Jacobs Family — Forensic Signature Comparison

Overview — All Signatories

Both Willie and Lucile signed the 1967 lease and the 1959 mortgages. Both signature sets must be compared.

1967 99-Year Farm Lease — Dillon County · All three parties signing: R.M. Fowler (L.S.) · Willie Jacobs (L.S.) · Lucile W. Jacobs (L.S.) · Witnessed by William H. Seals & Dorothy B. Edmunds

Lucile W. Jacobs

✓ 1967 Confirmed

1967 Lease — Confirmed Genuine Baseline

✓

Signed "Lucile" — ONE L. Capital L, flowing "ucile" in one stroke. Family confirms this document.

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Three 1959 signatures are questioned. All three differ from baseline in letter size, "i" dotting, and spacing.

Willie Jacobs

✓ 1967 Confirmed

1967 Lease — Confirmed Genuine Baseline

✓

Clear, bold cursive "Willie Jacobs." Distinct W, flowing "illie," strong J descender. Family confirms this document.

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The 1966 Deed signature (Book A-85, p.298) — authorizing the homestead sale — is NOT in the documents provided and must be obtained for comparison.

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Critical Missing Document: Willie's 1966 Renunciation of Dower (Book A-85, p.298) — authorized the sale of the family homestead. Not in any files provided.

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Same-Day Pattern: All 4 questioned signatures (both Willie and Lucile) appear on March 20, 1959 across 3 documents. Internal consistency across all 4 warrants investigation.

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Spelling Issue: Lucile signed with 1 L in 1967 but Fowler's documents type her name "LUCILLE" (2 L's). Her own attorney used 1 L in 1959.

✓

Willie 1959 Available: One clear Willie Jacobs signature from the 1959 Federal Land Bank mortgage has been extracted and can be compared to the 1967 baseline.

Lucile W. Jacobs — All Signatures

1 confirmed genuine baseline (1967) · 3 questioned documents (1959, same day)

✓ CONFIRMED GENUINE BASELINE — 1967 Farm Lease

March 13, 1967 · Dillon County · Witnessed by William H. Seals & Dorothy B. Edmunds · Notarized

Confirmed Genuine

Full Signature

Lucile W. Jacobs — 1967 · Underlined · (L.S.)

First Name Zoom

"Lucile" — ONE L — confirmed by family

Spelling

"Lucile" — ONE L. L·u·c·i·l·e.

Capital L

Tall upward loop, curves left then flows right into "u" without lifting pen.

"i" dot

NO separate dot — flows directly into "l" upstroke as one connected stroke.

Overall style

Compact, flowing cursive. ~15-20° forward slant. Medium pressure. Underlined.

W initial

Triple-peak form, compact, directly connected to J of Jacobs.

Letter size

Compact — approximately 8-10mm letter height.

Questioned Documents — 1959

All three signed March 20, 1959. Compare carefully against the 1967 baseline above.

FLB Mortgage — Copy 1

Mar 20, 1959 · Marion Co. · Renunciation of Dower · Mortgage #S-174-948

Most Concerning

Full signature

First name zoom

Spelling

Reads "Luale" or "Luacle" — middle section AMBIGUOUS, does not clearly read "Lucile"

Capital L

Similar tall loop — most consistent feature with 1967

Middle section

Letters compress and merge differently than 1967. "ci" connection pattern differs.

Forward slant

~25-30° — significantly STEEPER than confirmed 1967 baseline of ~15-20°

Letter size

Noticeably LARGER than 1967 baseline throughout entire signature

"i" dotting

Appears to have a SEPARATE dot — differs from 1967 where dot merges into "l" upstroke

FLB Mortgage — Copy 2

Mar 20, 1959 · Dillon Co. · Dillon County copy of same mortgage

Closest to Baseline

Full signature

First name zoom

Spelling

"Lucile" — clearest of the three 1959 signatures. ONE L confirmed.

Capital L

Most similar to 1967 baseline — upward loop, rightward flow

Letter spacing

Letters MORE spaced apart than 1967. Name runs together in 1967; gaps visible here.

"i" dotting

Separate dot present — consistent with Copy 1, different from 1967

Overall slant

~15-20° — matches 1967 baseline slant. Most similar slant of the three.

Assessment

Closest to 1967 baseline. Differences may be within natural 8-year variation. QDE exam of original recommended.

Marion PCA Mortgage

Mar 20, 1959 · Marion Co. · Production Credit Assoc. Renunciation of Dower

Questioned

Full signature

First name zoom

Spelling

"Lucile" — reads clearly, ONE L, similar to FLB Copy 2

vs. 1967

Letterforms LARGER and more individually formed than 1967. Same pattern as other two 1959 signatures.

"i" dotting

Separate dot present — consistent with Copy 1 and Copy 2, all three differ from 1967

Same-day pattern

Internally consistent with other two 1959 signatures — all three signed same day, all three differ from 1967 in same ways.

