Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-29

Il
| cess would be tfresome, so l will simply
| state my general conclusion.
This conclusion was that the person
| VINO wrote the paper known as the Bor-
deieau had simulated the handwriting Of
| captain Dreyfus. it appeared in the
| DINER specimens submitted to me. He had
evidently made himself thoroughly famil-
| lar with all its peculiarities. They are all
reproduced in the Bordereau with this es-
sential difference-they are all exagger-
| ated.
This appears in many ways. For in
stance, the peculiar loops Of the rs and
| Q's are more pronounced in the doubtful
specimen than in the genuine.
Simulated, but Not the Same.
Now. 1t appears to me-" continued Mr.
Carvalho, that man in penning a
document that he knew to be incriminat-
Ing would endeavor to disguise his hand
writing. He certainly would not lay stress
on the peculiarities which would certainly
Identity it. On the other hand, If you or
anybody else wished to simulate anothers
writing the natural impulse would be to
lay stress upon these peculiarities. These
Iacts formed the basis of my opinion,
which was that the two papers submitted
to me were the work of different men. OF
course L am not giving an opinion as to
the guilt or innocence of Captain Dreyfus.
merely say. and say with all certainty,
that the papers submitted to me as au-
thentic specimens of Captain Dreyfus
handwriting and that known as the Bor-
dereau were the work of different per-
sons
Mr.. Ames followed somewhat different
method from Mr.. Carvalho in making his
examination and it is interesting to note
the steps by which he arrived at a SINH
lar conclusion.
Every mans Handwriting" says Mr.
Ames, possesses certain essential charac-
terlstics, personality, SO to speak, as
marked as that Of the writer himself. and
which 1t is impossible for another to re-
produce. 1t is also fact well known to
experts and interesting to laymen that,
roughly speaking, man never writes the
same letter twice alike. Where the same
character appears over and over again in
exactly the same form it is conclusive evil
dence of forgery. and many cases have
turned upon that fact.
An Expert Analysis.
Now, to come to the Dreyfus matter,
found in my examination a wide diverg-
ence In what I have termed the essential
characteristics Of the two specimens The
person who wrote the Bordereau had evil
IDENTIFY made careful study of Dreyfus'
hand, and had good general idea of 1t, as
well as an accurate knowledge of certain
OF It's pecuiiarities. But, as in all such
cases. he was incapable of copying the
unconscious characteristics, which show to
the eye of the expert as plainly as pecu.
ilarlt1es of speech and manner.
To come to the details, the handwrit-
ing OF Captain Dreyfus is longer in its gem
eral projection than that of the disputed
copy, as is shown in the g's and similar
Ing uniformly, while the copy is very un-
even In the spacing of both words ana
lines. In the authenticated writing of the
accused man the ms, ms, ETC.. are made
with open angles at top and bottom. while
in the other the angles are closed at the
base and more rounded at the top.
another tell-tale discrepancy is found
IN the crossing Of the is. point which
experts always consider thoroughly. since
IL often tells the story carefully concealed
IN other symbols. In the Bordereau tn.
Is crossed with horizontal stroke while
IN Inc genuine samples it regularly APP
pears with an upward angle to the stem
of the letter. 1
In addition to these points there wers
certain differences in the mechanical ex-
sloped at a different angle. In the dc
puted writing the shading on the down
strokes and the tail f1ourishes shows that
the pen was held sidewfse and slipping to
the le1t. In the genuine the pen was held
In horizontal position. N
All these peculiarities might escape an
ordinary perusal, but to one who has made
q n1eions study Of handwriting these fine
points are noticeable at glance and when
they are pointed out to anybody else they
are as plain as sign post. They have con-
v1nceu me that If Capt. Dreyfus wrote the
letter submitted to me as a sample of his
Same Cancellations Reached
1t Is noticeable that Mr.. Carvalho and
Mr. Ames approach the problem from diff
ferent points of view. The former, COM
petent' through long experience in exam
ming dinerent hands. to give convincing
opinion. studies their general and specific
resemblanees and differences and pro-
nounces one an exaggerated copy Of the
the art OF renmanship, examines the es-
sentiai characteristics and analyses the
mechanical execution with the same con-
clusion that the disputed COPY is spurious
The different methods that they employ
make the fact that both reach the same
result all the more striking and impressive
In this connection it Is worthy of note
that sensational development is promised
also turn upon the testimony of expert
graphologists. A gentleman in New York
who Is deeply interested In the efforts for
the release of the condemned man, and
who, for obvious reasons, does not wish to
reveal his identity at this time, said to me-
''The finding in the Esterhazy trial does
not disturb the friends Of Capt. Dreyfus.
Though he was at first believed to be the
guilty party. they have known for some
time that he would be acquitted and that
he was not the real author of the Borde-
reau. I may say. however, that the name
of the real man is known and that 1t will
NC TeFSdIcO III SOoo tiIuc-SoOIl,
WAS his identity discovered by a COM
parison of his handwriting with that Of the
Bordereau"'
The speaker hesitated, and then went on
II will not say as to that; but l will say
that his Identity is positively known and
that all the world is likely to be informed of
it ere long. Mark my words. within four
months Capt. Dreyfus will be a free man,
and not only free but exculpated from the
horrible charge that now rests against
him.
To all of which the French officials shrug
their shoulders and reply:
''Mais c'est impossible; Paffaire est fini."
Literary Dogs.
From the Topeka State Journal.
Some time ago the Kansas City (xan)
crnpoJI rocsod ordinance Ufriy,o ho