The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-16
In ESTERHAZY'S WRITING.
Evidence Aceumulating Of Officers
Guilt.
MORE SENSATIONAL STATEMENTS
EVOKED AT ZOLA'S TRIAL.

IetterspFrom Major Esterhazy to French
Woman Introduced Into the Case-Con-
tanned Very Unconplimentary Ke-
marks Upon French Army and Officers.
Paris, February 15.-Ihs arrival OF Nd.
Emile Zola, M. Pereux and Others at the
assizes court Of the Seine to-day, the
eighth day of the trial OF the novelist
and of the publisher of the Aubore. was
not marked by any incident. The crowd
present was not so large as that Of yes
terday and the people in the Hobbies were
calm. Opinions as to the issue of the trial
did not vary greatly. While some people
are already discussing the extent of the
sentences others regard the aoquittal of
the defendants as being certain, as it is
evident the court is becoming more IA
vorably disposed towards M. Zola. The
trial is not expected to finish before Sat
urday, and it is believed that a night ses-
sion may be necessary to complete it even
then.
At the opening of the proceedings to-
day the presiding judge, NJ. Delegorgue.
disallowed the request of counsel for M.
Zois, that the experts heard at the Ester
hazy court-martial should be called to
testify.
NJ. Laborie, replying to Gen. Conse, said
that if he desired to throw light upon
the case, he (Conse), could ask the war
minister's permission to do SO.
To this Gen. Conse answered that it
was not within his province to transmit
such a request to the minister for war.
N. Tessonnieres, M. Grepieux Janin
added, had declared that it was on his
(M. Tessonniere's) deposition and not
on M. Bertillon's on which Dreyfus was
convicted. This statement created a SEN
sation.
III. Janin added that it was because
NJ. Tessonniere was angry with the wit
ness for not sharing his opinion in regard
to the Dreyfus case that he tried to COM
promise the matter.
The witness further said he was a
Frenchpoan and Catholic, and exercised
the profession Of q dentist and did not
exercise the profession of an expert in
handwriting.
Director Meyer of the French record
office, opened his testimony by affirming
himself Catholic. He declared that the
published fac similes of the Bordereau
were as exact as possible.
the handwriting OF Major Esterhazy re-
seInbled that of the Bordereau.
M. Laborie then, asked permission to
examine the experts Couard, Belhoune
and Varinard, but the court refused the
request, whereupon NJ. Laborie drew up
the conclusion, asking the court to take
cogniZance of the fact. But the presid
ing Judge, before even hearing the ques-
tion, refused to let it be put, after which
the court retired to deliberate and deoid-
ed that the presiding judge was right in
refusing to allow questions, the only
effect Of which would be to uselessly pro-
long the proceedings.
Prof. Ernest Molliner Of the College of
France. testified that Major Esterhazy' 8
| handwriting absolutely resembled that
| of the Bordereau.
M. ClemenGeau, counsel for the Aurore,
read letters from Maday de Boulancy
admitting the possession of letters from
Major Esterhazy wrote her between 1881
and 1894 and containing serious animad-
versions of France and the French army.
| NJ C,emenceau urged the. court to ap-
point magistrate to ask Mme. de Bou-
| lancy If, among the letters, there was
not one containing the following express
sions:
"Firstly-Gen. Saussier (then the COM
| mander -in-chief of the French army and
military governor of Paris) is clown.
@~Oe
show him in a circus. (Uproar in
court.)
"Secondly-'If the Prussians got as
| far as Lyons they might throw away
their guns and keep only their riding
| whips to drive the French in front OF
| them. 10 prolonged sensation.)
Three amateur experts in handwriting
testified that the fac simile was an exact
reproduction of Major Esterhazy's hand
| writing, statements which caused further
sensations in court.
M. Felix Frank, lawyer of Brussels,
testified that in order to- demonstrate
his evidence it would be necessary to have
black board and that it would require
| an hour in his theory.
Amid an uproar in court the session
was suspended while blackboard was
procured, after which NJ. Frank traced
on the black board fac simile OF the
Bordereau and of Major Esterhazy's hand
writing and commenced his demonstra-
tion.
monssrations and said: 1.-THE majority
of the experts started on the false idea
that the writer of the Bordereau had
disguised his handwriting. The Bor-
dereau, however, was written naturally
and in running hand which is 1denti-
fed with that of Major Esterhazy.
The latter (Major Esterhazy J, continued
ohos ~ieiicoo, Hau IecoBniloee o.Ao -
dereau as being his own handwriting, but
had declared it had been traced by
forger.
NJ. Frank proceeded to technically de-
monstrate+ the improbability of this ex-
planation, showing how recurring words
presented certain Emergencies.
The lengthy demonstration of the wit
ness caused impatience among the public
in court, eliminating in open murmurs
when M. Frank affirmed that the Bor-
dercau was written by one person alone,