W. Waithman Caddell

W. Waithman Caddell is an elusive figure in print history, but he is clearly credited as the co-author of The Detection of Forgery (1909), a practical guide to examining suspicious handwriting, signatures, inks, paper, and altered documents. Early editions and library records list him as Captain Waithman Caddell or W. Waithman Caddell, showing that he was presented to readers as someone with a professional, applied background rather than as a purely literary author.

His best-known book, written with Douglas Blackburn, was aimed at bankers, solicitors, magistrates' clerks, and others who handled suspect papers in everyday work. That gives his writing a direct, useful feel: less about storytelling, more about careful observation and the real-world problem of deciding whether a document can be trusted.

Caddell is also credited alongside Blackburn on Secret Service in South Africa, which links his name with another work rooted in investigation and public affairs. Beyond those published credits, reliable biographical details are scarce, so his reputation today rests mainly on the specialized books that preserve his voice.