Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-30
1T WAS ESTERHAZY
Overwhelming Evidence Given That
He Wrote the Bordereau.
STRONG POINTS IN DREYfUS' FAVOR
important Testimony Today of Ex-
perts and of M. Pcot.
CLOSED DOORS TOMORROW

the Lycee this morning of the third session
of the fourth week of the second trial by
court-martial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus Of
the artillery, charged with treason. NJ Paul
Meyer, member of the institute and director
of the School of Ancient Manuscripts, was
the first witness called. He deposed in
favor of Dreyfus
After hearing NM. Moliner and Giry and
NJ. Picot, a member of the institute all of
whom testified in favor of Dreyfus, Gen.
Deloye testified against the prisoner on
the artillery references in the bordereau.
Then the court. on the application of the
government Commissary, Major Carriere,
ordered that the opening part of tomor-
rows session be behind closed DOORS for
the purpose of discussing documents relat-
ing to the artillery.
The evidence of NM. Meyer Molinier and
Giry, all of whom are handwriting experts
of the first rank. was strong point for
DGeyfus. They were most emphatic in de-
claring the bordereau was written by Ester
hazy, and created "A better impression than
NJ. Bertilon by not introducing the fam
tastc diagrams which the latter deemed
necessary.
Mercier's Course Puzzle.
The action Of Gen. Mercier in asking to
be allowed to reply to NJ Molinier, and
then getting up and confirming the pro-
fessor's statement that Esterhazy changed
his handwriting since 1894 puzzled the
audience. That Esterhazy Should have
deemed it advisable to change his hand
writing since the date of the bordereau
appears, at first sight, to indicate that he
wrote it. and that Mercier should support
Prof. Molinier aroused discussion as to the
generals motives. There are some people
who in Merciers unsolicited testimony
yesterday in support of the honorable ma
ture of NJ. Matthew Dreyfus' visit to Col.
Sandherr in 1894 in behalf Of his brother
and the generals move today an indication
OF some change of attitude, perhaps a pre-
lude to a candid avowal of his mistakes
OF 1871 On the other hand, many persons
think Gen. Mercier. fearing that Saturdays
exposure VIII deiscredit him altogether with
the judges, has conceived the idea of giving
way on certain points. which. moreover,
are almost incontestable, and thus to some
extent, reinstate himself by an affectation
of impartiality
An Important Point.
NJ. Picot related an interesting conversa-
ton which he had with the Austro- Hunea-
rian military attache. Colonel Schneider
mention of whose name evoked prompt
protest from Major Carriere in the name
of the government and state. Colonel
Schneider, according to this witness, ad-
mitted that Esterhazy acted as a spy and
wrote the bordcreau.
General Roget, with his usual shrewd-
ness, seized upon NJ. Picot's statement that
Colonel Schneider expressed astonishment
that French officers should have the bad
taste to question the word of foreign Of
ficers. to mount the Platform and make
a short speech in defense of the attitude
of the French officers, concluding with the
remark
Il intervened because when French Of
fcers are attacked they have the right to
defend themselves
These words will be published all over
France and will tend to make General Ro-
get more popular with the army.
General De.oye repeated his testimony
before the court of cessation relating to
the 120 short cannon hydro-pneumatic
brake and the Robin shell.
Dreyfus, in reply made a really clear
statement, explaining that he saw the ny
dro-pneumat.c brake once at Rourges, once
at the school of war, and that he never
saw it used, because, while on the general
staff he was never present at firing prac-
tice
Echind Closed Doors Tomorrow.
Major Carriere then made his application
to have the court sit behind closed doors
tomorrow, explaining that he desired to
submit to the court certain documents pre-
pared by the gunnery bureau, containing
information which it was not desirable to
discuss in public.
The court, after deliberation. granted the
application. and also acceded to the re-
quest of the defense that their witness,
Major Hartman of the artillery, be al
lowed to be present. as he would give I'M
portant testimony showing that Dreyfus
could not have written the paragraphs in
the bordereau concerning artillery.
Esterhazy Wrote 1t.
Following are the proceedings in detail:
The first witness today, NJ. Paul Meyer,
member of the institute and director OF
the School of Ancient Manuscripts, de-
scrited his researches in connection with
the Dreyfus case. which led to his convic-
ton that the bordereau was not only in
Esterhczys handU rit!ng but was actually
written by ESterhaZy.
The witness explained that in his evil
dence before the assiZes court he was un-
able to be so positive in regard to the
writer because he had only seen fac
cessation he saw the original bordereau.
Il convinced myself" said NJ. Meyer, by
a magnifying glass that the bordereau was
written in a free hand and without hesita-
ton whereas It is precisely hesitation in the
formation of the stroke which reveals the
use of a method of tracing. l can affirm
that it is in the writing and in the very
hand of Esterhazy. That IS perfectly clear
to me. (ComTotion)
At the conclusion of his testimony the
witness gave demonstration of the faIlacy
OIL the Bertillon system.
CIinched by Another Expert.
Prof. Aususte Molinier of the School of
Ancient Manuscripts gave similar evidence.
He said that each fresh examination of the
bordereau only served to further convince
him that it was the work of Esterhazy.
Amid deep attention the witness demon
strated how the conclusions of the experts
who attributed the bordereau to DreyfuS
were mutually destructive. and dwelt on
the defects of NJ. Bert!ilon's arguments.
pointing cut the striking resemblance CT
the alleged doctored handwriting with Es-
terhaZy's writing, who, he added, in every
body's opinion had relations with Col
SchwartzkeFpen. the former German mill
tary attacha at Paris, and the dssimilari-
ties between the writing of the bordereau
and that of the prisoner.
The members Of the court-martial were