Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-30
Experts Show That Ester
hazy Was Guilty.
GEN. ROGET'S ATTITUDE
Is the Subject of Much Talk, While the
Changes in the Views of Gen. Mer-
cier are Subject to Two Inter-
pretatiOnS.

HenneS, Aug. 3O.-Paul Meyer, head OF
the Ecole de Charles, was the first wit
ness before the Dreyfus court martial
this morning, his testimony being favor
able to Dreyfus.
At the opening of the Dreyfus trial to-
day. NJ. Paul Meyer, member of the in
stitute and director of the school of an
cient manuscripts, was the first witness
called. He deposed in favor of Dreyfus.
After Molinier and Giry and NJ Picot,
member of the institute, testified in favor
of Dreyfus, General de Loye testified
against the prisoner on artillery refer
ences in the bordereau. The evidence Of
Meyer, Molinier and Giry, who are hand
writing experts of the first rank, was a
strong point for Dreyfus. They We're
most emphatic in declaring the border
eau was written by Esterhazy, and cre-
ated a better impression than Bertillon.
General Mercier asked to be allowed to
reply to Molinier and then confirming
the professors statement that Ester
hazy had changed his handwriting since
1894, puzzled the audience. That Ester
hazy should have deemed it advisa BILE to
change his handwriting since the date
of the bordereau, which appears at first
sight to indicate that he wrote it, and
that MERCER should support Molinier,
aroused discussion as to it's import There
are some people who see in Mercier's s
unsolicited testimony yesterday in sup
port of the honorab BILE nature of Matthieu
Dreyfus' visit to Colonel Sandherr in
1894 in behalf of his brother and the gem
erals move today, an indication of some
change of attitude. perhaps a prelude to
a candid avOWal of his mistakes of 1894.
On the other hand many persons think
Mercer. fearing that Saturdays expos
! ure will discredit him altogether with
the judges, has conceived the idea of
over are almost incontestible, and thus to
some extent reinstate himself by an at
fectation of impartiality.
NJ. Picot related an interesting conver-
sation which he had with the Austro-
Hungarian military attacne, Colonel
Schneider, mention of whose name evok-
ed prompt protest from Major Carriere
in the name of the government Schnei-
der. according to the witness, admitted
Esterhazy acted as a spy and wrote the
bordereau.
General Roget, with his usual shrewd-
ness, seized upon Picots statement that
Schneider expressed astonishment that
a tfencn Olncer SnOnId nave the. bad
taste to question the word of foreign off,
, GERS, to mount the platform and make a
short speech in defense of the attitude
of French officers, concluding with the
remark:
II interviewed because when French
officers are attacked they have the right
to defend themselves"
Thse. words will be published all over
France, and will tend to make Roget
more popular with the army.
General de Loye repeated his testimony
before the court of cessation relating to
the 120 short cannon. hydro -pne una tic
brake and the Robin" shell.
Dreyfus in reply, made a really clear
statement, explaining that he saw the
hydro pneumatic brake once at Bougus.
once at the school of war, and that he
never saw it used because while on the
general staff he was never present at
| firing practice.
Major Carrere then made application
to have the court sit behind closed doors
tomorrow, explaining that he desired to
submit to the court certain documents
prepared by the gunnery bureau, con-
tanning information which it was not de-
sirable to discuss in public. The court
after delberation granted the appica-
tiOn and also acceded to the request of
the defense that their witness, Major
Hartmann of the artillery be allowed to
be present as he would give important
testimony, showing that Dreyfus could
not have written the paragraphs in the
bordereau concerning artillery.