Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-26

really incapable of giving evidence. But,
the president of the court refused, where
upon NJ. Labori cried:
Colonel Sandherr is dead. Colonel Henry
a. dead and Colonel du Patty de Clam won
come here
Then COUNSEL sat down, boiling with in
dignation. col. Jouaust told NJ. Labor not
TO make observations.
Dreyfua Had Nothing to Ask.
Dreyfus said he had nothing to ask the
witnesses Col. MaureI, Gen MERCER and
Capt. Freystaetter then left the stage and
were followed by an expert in handwriting.
The scene today showed both Col Maurel
and Cen MERCER In an odious light. Maurel
was shown, to put 1t mildly, not to have
told the truth. while Mercier, when cor
nared threw the awkward responsibility
for the nlgalitfes of the court-martial of
1924 on dead men, as NJ. Labor pointed
out and for which counsel was severely
reprimanded by Col. Jouaust.
The audience had their hearts in their
mouths from the moment Capt. Freystaet-
ter opened his lips until the three confront
ed witnesses left the stage, and every mo-
ment a murmur of disgust and the gen
eral cry Of oh burst from the hearers.
Gen. Mercier accused Capt. Freystaetter
of lying in the matter of the Robin shell,
concerning which there is q report accusing
Dreyfus of communicating the details of
the shell to Germany
Freystaetter had said that it was in
Guided in the secret dossier.
81 have caught Capt Freystaetter in the
very act of lying" said Gen. MERCER. amid
the greatest excitement in court. for the
Robin shell was not delivered until 1895
Capt Freystaetter replied promptly,
rl.;., @t.,t..
nents. and he spoke like an honest man.
Col. Maural, on the other hand, when
driven to confess, told untruths and tried
to wrigsle out of it. He presented d
despicable appearance. his voice broken, as
though choking while his limbs were shak-
ing with suppressed futile passion.
Following are the proceedings In detail:
The temperance on the stage Of the
court martial today of the properties of
NJ. Bertilon, the distinguished anthropom-
eter. was the signal of an outbust OF
hilarity on the part of the audience.
An Exclamation Explained.
Before continuing his demonstration, NJ.
Bertillon replied to the comments upon his
evidence yesterday. In regard to the pris-
oner's exclamation of "Oh, the wretch.
the specialist asserted. If Dreyfus, who had
up to that time retained his self-possession.
SO far forgot himself at that particular
point as to insult the witness. 1t was OBJ
viCusly due to agitation when he saw his
method of fabricating the bordereau was
discovered"
My extraordinarily ingenious demonstra-
ton yesterday proves the excellence of
my system" added the witness.
NJ. Bertillon then resumed the EXPOSE
ton of the technicalities of his system,
passing around charts plates, etc.
Here followed re-enactment of scenes
itnr of &
oner apparently quite Indifferent to
what going on and the judges and
counsel alone attempted to follow the spe-
calist in his interminable cryptographic
problems
The witness was heard to say during his
demonstration:
The system I have the honor to ex-
plain to you can easily be carried on under
your eyes, and, If you like, l will again
lead the notes.
Roars of laughter greeted the depreca-
tory reply of Col Jouaust, president of the
court, who said:
oh, do not trouble yourself"
AS the comedy was prolonged it grew 50
weariscme that the audience brought out
newspapers and chatted in low tones.
NJ. Jauros, a member of the chamber of
deputies and a strong Drey fusard, openly
showed his Impotence, but was not rebuk-
ed for 80 doing.
Fresh Proofs Advanced.
NJ. Bertillon at ons point advanced aleg
ed fresh proofs against the prisoner. name
ly. IN the Dreyfus papers seized at the
war office. and in which the specialist said
he found two words had been traced.
As he proceeded the witness beca me i'm
bedded in paraphernalia His lecture, de-
iiyered in funereal tones. began to pail
on the judges. who finally only paid the
most cursory attention to the examples
submitted.
one of N. Bertillon's demonstrations was
handed To Dreyfus, who closely scrutiniZed
IL and returned the paper with a disdain-
full shrug of his shoulders and without
utterlns word.
In summing up the results of his test,
NJ. Bertilion said:
Fully understanding the responsibility
of so positive statement. on my soul and
conscience. l declare today, as l did in
1854, on my oath, that the bordereau is the
work Of the prisoner here" (sensation)
DreyfuS heard this assertion unmoVed
The witness was asked by the court how
he explained the similarity Of the hand
writing of the bordereau and that of Es-
terhazy. to which he replied that since
1894 EsterhaZy may have practiced imi-
tating writing of the bordereau in order
to render possible the substitution of him
self for the prisoner. In support OF this
theory NJ Rertillon produced a fresh array
of plates which he alleged proved his
hypothesis In regard to Esterhazy. There
were murmurs of assent and dissent. The
witness pointed out that IN Esterhazy's
writing there were certain caligraphic
blunders which. he asserted, did not ex-
list in the original bordereau but were
found in reproductions of the document
in consequence of imperfections in the
methods employed to reproduce them. This,
he continued. tended to prove that Ester
haZy had appropriated the writing Of these
reproductions.
EsterhaKy Denounced.
"EsterhaZy," exclaimed NJ. Bertillon, 'is
a man of straw and a scoundrel. / have
said this ever since the commencement of
the lola trial.
There a sensation in court at this
remark. which was turned to laughter as
the witness. in his excitement, knocked his
portfolios to the ground.
NJ. Demange asked NJ. Bertillon if he
had submitted Esterhazy's handwriting to
the same tests the bordereau.
The witness replied in the affirmative
explaining. however, that the tests We're
less complete than in the of the prs-
Ouer.
Counsel reminded the witness that he
said in 1894 that he found in the bordereau
a cryptographic signature, alfred Drey-
fus.
NJ Bertillon replied that he was not now
posltiVe nthis point, to which, he added,
ne attached no Importance whatever"
referring to NJ. Bertilons statements
yesterday that he found in the bordereau
words Dreyfus was in the habit of using in
documents of the war office, NJ Demange
asked how the witness accounted for this:
and the specialist explained. with some