43 AM PDT by Cableguy
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To: HighWheeler
But a handwriting expert who once wrote a review of a book on the Amazon.com website has VERIFIED that the signatures are AUTHENTIC, thus making the forgeries documents themselves authentic. Didn't you watch Dan Rather last night???
13 posted on 09/11/2004 10:04:27 AM PDT by shezza
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To: RedMonqey

If the sigs were cut-and-paste, they would be easily verified by simply layering over the original. If the forger could get originals, anyone could get them.

This looks like a simple, badly executed forgery. The forger used only the basic outline of the signatures, and didn't pay attention to the details. The devil is in the details.


14 posted on 09/11/2004 10:04:31 AM PDT by HighWheeler ("The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato)
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To: HighWheeler

bump


15 posted on 09/11/2004 10:05:18 AM PDT by rwfromkansas (BYPASS FORCED WEB REGISTRATION! **** http://www.bugmenot.com ****)
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To: shezza

HAHAHAH! I like that superscript!

Dan is going down and is taking a few "experts" with him to the dustbin.


16 posted on 09/11/2004 10:06:00 AM PDT by HighWheeler ("The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato)
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To: HighWheeler

'If the sigs were cut-and-paste, they would be easily verified by simply layering over the original

....The devil is in the details."



Very true. Haven't thought of it but maybe neither did the forger. I think we're not dealing with an very bright forger here , are we?


17 posted on 09/11/2004 10:27:39 AM PDT by RedMonqey (Those that bite the hand that feeds them will lick the boots that kick them)
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To: HighWheeler

I'm no expert, but in just eyeballing them I can see they don't match--

The real sigs he writes out his first name and middle initital in the memos he doesn't.

Also the slant is all wrong. in the real sig the letters are all heavily slated, not in the memos

the double ll-s in the real signature are all looped. in the memo they are not.

Even a layman can see this is not the same signature. Not even close.


18 posted on 09/11/2004 10:29:14 AM PDT by Cubs Fan (Liberals have the inverse midas touch, everything they get a hold of turns to S&*%)
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To: HighWheeler

bump


19 posted on 09/11/2004 10:42:33 AM PDT by tuesday afternoon (Everything happens for a reason. - 40 and 43)
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To: Cubs Fan

Killian's signature is very hard to duplicate, for several reasons. He spells out his entire name, and has a quilling art to the pen strokes. He also used a lot of loops and curls in his signature that are also difficult to re-master.


20 posted on 09/11/2004 11:27:23 AM PDT by HighWheeler ("The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato)
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