Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-29
Bertillon Causes Amusement
by Extravagant Talk and
Charts and Papers.
PEOPLE LEAVE COURT.
Neither Judge. Nor counsels Can Un-
derstand What The Noted Anthro.
pometrist IL Talking About-His
Testimony is Very Lengthy.

Rennes, Aug. 25.-By Associated
Press.J-The first witness this morning
was Rowland Stron, an English news
paper man, who testified that Ester
hazy confessed TO him that he wrote
the bordereau, but that the documents
mentioned in it had been betrayed to
Germany by Dreyfus. A former SER
geant, at one time employed in the war
office, testified to seeing Dreyfus copy
ing list of railroad stations mentions
ed in the plan of mobilization, to
which Dreyfus replied: 1T is true;
but l copied the list by the order of
Captain Besse." (Sensation.) Colbert,
the Bank of France expert, testified
positively from an examina ton of the
documents, that Esterhazy, not Drey-
fus, wrote the bordereau. 1t was writ
ten in running, natural hand, with
no tracing or other trickery. General
Gonse asked to be confronted with
Colbert and put number of questions,
over one of which the witness STUN
bled, to the great satisfaction of the
-
changed joyful glances. Bertillon. the
noted anthropometrist was next called.
He came up on the stage followed by a
sergeant and four privates, all stagger-
ing under the weight of immense leath-
er satchels, bullying with documents,
charts, ETC., which they deposited on
the stage as roar of laughter echoed
throughout the court. A table was
hrnIIuhf yxh fha \
be placed. 1hs witness began by saw
ing that only intelligent men could
follow his explanations. The court was
soon half emptied as the audience. af-
ter smiling audibly, at his extraordi-
nary words, became bored and went
out. Bertillon commenced his deposi-
ton at $3.50 a. m. 1t occupied the
whole session. and will, perhaps, Occur
py good part of tomorrow's. Ber-
tillon, whom the Dreyfusards, in their
"a dangerous maniac spent three
hours explaining, in unintelligible
terms, his einfallible system for prov
ing Dreyfus the author of the border
eau. Neither judges or counsel. evil
IDENTIFY, could make head or tail Of it.
and the attempt by Bertilion to repro
duce the bordereau before their eyes,
sitting at table and writing it, proved
failure. as he tacitly acknowledged
by, saying he was not well placed. To
the newspaper men who crowded around
Labori after the adjournment. he said
there was certain resemblance 10
the bordereau, adding: ''Bertillon only
did what dozens could do. 1t only
proves that he is IA clever forgcr, that's
ALL
Rcnnes, Aug. a6-Ry Associated
Press -Bertillon resumed his testi-
mony this morning as Il handwriting
expert, and gave his reasons for be-
lieying Dreyfus the author of the Dor
derean. The comic aspect of Bertil-
Ions performance, which concluded at
$3.50, again appealed to the risibilities
of the audience. His explanations were
as uninrelligent as yesterday; the all-
dience became very much bored and.
toward the last even the members OF
the court-martial paid only the most
perfunctory attention. He concluded
by saying in a declamatory tone: Il
am convinced that the writer of the
bordereau is the prisoner sitting
there" Dreyfus heard him without
ainching and with an expression of