The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-28


witnesses tomorrow. and the session was
closed, with the request that rogatory
commission be sent to Colonel du
Patty de Clam, whose illness prevents his
attendance in Court, to which Colonel
Jouaust agreed.
This step does not satisfy the defence,
but they acquiesce to the commission TAX
| ing Du Patty de Clam's testimony on the
principle that half loaf is better than
none.
The following is the testimony in de-
tall
| NJ. Paray-Javal, the draughtsman called
| by the defense Saturday to refute the tes-
| tfmony of M. Bertillon, the famous an
| thropometer. resumed his testimony at
| the opening of the court this morning,
and, with the assistance of blackboard,
proceeded to show the fallacy of the cal-
| culations of M. Bertillen and the lat
! ter's unfairness in not submitting the
| handwriting Of Esterhazy to the same
tests as the prisoners. He declared,
however, that even if NJ. Bertillon had
done so the results would not have
proved anything The witness, however,
| insisted NJ Bertillon had adopted vic
| ious method in only making partial ex-
pertinent.
Continuing. M. Paray-Javal proceeded
to show that the geometrtc regularitles
| alleged ;by M. Bertillon did not in reality
exist. He pointed out a number Of ir-
| regularities in the Handwriting of the
bordereau and said the same Irregular
ties were particularly noticeable IN Es-
terhazy's caligraphy. He also contend
ed that the alleged regularity OF the key
word interest was oaly approximate
and proceeded to illustrate his argu-
ments on the blackboard, showing THAI
all NJ. Bertillen's proofs applied equally
! to Esterhazy as to Dreyfus. Finally M.
Paray-Javal declared that NJ Bertiilons
| measurement of the word interest,
which served as the basis for the whole
system. was entirely false and therefore
NJ Bertillon's entire system falls TO the
ground and no longer exists tGreat
sensation.)
This witness who had awakened the
interest of his hearers, maintained that
the bordereau could not have been traced,
adding that it was an utter impossioiiity-
He then proceeded to illustrate why TINS
was the case and TO prove the faiseness
of NJ. Bertillon's deductions.
In conclusion. NJ. Paray-Javal said, amid
laughter, that he thought M. Bertillon
was avery intelligent man, but that his
system was false and he, the witness,
was convinced that only self-esteem pre-
vented NJ. Bertillon from admitting his
error.
M. Bernard, an inspector of mines, who
took high honors at the Polytechnic
School. who followed NJ. Paray-Javai at
the witness bar, said he appeared to re-
fute a portion of NJ. Bertillon:s evidence,
which was based on false calculations.
As matter of fact, he added, it was on
such a basis that the whole system
rested.
Witness said he was greatly surprised
that NJ. Bertillon thought fit to have re-
course to psychological arguments to
prove:-
First-That the bordereau was fabri-
Gated.
Second-that the methods which might
have been employed in writing certain
words We're such as 10 constitute proof
against Dreyfus.
NJ. Bernard also said he was astonished
at the fact that NJ. Bertillon had under
taken to account for the shape of letters
and the space between words. There was
not 1.25 millimetre, as alleged by NJ. Ber-
LlllOu. Dul LIDO. moreover, lA1G WTlllHS Ol
the bordereau was natural and rhythmic,
While its character and size showed it
was not written by either short sighted
or a long sighted person. The witness
then proceeded to illustrate photographi-
cally his contention that the bordereau
was not a fabricated document, and also
pointed out important differences be-
tween NJ. Bertillons photographs and the
original.
While pointing out fault in the appli-
cation of the system, M. Bernard aroused
-
Ions system could. nevertheless, be use
full, seeing that it enabled the witness to
show the bordereau was natural and
not-a fabricated document.
In conclusion, M. Bernard exhibited to
the Judges a plate representing page of
current handwriting and said:-
If it was examined by M. Bertillon's
system it will show certain peculiarities
which would not be found upon the ex-
animation of fifty million other docu-
ments. NJ Bertillon did, therefore, say
the document was fabricated. But
he would be wrong, for l borrowed the
page from a report written by M. Ber-
tillon himself.
NJ. Bertillon demanded permission to
reply to the witness, and Colonel Jouaust
replied
81 cannot grant your request, and 1 will
not grant such permission to any of the
fourteen experts, except in the case of a
personal explanation
M Bertillon-sI wish to speak of the
manner in which reconstructed the bor-
dereau."
Colonel Jouaust-'Why, you are discuss
ing the case cannot allow you to
speak except In regard to personal
fact
The Presidents statement aroused loud
laughter, amidst which M. Bertillon, dis
concerted, resumed his seat.
NJ. Teyssonieres followed. He said he
appeared in all respects to his report
dated October %, 1894, in which he ex-
pressed the opinion that the bordereau
was the work of the writer of the docu-
ments seized at the prisoners residence.
For purposes of comparison, the witness
lengthily criticised the bordereau letter by
letter, pointing out resemblances to the
prisoners handwriting.
In conclusion, M. Teyssonieres said he
thought it was impossible to find more
tangible reasons than those which Induced
in him the belief which he hoped the
Court would share. (Sensation.)
Replying to the Court, NJ Teyssonieres
said he. had not noticed the, prisoner $
handwriting was illegible and he had
never seen the document dictated to Drey-
fus.
The copy of the bordereau made by
Dreyfus was then handed to the Witness
who declared it had never been given to
him for purposes of comparison. (Sensa-
tion.)
quire three days to give an opinion u1on
it, He could not conclude his examination
on the spot. He must have time.
Here member of the court martial,
giving the result of his examination of
the bordereau,t remarked:
"The letter II Is always isolated, even
at the beginning of the words?p
this particularly was also found in the
nrfsonqrfs handwriting.