New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-27
F4G4grEs or An Expert.

The so-ub-e and tragic gloom o: Rerres. where
q man e fighting for lie. and more than life.
srafus, Overwhelming Odds Of conspItng evil, Is
nov and then Hlurnined with CLEANS Of comedy.
and even ot farce. one choice BIT WAS supplied
-hA Other day By De Muller. with his tale Of
pos,ngs IN the German Emperors bedroom and
~ sacrp- documents there left open 10 the gaze
n. ,ba casual tourist Others. not lsss effective
g. .he,- action upon the human midrin. have
te-an provided By some Of The epaule1tei prose
cr-o-. % highest rank But beyond doubt the
cling, q. roi-rh was attained when VI. Bertil-
-, came uron the stand with his workshop Of
mschiDerT. his museum Of documents and his
kev words and systems and ciphers. TO tarnish
mans honor with The dotting Of an ! and 70
swear away his LIE upon the crossing Of I
Tbsre was repetition q the astounding sceDes
reformed IN the Zola TRIAL bJ the same actor
with his plans Of chirographe fortresses, with
c,,sds,. sl,rr,S. counterscarps and rave.ins and
with bis DEMONSTRATIONS With parallel mine and
counte-In.ne that Captain Dreytus mus' nave
written the Dordereau. even though Este-hazy
confessed having written II and innumelaoie
witnesses declared they saw Este.ha1y Wfl'e L.
That Is % SAP. even though IN fact captain
preTfus did not write il and Esiefhaz! oia
write Il. stsll Captain Dreyfus must nave VIII
Ten f.
II tia, e not ludic-ous il Is because y 100 far
oo,,-a-.sn. AZ anticIlnax Of absurdites. Per
baps. 100, because & = not only absurd out also
r. rot incousiterable degree pathetic Il
recalls the passionate lament d, OpheIa: OA'
what E noble mind Is here oerthrovu: For
beyond doubt ". Bertlllon Is man OF no mean
parts. HIS system Of Identification by anthro-
uometry il worthy OF high praise II has come
into wide use throughout the world ana has
been proved OF real value Upon IL alone As
basis NJ Bertillon would have been sure OF LAST
Ing and honorable repute That a nan OF 80
excellent endowmens should have ieopar1ed
hjs whole repute by the antics OF tie last Two
DAYS a. Rennes is unspsakEbly deploraD.e Inc
exclamation OF i viii AFFORD an Interesting and
not Improbable field o. enterprise FOR specula-
i've PSYCHOLOGISTS Wheihe. re attribute i 70
The surpass.ug v!rulerce Of the Jew oaitins
faint which has enveroUed the brain ana heaf'
Of 50 many other once sane and honorable men
or 20 the propensity % hobby TOO assiduousI!
ridden 70 take the 81, between is teeth and bolt
with So rider into false paths and forbidden
brways. {, : a case that clearly belongs 70 the
domain Of the morbid pathology OF the inner
man.
We have said that the case OF u. Bert!llon Is
not UNDUE nor unprecedented IL France. We
might find many parallels with X IN our own
land The preceding generation saw one OF the
ebles- occupants Of the judicial bench a. first
The dupe and then the zealous champion OF
nslr Of clever rountebanks. giving all the force
! 81 his trained Intellect and judicial acufren .
make their tricks % palpabie legertenain seem
manifestations from The spirit world II Is only
| few years since another respected member OF
the bar. DESPITE his long training In investisa-
| ton and relentless logic, was similarly over
! come by the v!les q The cheap and vulgar Diss
/ Debar A. this very day more than one man
/ OF presumably philOs0plIc mind and OF most r.
s-.ac-abla professional standing Is thus I1isled
/ bv tricks which 70 al other men are EoTe pat
/ eut than any sprlnges 10 catch woodcocks. The
! hare mention Of the Keely motor. the SEA water
gold mines. the Cardiff Giant and Ike decisions
suggests whole directory Of dupes comprising
/ mora than q few names otherwise entitled 10
profound respect
! II rhe present case the grave consideration IS
! ~ course that the wandering hobby rider g
risEirg not simply his own neck. but that % a q
/ other man ia man Is fool enough 70 be duped
Into souandering his own fortune or coInpromis-
ing his OWE reputation we may let him pass
| He is victim Of fra.lties which pertain 70 hu
man nature, and which will not be abolished Sc
long as human nature lasts. When lie thu;
ieopards the fortunes Of others the law may ap
| propriately be invoked Tor his restraint. When
he not only !mperils but With truculent and I'm
| passioned malice assans honor liberty and life
OF fellow man. what shall be the recourse fol
thwartilg him. For that is precisely what thi'
once honored expert in the mad vagaries OF bis
crstrus goaded hobby IS doing G, Rennes.