Key question

Were these mortgages the mechanism by which family land was encumbered without Lucile's full knowledge or consent?

Willie Jacobs — All Signatures

1 confirmed genuine baseline (1967) · 1 questioned document available (1959 FLB) · Critical 1966 deed signature missing

✓ CONFIRMED GENUINE BASELINE — 1967 Farm Lease

March 13, 1967 · Dillon County · Same document as Lucile's baseline · Family-corroborated

Confirmed Genuine

Full Signature

Willie Jacobs — 1967 · (L.S.) · Same document as Lucile's baseline

First Name Zoom

Capital W, flowing "illie" — bold, confident cursive

Capital W

Bold, broad capital W. Open double-arch form. Heavier stroke weight than the body of the signature.

"illie"

Flows right from the W in one connected stroke. "ll" letters are clear. Ends with a slight upward flick.

J of Jacobs

Capital J begins at midline, sweeps down with a controlled oval loop at the base — distinctive form.

"acobs" ending

Flows from the J loop. "s" ends with a rightward tail. Signature is underlined.

Overall style

Bold, deliberate cursive. Moderate forward slant. Heavier pen pressure than Lucile's 1967 signature.

Letter size

Larger than Lucile's — approximately 12-15mm letter height. Confident, space-filling script.

Questioned Document — 1959

1959 Federal Land Bank Mortgage execution page · March 20, 1959 · Same day as Lucile's three questioned signatures

FLB Mortgage — Willie's Signature

Mar 20, 1959 · Marion & Dillon Co. · Federal Land Bank Mortgage #S-174-948 · Borrower execution page

Questioned — Compare to 1967

Full 1959 signature

First name zoom

Capital W

Present but appears different formation than 1967 — appears narrower and more compact in 1959 vs. broad open 1967 W

Letter size

Appears similar in scale to 1967 — unlike Lucile's 1959 signatures which are noticeably larger than her 1967

Overall slant

Appears consistent with 1967 forward slant — no obvious steepening like seen in Lucile's FLB Copy 1

J of Jacobs

The distinctive J oval loop formation appears present — warrants side-by-side QDE comparison with original

Image quality

The 1959 source image is a scanned photocopy at inconsistent orientation — digital comparison is limited. Original document exam is essential.

Assessment

Willie's 1959 signature shows fewer obvious discrepancies than Lucile's 1959 signatures when compared to his 1967 baseline. However a QDE must examine originals. This digital comparison is not conclusive.

📋

CRITICAL MISSING: Willie's 1966 Deed Signature

The 1966 Deed from Willie Jacobs to R.M. Fowler (Book A-85, Page 297-298, Marion County) contains Willie's most legally significant signature — the one that transferred the 62.3-acre family homestead. This signature is NOT in any document provided and has not been compared.

Request the original from Marion County Register of Deeds and compare to the 1967 confirmed baseline as the top priority action in this case.

Side-by-Side Feature Comparison

Every signature compared against the 1967 confirmed baselines, feature by feature

Lucile W. Jacobs — Feature Comparison

Feature	1967 BASELINE ✓	1959 FLB Copy 1	1959 FLB Copy 2	1959 PCA
Spelling	"Lucile" — ONE L confirmed	Ambiguous — reads "Luale" or "Luacle"	"Lucile" — clear ONE L	"Lucile" — clear ONE L
Capital L	Tall loop, L-to-R flow into "u"	Similar loop, heavier stroke	Most similar to baseline	Similar, slightly larger
u	Distinct open "u", clean connect to "c"	Compressed — merges w/ adjacent letters	Open, closer to baseline	Open, readable
"i" dot	NO separate dot — flows into "l"	Separate dot — different from 1967	Separate dot — different	Separate dot — different
l (second)	Single stroke, merges w/ "i" — ONE L	ONE l present	Clearly ONE l	Clearly ONE l
W initial	3 peaks, compact, baseline height	Taller, more angular than baseline	Most similar to baseline W	Similar to Copy 2
J of Jacobs	Controlled descent, rightward curl	Less controlled — different formation	Closer to baseline	Closer to baseline
Forward slant	~15-20 degrees	~25-30 degrees — STEEPER	~15-20° — matches	~15-20° — matches
Letter size	Compact ~8-10mm	~12-15mm — significantly LARGER	Larger than baseline	Larger than baseline
Letter spacing	Flowing, connected, minimal gaps	Gaps between letters	More spaced than baseline	Slightly spaced
Overall verdict	Genuine — confirmed baseline	MOST CONCERNING — multiple discrepancies	Closest to baseline — possible natural variation	Questioned — consistent with Copy 1 & 2

Willie Jacobs — Feature Comparison

Feature	1967 BASELINE ✓	1959 FLB Mortgage	1966 Deed (MISSING)
Capital W	Bold, broad open double-arch W	Narrower — apparent difference, needs original	Document not provided — MUST OBTAIN
"illie"	One connected flowing stroke, clear "ll"	Appears similar — digital quality limits comparison	Document not provided
J oval loop	Distinctive downward sweep with oval base loop	Loop form appears present — needs QDE exam	Document not provided
Forward slant	Moderate forward slant	Appears consistent — no obvious steepening	Document not provided
Letter size	~12-15mm, bold, space-filling	Appears similar scale — unlike Lucile's 1959 enlargement	Document not provided
Overall verdict	Genuine — confirmed baseline	Fewer obvious discrepancies than Lucile's 1959 — but digital comparison is limited. QDE exam of original required.	CRITICAL: This is the most important signature. Request from Marion County Register of Deeds immediately.

