Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-08-26
THEORY OF FBERT|LLON.
Dreyfus a Professional Spy with
a System of False Hand.
writing.
SANE WITH INTENT TO DECEIVE

Demonstration-Anothe Expert Says
Dreyfus Did Not Write the Incriminat-
ing Document-Transvaal News-Dyna-
mite Monopoly ntinued-Chamber-
lain Has q Blue Book on the Dispute
Published.
Rennes, Aug. 26.-Bertillon re-
sumed his testimony this morning as
a handwriting expert. His explana-
tions of why he believed Dreyfus was
the author of the bordereau was as
unintelligible as yesterdays. Toward
the last even the members of the
court martial paid only the most per-
functory attention. Dreyfus listened
| with an expression of disdain. There
was highly dramatic scene toward
the end of the session when Labori
called Maj. Freystaeter, one of the
members of the court martial of '94,
to contradict Col. Maurel, the presid-
ing Judge on that occasion, who testi-
fled that he only read one of the docu-
| ments of the secret dossier. The ma
Ior said his conviction of the guilt of
the prisoner was formed bv the evil
dence of the handwriting experts, the
deposition of De Clam and by hearing
the dossier read. He declared that
all the documents in the dossier were
read. As this was direct contradic-
tion of Maurel, Labori demanded the
conformation of the two. When
asked to explain, the colonel replied
savagely: Il said l only read one of
the documents. / did not say that
only one document was read" This
called forth an outburst of Kisses and
indignant "Oh's" from the audience,
which looked upon it as an Infamous
confession.
Rennes, Aug. 26.-After NJ. Bertillon,
the handwriting expert who is at the
head of The anthropometric depart
ment OF the prefecture of police of
Paris, had concluded the first INSTALL
ment OF his so-called demonstration of
the guilt of Captain Dreyfus promi-
nent Dreyfusard referred to him as the
fin de steele Cagliostro. The Dreyfus-
ards do not deceive themselves as to
the effect of NJ. Bertillon's testimony,
or demonstration may have upon
the judges, who, they fear, will be
gulled by what the Dreyfusards consid-
er spurious. All the judges have passed
through the Ecole Polytechnique-the
highest school of science in France
and they are thus peculiarly interested
in such evidence as Bertillon's
Moreover, with the aid of the innumer-
able diagrams and specimens of writ
ing which he submits to them they may
be able to follow his reasoning intelli-
gibly, which is more than any member
or the audience could do yesterday.
Ingenious Theory of the Expert.
If the judges accept Bertilion's prem
ises that Dreyfus, as an expert spy, did
not write ordinary handwriting, but in
close imitation, even contriving to give
the letters the appearance of having
been traced. in order to be able TO re-
pudfate them as a forgery If detected
then the structure built upon this
groundwork may be scientifically cor
rect. Even Dreyfus, when shown Ber-
tillon's demonstrations. admitted the |
ingenuity and plausibilty of the sys-
TEN, though he naturally declared that |
II was built upon false basis. A re- |
markable feature of NJ. Bertillon's |
deposition was the heat and excitement |
he put into what was expected to be a |
calm. dispassionate exposition of his |
theory. At one time when he was thus |
excited he was simply impressing upon |
the Judges the significance of the ex- |
act space-measured in centimetres-
between two words IN the bordereau.
Expert Testifies for Dreyfus.
Previous to Bertillon taking the |
newspaper man, testified that Ester |
hazy had confessed to him that he |
made the bordereau, but charged that |
Dreyfus had betrayed to Germany the |
documents enumerated therein. Then |
NJ. Colbert, a handwriting expert of |
thirty years experience, testified that |
he had been shown the bordereau be-
fore il had been given to Bertillon and /
had declared il not the handwriting of |
Dreyfus. After his declaration to that |
effect he was not wanted any more by |
the war Office and was not even asked |
to submit a report. In reply to Gonse
he showed lack of memory to some
extent.
Truth May Come from Germany.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press was told in competent Dreyfus-
ard headquarters that the defense in
tended, in the event of Captain Dreyfus
being recondemned. to ask the German
government to communicate certain
documents proving his innocence. and
that they had reason to believe such a
request would be granted.
BoER MONOPOLY CONTINUED.
Dynamite Win still BE Costly to the Out
l