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The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett - 1925

By A. T. Barker

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Letter No. 183

[Transcribed from a copy in A. Gebhard's handwriting. — Ed.]

Berlin,
7th February, 1886.

To Commerzienrath Gebhard,
Elberfeld.

You will kindly excuse, that I only today send the desired testimony, as I was very busy with other affairs. I have made it possibly complete but must assure you most positively, that if you have believed, that both letters had come from one and the same hand, you have labored under a tremendous error.

Remain etc. etc.
Ernst Schutze.

Kalligraph to the Court of H.M. The Emperor, etc.
11 Kochstrasse S.W.
Berlin,
February 16th, 1886.

To Com. Geghard,
Elberfeld.

I have the honour to enclose the desired testimony on the 2nd letter C, and am glad to hear that my first testimony earned the applause of your friend. As I expected, this letter was written by the same hand as B. and there is not the remotest similarity between A and C.

In finishing this I remain etc.

Ernst Schutze,
titles as above.

TESTIMONY

[The reader is referred to The Mahatma Letters for specimens of the handwriting of M. and K. H., who are the writers respectively of letters A and B mentioned herein. — Ed.]
About the two English letters given to me by the Commerzienrath Gebhard from Elberfeld, I can after careful examination of the handwriting of the same only give my final opinion, that they do absolutely not come from one and the same handwriting.

The differences between the two are so glaring that I absolutely cannot come to the conclusion that they have been written by the same hand. While the one A, covering eight pages and written in ink comes from a more than hasty (careless?) handwriting, the other B, in blue pencil has been written by a more firm though fluent handwriting, which makes the reading of it not near as difficult as that of the first.

The capital as well as the small letters have in both a decidedly different character and I will only indicate, that the letters present a roundish form and have in the one a totally steep position.

This is easily visible through the following (also for the unprejudiced layman easily comprehensible) which shows itself with a certain plainess in the ovally composed letters o, a, d, g.

Here I have at once to draw attention to the differences of g's in the two letters. In the first (A) they are always connected with the following or preceding letter, while in B written in blue, the g's are always single and with the curious ending jerk.

With these g's I must mention the y, which is made quite analogous to the g's.

These two letters g and y have not the remotest similarity to those of letter A, where they always appear connected and with a straight (downward) stroke or an ordinary loop (nooze) while they end in B with a complete jerk, nor do they appear once in this form on the 8 pages of letter A.

The d shows just as marked a difference. In the first they are made on the average in the roundish formhand-written d, while in the blue letter they are always formed in the other way — something like d d.

The same great difference is seen with the t, etc. etc.

In conclusion I mention again, that letter A, which is written in ink has not the remotest resemblance with letter B according to the standpoint of a calligraph and that both are written from different handwritings.

This my expert testimony I take on the oath given by me once for all as expert of writing.

Sign. Berlin February 7th 1886
Ernst Schutze.

xxx title
Sworn expert of writing for the Courts.