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3. REPORT OF MR. F. G. NETHERCLIFT, EXPERT IN HANDWRITING, ON THE BLAVATSKY-COULOMB DOCUMENTS.
10, Bedford Row, W.C.
March 17th, 1885.
In compliance with your instructions, I have carefully examined
and compared the several documents you have submitted to me for my
opinion as a Professional Expert in handwriting, which are contained
in Two Packets as follows : —
Packet 1.
Consists of an Envelope marked 3, in which is contained a slip of
paper the writing on which commences, " The Mahatma has heard,'' <&c.
A Telegram in a different handwriting. An envelope addressed
Madame E. Coulomb. A letter on green paper ; and a letter on pink
paper. In answer to the first question in my instructions the whole of
these documents, with the exception of the Telegram, were written by
Madame Blavatsky.
The Envelope marked 7 containing a scrap of ruled paper marked
10, the writing on which commences " La paste" (be, is by the hand of
Madame Blavatsky.
An Envelope directed Mme. and Mon'* Coulomb is likewise to
Madame Blavatsky's hand.
An Envelope marked 10, containing a letter marked 2 the writing
of which commences " Ma belle chere amie" is likewise by the hand of
Madame Blavatsky.
***
An Envelope marked 28 containing a letter of several pages written
in violet ink. The whole of this is written by Madame Blavatsky.
An Envelope marked No. 11, containing a letter written in violet
ink commencing " Ma ch^e Madame Coulomb" is all by the hand of
Madame Blavatsky.
Packet 2.
An Envelope, postmark '' Cambridge," containing a letter on
foreign paper addressed to Mr. Myers in the undoubted handwriting
of Madame Blavatsky.
Scrap written in pencil commencing " Damodar send me,'' &c.,
in the undoubted handwriting of Madame Blavatsky.
Envelope containing 2 sheets foreign paper dated Elberfeld,
addressed to Mr. Myers, in the undoubted handwriting of Madame
Blavatsky.
A letter one sheet addressed to Mr. Myers commencing
"You are
very kind," &c,, in the undoubted handwriting of Madame Blavatsky.
A letter consisting of a sheet and a-half addressed to Mr. Myers
commencing "It does seem extraordinary," kc.^ in the undoubted hand-
writing of Madame Blavatsky.
***
On placing Madame Blavatsky's genuine or acknowledged hand-
writings in juxtaposition [with the doubted ones], I really cannot see
that
there has been any attempt to disguise the hand [in the latter]. Every
characteristic of her handwriting may be traced throughout. Some of
the writings appear more rapidly executed than others ; as will always
be observed in looking at a mass of correspondence ; but all the
writings
I have mentioned as being positively written by Madame Blavatsky, are
undeniably hers without disguise. If she intended any of them to be in
a feigned hand, I can only say that the disguise is so flimsy that any
Expert would not notice the attempt.
***
(Signed) Frederick George Netherclift.
April 7th, 1885.
[The asterisks indicate the position of passages about Mr. Damodar's
writing, and the K.H. writings to which Mr. Hodgson has referred oii
p. 282, as those which were originally submitted to Mr. Netherclift.
No statements of Mr. Netherclift about the Blavatsky-Coulomb letters
themselves have been omitted. A second batch of Blavatsky-Coulomb
letters was submitted shortly afterwards to Mr. Netherclift, who
returned them all in a packet along with the undoubted writings of
Madame Blavatsky entrusted to him for comparison. This packet of
writings was endorsed by him as follows : " The whole of the writings
contained in this packet are by the hand of Madame Blavatsky,
whether acknowledged to be genuine or otherwise. They vary in the
degree of care with which they are written, but in my opinion there
is no attempt to disguise the hand. — (Signed) F. G. N."]
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