New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-27


ro,,hoa I'd for his work on the bordereau' NJ
RertiI,on replied that he had no opinion on .he
sub,ect hut ne maintained. the letter nad pee"
written bv the same system as the oorueieau'
..rbat is my hypothesis" said the WITNESS
Many similar ones can pa iounu'
OF dsapproval) .uoa
NJ Iabori asked how NJ. Bertillon reconcheo
tho result of the present experiments n"'"e''
that the bordereau was written "
tracing Esterhazy's handwriting Win ',s op,..
| ion in 1894 that the bordereau was "i'''e ~
Dreyfus. unless II had been most cai'
,raad To this NJ Bertiilon replied that IL was
only an hypothesis, whereupon M. Laooii
| marked that the forgery was then OF sucn no
Ere as 10 constitute proof in favor OF DIeyiu''
wet TODAY It Is made proof against him. |o'-
tinuing counsel SAID: hoe
STE the witness admits that Esterhazy has
written by the same mathematicai ine'hou' 90
| preyfus, why has he attributed 'he uo'u
to Dreyfus rather than TO Este'hah'
n Her,,lIon-It was on Dreyfus's blottlng pau
that the key word Interest was lou"u' a"N
Esterhazy might have had access TO this woiu.
N Iabori-Does NJ. Bertillon admit that rs
terhazy is a traitor?
Colonel Jouaust refused to put the question 10
the witness. .,,oa
Nj
M Bert,llons opinion as to what system OF oe-
fence might have been employed by the "r'1
q, the bordereau If the document had been
found on him. s,
The witness. in a confused and almost inaudi-
b,e tome declared that the prisoner would then
have maintained that the document was
forgery and could have adduced It as proof OF
plot
s1rppOs1TIoNs TO FIT THE CRIME.
NJ Iabori-In that case the prisoner must
have foreseen the appearance on the scene Oh
man 90 eminent as NJ Bertillon daughter
capable Of imagining system so ingenious as
the one he has expounded to-day. Renewed
laughter)
NJ. Bertillon retorted that, in his opinion a
man OF the ability Of the accused could have
made a model line In quarter OF an houi'
every time he had occasion TO write
Replying TO further questions. NJ. Bertillon ad-
n,itted that he had discovered in Esterhazys
writing peculiarites similar to those In the Dor
dereau.
Counsel pointed out that 1t was impossible TO
maintain the hypothesis that Esterhazy was
| q man Of straw, since in 1897. when he might
| very well have admitted writing the bordereau
he had confessed nothing. The reasoning OF
NJ Bertillon counsel asserted, therefore, feli
to the ground.
| After a short incidental discussion OF the
Weyler forgery. which. 1t was believed. was per-
petrated by order Of the Project OF Police. Colo
mel Jouaust asked the prisoner If he had any
thing to say In reply to the witness. and the
| attention Of all present was Immediately rfv-
eted on Dreyfus. who explained how the ex-
| clamation. oh the wretch escaped his lips
| during the former trial.
M. Bertillon," the prisoner said. was con-
| stantly turning to me while testifying and call
| ing me the guilty man. I retorted Wretch" 10
| him. These are the circumstances under which
| l uttered the word. l have nothing to reply to
the deposition of the witness But there is one
thing Of which I am absolutely sure. and that
is that am not the writer OF the bordereau.
| This statement caused a considerable stir in
court.
| Referring TO his papers, which were seized at
| the War Office Dreyfus said that II would not
he strange TO see notes written by officers al
| tered He added: II was shown yesterday
| note relative to General De Miribel. There were
| in the document corrections made by the Chief
| Of Department himself. which shows that I'M
medately after having written note. he
handed it to the Chief Of Department
Referring to this so called plotting pad let
genuine. Nine. Dreyfus can testify to that
| point No one here will doubt the word Of
Mime. Dreyfus. and you, gentlemen. less than
any one" he added. looking steadily at the
| judges.
EXPLAINING A GREAT MYSTERY.
After a brief adjournment, the Government
| Commissary. Major Carrere. called upon Cap
tain Valerie. OF the artillery. to explain 81 Ber-
| he
subject The Captain said he thought NJ. Ber-
tillon's testimony might be summarized in a
! sentence: 1.-THE bordereau was doctored, and
| the document fabricated by means Of secret
writing or writing with key, the key word
| interest being found on the plotting pad let
| ter attributed to Matthew Dreyfus."
| The system" continued the Captain, was
| evidently devised to offer the prisoner two
means Of escape. Either he would deny being
the author of the bordereau by pointing to the
difference Of the handwriting. or he would con-
| tend 1t was plot by showing the documents
were traced over his writings.
| However complicated the ingenuity Of the
| human mind might appear" continued the wit
| ness, II propose to show: O) That the doc
| u,nent was fabricated. (2) That 1t was fabricated
| by means Of the key word. interest. tO Tha
documents written by the prisoner in the Wa
| Office contained words written by means OF th'
same key. 90 That the forgery was intended t
enable the prisoner TO plead there was plo
against HIM % That the prisoner alone coulC
be the writer"
Captain Valerie then attempted 10 prove hi
hypothesis traversing practically the SAM
ground as already laboriousy covered by NJ
Bertillon.
The witness declared that as he wished TO re
main on scientific ground he would not attemp
to define the motives actuating the writer Of tn
bordereau But, he added he was perfectly con
WINGED that it could only have been Dreyfus
| Esterhazy had declared himself to be the writer
but that could not be true. because II had bee