GRAPHOLOGIST READS IN AND BETWEEN LINES.

Byline: VICTORIA GIRAUD

Analyzing handwriting is like solving a mystery to Chessa Roth, certified graphologist. It reveals a great deal about a person, she says.

"Nothing is more interesting than observing people," the Westlake Village resident said. "That's why I went into handwriting analysis."

Although there are many scientific facts that make up an analysis, "intuition is in play all the time, and I am extremely accurate," the soft-voiced Chessa said of her many years of graphology experience.

"There are idiosyncrasies in writing that you're unaware of, that you do consistently (and) that someone forging wouldn't know. An anonymous writer will always leave some kind of clue," Chessa said.

Chessa recalled a case she solved of an embezzling bank employee. The man had an odd habit of putting periods after his name and used this same habit when forging checks.

Some details she notes include the general appearance and the rhythm of the writing, the slope of the writing, the margins used, and the individual letters. A handwriting examination would take all the factors into account. And the body of writing is more important than the signature.

"Signatures are usually stylized - how the writers want you to think of them. I look at all the information, and I have to have enough of a sample before I make a judgment," Chessa said.

With experience come quick revelations.

"Things just jump out at you," explained Chessa, relating a story about a sociopath whose writing she had analyzed for his ex-wife. It looked immature with o's that were puffy, resembling the writing of a teen-ager, and the letter's structure didn't conform to the margins.

Some of her jobs are more personal. The male CEO of a large company was planning an Alaskan fishing trip with the CEO of another firm, a man he'd never met. Chessa was able to tell him that he needn't worry about his unknown companion. A letter the man had written showed they would be compatible.

A woman was planning to marry a man from a different culture, and she wanted his handwriting analyzed. The woman had an open personality, but the man seemed reticent and sometimes secretive. His handwriting revealed that his reticence was a result of his cultural upbringing, not of desire to hide anything. Chessa said the analysis helped loosen up the relationship, and the wedding proceeded.

Chessa remembers the unusual case of a busy entrepreneur whose wife was getting anonymous letters claiming that her husband was having an affair with his secretary. Trying to convince his wife that he was loyal, the man hired Chessa to investigate. When Chessa asked to see the envelopes for the letters, she discovered that the wife had written them to herself. The wife had disguised her handwriting on the letters, but had forgotten to do so on the envelopes.

To become certified as an analyst, Chessa took an 18-month course offered by the International Graphoanalysis Society and then studied another 18 months in the master's class.

She also belongs to the World Association of Document Examiners, and as a member examines documents and signatures for authenticity. Chessa said she has many calls to examine the signatures on wills.

Chessa was born in Great Falls, Mont., and experienced the flavor of the Old West in her childhood. Her Jewish father had immigrated from Russia at 17 to escape conscription into the czar's army. He chose Montana when he saw buffalo crossing the Mississippi River.

Her father allied with the local Blackfoot Indians, and would take animal pelts to be sold in St. Paul, Minn. "I'd go with him to the reservation where he'd sing Yiddish songs. He'd say 'Shalom,' the Indians would say, 'Shalom,' and I thought he was speaking Blackfoot," she laughed.

As outsiders, Chessa related, her father and the Blackfoot Indians had much in common and got along very well. "My father looked a lot like the Indians, except for his kinky hair."

She has a collection of letters that her father wrote to her mother before their marriage. The letters beautifully described the Montana area and her father's adventures. But he was marrying an independent woman reluctant to give up city life for the wilds of Montana.

Life was not easy for the only Jewish family in Great Falls, Chessa said. When her father died, her mother moved her four children to Los Angeles.

Chessa has been married to Jay Roth, retired now from an electrical firm, for more than 40 years. They have two grown children, Robert and Denise.

Chessa and Jay have their own distinctive habits in writing. "My husband will go out of his way to find a pencil. I need a pen. He's extremely cautious. With a pencil you can change your mind. He wouldn't want to scratch anything out; he'd erase it."

Although Chessa would like to ease her rigorous work schedule to be able to travel more, she retains her enthusiasm for her profession: "It's so much fun; it's fascinating."

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PHOTO

Photo Chessa Roth, a certified handwriting analyst and examiner, works with a sample under the microscope. Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News