The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-29
In FAVOR OF CAPT. DREYFUS
EXPERT WHO Justified AGAINST
HIM NOW RECANTS.
Du Patty de Clam TO Testify in His Sick
Bed-Frey ctnet TO he Called To-dny.

Bed-Frey ctnet 10 he Called To-day.
Rennes, Aug. 2S.--Wi1en the second
trial by court martial of Captain Alfred
Dreyfus, of the artillery, charged with
treason, opened in the Lycee building
this morning General MERCER, who was
minister of war when Dreyfus was first
tried in 1894, was present as usual in
the front row of the witness seats,
thus definitely setting at rest the re-
ports as to his having fled to the Island
of Jersey and as to his arrest.
The first witness called to-day was
M. Paraf-Javal, the draughtsman
whose evidence was interrupted on Sat
urday by the adjournment of the court.
In brief, the mornings session may be
said to have been field day for the
handwriting experts, who devoted
themselves to demolishing one another 5
evidence. The public followed the de-
positions listlessly, but the judges and
counsel listened with the greatest at
tention.
MERCER Sad.
General MERCER did not seem to be
very cheerful this morning He hardly
said a word to General Gouse the
whole morning. But, during the brief
suspension of the courts sitting he and
Generals Gonse and Roget walked up
and down the court yard of the Lycee
engaged In conversation
General de Boisdeffre was not present
in court to-day. He has been absent
from the past few sessions and it is ru
mored here that he is DESTROYS of leav
The center of interest in the court
yard was Captain Freystaetter, of the
marine infantry, who testified so ia
vorably to Dreyfus on Saturday, and
who seemingly gave the lie to Col Maui
rel, who was president of the court
martial of 1894, in most important fea-
ture of the latter's evidence.
r. Not single uniformed officer spoke
to him. which is the first fruit of his
frankness and a clear indication of the
determination of the military clique to
ostrac1se him.
When the two first witnesses had tes-
titled and argued against NJ Bertilion's
system, it was the opinion of the SYM
pathizers of Dreyfus that if the state
ments of the witnesses were correct,
they had simply pulverized M. Bertil-
lon.
The latter wished to reply, but the
president of the court, Colonel Jouaust,
declined to allow the specialist to go
over his evidence again, taking the
ground that the trial would never end
if every expert did the same.
An amusing scene followed. M. Ber-
tillon pleaded that he had a personal
statement to make and mounted the
platform. But he had hardly uttered
half a dozen words when Colonel Jou-
aust saw he was merely regrinding his
evidence, and to the great satisfaction
of the audience, the president CURLY
told the specialist to leave the platform,
which he did discounted.
Esterhazy Guilty.
M. Tesseniere's testimony against
Dreyfus followed, and then M. Chara-
way, the expert who had previously de-
clared Dreyfus was the author of the
bordereau, was called to the witness
bar.
His testimony proved to be Of the
greatest interest, as he came to confess
he had made an error and said he was
now convinced that Esterhazy and not
Dreyfus wrote the bordereau.
This announcement made q deep Inn
preston on the court and was greeted
with general rlurrnur of satisfaction.
The next expert, NJ. Pelletier, also testi-
fled favorably to Dreyfus.
M. Couard, another expert, then de-
posed that as the result of his examina
ton he had acquired the conviction
that the bordereau was not written by
Esterhazy. But he could not say it
was written by Dreyfus, because he
had not seen the prisoners handwriting.
This witness kept the court in a con-
tlnual roar OF laughter
The final witness, NJ. Varinaud, main
tanned the declaration he had made be-
fore the court of cessation, that the |
bordereau was not written by Ester
hazy.
To Take De CLAIMS Testimony.
Colonel Jouaust then announced that |
M de Freycinet, who resigned as min
lister of war May of the present year,
and who was succeeded by General de
MARQUIS de Galifet on the downfall of
the Dupuy ministry would be among
the witnesses tomorrow, and the ses-
sion was closed with the request that
Rogatory commission be sent to Colonel
Du Patty de Clam. whose illness pre-
vents his attendance in court, to which
Colonel Jouaust agreed.
This step does not satisfy the defense,
but they acquiesce to the commission
taking Du Patty de CLAIMS testimony on
the principle that half a loaf is better
than none.
The Trial in Detail
The following is the testimony in de-
tail at the Dreyfus court-martial to-
day:
M. Paray-Javal, the draughtsman
called by the defense Saturday to re-
flute the testimony of M. Bertillon, the
MI or roe cd bic