The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-29

NJ. f1enrl Welll, a former Of1cer OF
the headquarters staff, was then called,
but he was absent andth his deposition
was read. The facts in the case were
published April goth. NJ. Wells state
ment, in substance, was that Ester
hazey told him in 1894 that Dreyfus was
innocent, but that this would not pre-
vent his conviction, because he was a
Jew. (S~ensation.)
A former sergeant who was at n
time employed in the var office, testi-
fed to seeing Dreyfus copying the list
of railroad stations mentioned in the
plan Of mobilization, to which Dreyfus
replied: 1T is true; but I copied the
list by order Of Captain Besse." (Sen-
sation.)
HANDWRITING EXPERTS.
The evidence of the handwriting ex-
perts followed.
M. Colbert after testifying to the facts
published April 22nd and April oath,
vehemently protested against the in
situation that he was an interested wit
ness. He referred to his thirty years
of services, during which he had re-
ported or thousands of documents and
added, visibly affected: Il protest
against the term interested expert "
adding, turning towards the prisnn~r,
after all, l have no right TO complain
when l look at this unfortunate man
now before YOU" (Great sensation.)
LITE court CLOSELY IOllOWeu M. TO
berts exhaustive story of his exami-
nation of the bordereau and his inter-
view with General Mercier, de Bois-
deffre and Gonse.
M. Colbert asserted that the hand
writing of the bordereau was natural
and fluent and that it was almost illeg-
ible, whereas Dreyfus, even when writ
ing rapidly, always wrote legibly.
General Gonse, it appears from the
testimony, was greatly enraged when
he learned Of the result of M. Gobert's
examination of the bordereau and Wis
tied the expert repeatedly.
1t was after M. Colbert had refused
to incriminate Dreyfus that M. Bertil-
Ion was entrusted with the examina-
ton of the bOrdereau and after a few
hours study, NJ. Bertillon positively at
tributed the bordereau to Dreyfus.
From that time forward M. Colbert
heard no more Of the Dreyfus case. He
was not asked to submit a report.
The witness identified the bordereau
as the same which was submitted to
him and he proceeded to point out the
identity of letters therein with letters
in documents admittedly written by
Esterhazey, saying that the resem-
blance was not apparent in Dreyfus"
handwriting.
The expert refused, in reply to a ques-
ton by the court, to admit that the
bordereau was written in a disguised
hand. He said it had been written with
great %rapidity, precluding all idea Of
/ doctOring or tracing.
Dreyfus here declared in the most
positive manner that he had never
been at the Bank of France, where M.
Colbert was employed, or la relations
with any one there.
BERTILLON TESTIFIES.
There was a general movement of
! curiosity when NJ. Bertillon, the we'll
known anthrOpOmeter Cor specialist in
the measurements of the human body
was called and the interest deeDened
when the chief of the Identification de-
partment advanced to the witness bar.
! He was soon afterwards fOllwed by four
soldiers and a non-commissioned officer,
bearing portfolios, drawing boards and
a variety of packages and parapher-
MALTA, which were deposited on the plat
form, to the amusement of the audi
ence.
M. Bertillon ~prefaced this evidence by
saying his explanations would be I'M
derstood only by a very limited num-
Der and, therefore, he asked the court
to permit him to refer to documents
which he had brought, in order to
make his evidence more Ineligible.
Laughter.)
The specialist then unpacked pack
ages of photographs, plans, etc, and
another table was brought in to hold
the mass of papers
In a monotonous tone, M. Bertillor
proceeded in the manner of a school
boy reciting a lesson, to demonstrate
viction of Dreyfus guilt, reciting the
facts published April 22nd.
The witness, continuing, declared
Dreyfus did not have recourse to imi-
tating E~sterhazey's free handwriting
because it required too long to study
@~l h. ,,-@1 +hn 4ro ni~r 10.
! cause it is easier to learn and more
likely to he successful.
Dreyfus appeared to be stupefied by
the comparatively incomprehensible
jargon, and many of the audience lief
the court.
Suddenly, the wondering attention OF
those remaining in the hall was riv-
eted by the topographic remark nun
ciated by NJ. Bertillon; in loud tones
w clearly have before us a fabri-
Gated document. The one word always
rests upon the other, with a divergence
of 1.25 millimeters and 2.25 millimeters
This is a Phenomena which is unnat-
ural."
NJ. Labori watched the specialist for a
few moments and then returning to his
seat, holding up both hands and
claiming: 1T is most extraordinary
NJ. Bertillon continued his explana-
tons and caused such a whirl in the
brains of his hearers that Colonel
Jouaust finally remarked: I'VE must
have a few minutes rest"
When the session of the court was
resumed, NJ. Bertillon further demon.
Strated.
The witness hen INDUCED in a long
argumentative TRADE against the pris.
oner, like a lawyer summing up fol
the prosecution. Dreyfus listened un.
moved.
NJ. Bertillon then announced hat he
would give a practical demonstration
of how the bordereau was fabricated
by means of a key word. The witness
seated at the table, began to copy the
bordereau on a sheet Of paper similar
in character to the famous document
After a quarter of an hour Colone
Jouaust suggested that it was not nee
essary to finish the demonstration and
M. Bertillon rose and showed the judges
the result of his labor, r~emarking: 81
was in a bad position
The audience concluded from the re-
! mark that the experiment had not sue.