Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-26
.B[RT|LLON and his CHARTS.

WkllLLUN hNU Mo UllnkI0.
He is Described By Friends Of DreyfuS
as a Dangerous Maniac,
AND HIS SILLY PERFORMANCE
BEFORE THE COURT MARTIAL
YESTERDAY PROVES THE Elk
PRESTON WELL CONCEIVED--A
BANK EXPERT HAS THE HON
OR OF BEING THE FIRST WIT
NESS TO DECLARE DREYFUs
INNOCENT--AN ENGLISH WIT
NESS TELLS OF ESTERHAZY'S
CONFESSION.
RENNES, August 25.-The Dreyfus
trial opened at 6:35 a. m. The clerk
of the court read medical certificate
signed by two doctors whose names
We're unknown to the audience, de-
claring it was impossible for Col. Du
Patty de Clam to leave his bed and
come to Rennes and testify. Maitre
Labor asked the president OF the court
to instruct two we'll known medical
men to examine Du Patty de Clam, but
Col. Jouaust refused.
Rowland Strong, an English news
paper man, was then called to the wit
ness bar and deposed to the fact that
Major Count Esterhazy confessed to
him that he wrote the famous bord-
ereau.
The next witness was M. Colbert, an
expert of the Bank of France, who
can claim the honor of being the first
man in France to have declared in ia
yor of Dreyfus. He reported, on ex-
amining the documents in the case,
that Esterhazy and not Dreyfus wrote
the bordereau. The witness opened
his deposition with brief, personal
statement protesting against being
characterized as a doubtful expert
by the military party. But" he add
ed, in tones of profound pity and turn
ing towards Dreyfus, Il hare no right
to complain when | see before me the
unfortunate man who sits there A
murmur of approval from the audience
greeted these words Of sympathy.
NJ Colbert gave his testimony in a
clear, convincing manner, and was
most emphatic in attributing the bord-
ereau
To ESTERHAZY.
Answering questions of the judges, M.
Colbert declared his conviction that the
bordereau was written in running
natural hand and said there was not
tracing or other trickery Gen. Gonse
asked to be confronted with M. Colbert
and put a number CT questions over
one or two of which the witness STUN
bled. to the infinite satisfaction OF the
military witnesses, who smiled and ex-
changed joyful glanoes.
NJ. Bertillon was callsd as the next
witness. He wore dark blue frock
coat and carried high hat in his hand.
NJ. Bertillon requested permission to
bring in his diagrams and papers. The
request was granted. and M. Bertillon
retired for a moment, returning at the
head of a squad composed of an in
fantry sergeant and four privates, all
staggering under the weight of i'm
mense leather satchels, bullying with
documents and charts, which they de-
posted on the stage as roar of laugh
ter echoed throughout the court Even
the judges were unable to suppress a
smile as they gazed upon M. Bertillon's
stage properties strewn over half the
platform. A table was brought in,
upon which the plans he was using
could be placed.
The witness began by saying that
only the intelligent men could follow
his explanations. The court was soon
half emptied, as the audience, after
smiling audibly at the extraordinary
words and expressions, became greatly
bored and went out. NJ. Bertillon be-
gan his deposition at S:3o a. M. 1t
occupied the whole of the session and
will, perhaps occupy a good part of to-
morrow's session. The courtroom pre-
scented curious scene while Bertillon,
whom the Dreyfusards, in the most in
dulgent moments, describe as
A DANGEROUS MANIAC
spent the three remaining hours of the
session in explaining, in unintelligible
terms, his 'infallible system" of prov
ing Dreyfus was the author of the bor-
dereau. The majority of the public.
however, utterly unable to comprehend
nj. Bertillon's theories, had left the
courtroom. Even la Dame Blanche
abandoned her post
Meanwhile NJ. Bertillon, with ges-
lures and in the shrill, pitched voice OF
quack at a country fair, continued
his monologue, producing every min
ute some fresh paper covered with won
derful hieroglyphics. copies of which he
presented to the judges, who, with an
expression of owl-like wisdom. careful