Findings & Next Steps

Summary of all observations and prioritized action items for the attorney

Consistent Features — All Signatures

✓

ONE L spelling confirmed in all four Lucile signatures (1959 and 1967) — consistent with the family's stated correct spelling "Lucile"

✓

Capital L form is generally similar across all Lucile signatures

✓

FLB Copy 2 and the PCA signature are more internally consistent with the 1967 baseline than Copy 1

✓

Willie's 1959 FLB signature shows fewer obvious discrepancies vs. his 1967 baseline compared to Lucile's pattern

ℹ

Fowler's documents type Lucile's name "LUCILLE" (2 L's); her own attorney in 1959 typed "Lucile" (1 L) — someone on Fowler's side didn't know her true name spelling

Discrepancies Requiring Forensic Examination

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ALL THREE 1959 Lucile signatures are larger than her 1967 baseline — consistent pattern across all three questioned documents

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FLB Copy 1 has significantly steeper slant (~25-30°) vs. 1967 baseline (~15-20°)

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The "i" dotting differs consistently — 1967 = no separate dot; all three 1959 = separate dot. A QDE finding consistent with this across originals would be significant.

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FLB Copy 1 middle section does not clearly read "Lucile" — the letter merges suggest possible different hand

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All four questioned signatures (Willie + Lucile) are from the same date: March 20, 1959. Internal consistency across all four could indicate a single signing session — or a single forgery session.

Attorney's Formal Assessment

The 1959 FLB Copy 1 shows the most significant differences from the confirmed 1967 Lucile baseline — different letter size, steeper slant, ambiguous middle letters, and a different J formation. FLB Copy 2 and the PCA signature are more similar to the 1967 baseline and may represent the same hand at a different age.

However, the consistent pattern across all three 1959 Lucile signatures — larger script, separate "i" dot — versus the 1967 baseline warrants formal forensic examination. The critical open question is whether the 1966 Renunciation of Dower (Book A-85, Page 298, Marion County) for both Willie and Lucile — which authorized the sale of the family homestead — matches the confirmed 1967 baselines or matches the 1959 questioned signatures. That single comparison, conducted by a QDE on original physical documents, is the foundation of any forgery claim in this matter.

Recommended Next Steps — Priority Order

1

Obtain the 1966 Renunciation of Dower — Both Willie and Lucile (Book A-85, Page 298)

Request certified copies of the original from the Marion County Register of Deeds. This is the most legally significant document — it authorized the transfer of the family homestead. Willie's signature on this document has never been compared. Neither has Lucile's.

2

Engage a Certified Questioned Document Examiner (QDE)

Provide: (a) 1967 lease as confirmed genuine baselines for both Willie and Lucile, (b) three 1959 mortgage Renunciation of Dower signatures for Lucile, (c) 1959 FLB mortgage signature for Willie, and (d) the 1966 Renunciation of Dower once obtained. A QDE can examine pen pressure, ink chemistry, paper fiber age, and microscopic stroke details — all invisible in digital copies.

3

Request Originals of All Three 1959 Mortgage Documents

Marion County Register of Deeds and Dillon County Clerk of Court hold the originals. Compare to photocopies in hand — any alteration between original and photocopy is itself evidence. Note: FLB Mortgage #S-174-948 filed March 20, 1959; PCA mortgage filed March 25, 1959 (Marion County Book 127, Page 288).

4

Interview Living Family Members About Both Signatories in 1959

Family members who were adults in 1959 may provide sworn affidavits about both Willie's and Lucile's signature styles, their literacy levels, and whether they were both present when the Federal Land Bank and PCA mortgages were signed on March 20, 1959.

5

Research the 1959 Notaries and Document Preparers

S.R. Pridgen notarized the Marion County documents; a separate notary handled Dillon County. Research whether these notaries had relationships with R.M. Fowler's legal team. Also identify which attorney prepared the 1959 mortgage documents — if it was Fowler's attorney, that creates a conflict of interest in obtaining dower renunciations from the opposing party.

6

Examine the 1959 Mortgage Cancellation Chain

Both 1959 mortgages were cancelled (stamped "CANCELLATION ENTERED"). Determine: who paid them off, when, and whether the cancellation was part of the 1966 land sale arrangement. If R.M. Fowler paid off the Jacobs mortgages as a precondition of the 1966 sale, that is highly relevant context.