Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-09-01

was INN nd'ately riveted on Dreyfus.
: who explained how the exclamation;
"Oh, the wretch" escaped his lips Fri
day.
IN. Bertillon," the prisoner said
was constantly turning to me while
testifying and calling me the guilty
man. Iretorted wretch to him. Those
are the circumstances under which 1
uttered the word. l have nothing to re-
ply to the deposition of the witness.
But there is one thing of which am alb
solutely sure and that is that am not
the writer of the bordereau."
Referring to his papers which were
seized at the war office, Dreyfus said
it would not be strange to see notes,
written by officers, altered. He added:
u was shown yesterday note rela-
tive to Gen. de Miribel. There were in
the document corrections made by the
chief of department himself, which
shows that Immediately after having
written note he handed it to the chief
of department" Referring to the So
called blotting-pad letter Dreyfus said
This letter is perfectly genuine. Nine.
Dreyfus can testify to that point. No
one here will doubt the word of Nine.
Dreyfus. and you, gentlemen, less than
any one," he added, looking steadily at
the judges.
Capt. Valerie on the stand.
After brief adjournment the gov
eminent commissary, Maj. Carriere,
called upon Capt. Valerie, of the artil-
lery, to explain NJ. Bertillon's system
and to give an opinion on the subject.
The captain said he thought that M.
Bertillon's evidence might be summar-
lied in sentence:
1.-The bordereau was doctored and
the document fabricated by means of
secret writing, or writing with key,
the key-word interest being found
on the blotting-pad letter attributed
to Matthew Dreyfus.'
'1The system" continued the cap
tain, was evidently devised to offer
the prisoner two means of escape.
Either he would deny being the author
of the bordereau by pointing to the
difference of the hand writing, or he
would contend it was plot, by show
ing the documents were traced over his
writings.
However complicated the ingenuity
of the human mind might appear"
continued the witness, Il propose to
show:
First, that the document was fabri-
Gated.
Second, that it was fabricated by
means of the key-word interest
Third, that documents written by
the prisoner in the war Office contained
words written by means of the same
key.
Fourth, that the forgery was intend
ed to enable the prisoner to plead there
was plot against him.
Fifth, that the prisoner alone could
be the writer
Capt Valerie then attempted to prove
his hypothesis traversing practically
the same ground as already laboriously
covered by NJ. Bertillon.
The witness declared that as he
wished to remain OH scientific ground
he would not attempt to define the mo-
tiyes actuating the writer of the bor-
dereau; but he was perfectly convincedit
could only have been Dreyfus. Esterhazy
had declared himself to be the writer,
but that could not be true, because it
had been proved the bordereau was
forged.
In conclusion. Capt. Valerie declared
the court now had in its possession ma
terial proof of the prisoners guilt.
(Sensation.)
When Dreyfus was asked the usual
question the prisoner pointed out that
the evidence of Capt. Valerie was only
repetition of NJ. Bertillon's and that
consequently his reply to the latter APP
piled equally to Valerie.
Reference having been made to doc
tored words in the minutes written by
him at the war Office, Dreyfus pointed
out that those minutes were written in
the presence of witnesses. He also
dwelt upon the fact that he had already
acknowledged the genuineness of the
''blotting-pad letter" which he reaf-
firmed, adding, that the hypothesis
that he doctored the bordereau in order
to have means of defense fell to the
ground of itself, since he had never at
tempted to turn the system to use.
| (Sensation.)
"All NJ. Bertillon's measures are
false. All without exception" ex-
claimed the prisoner, vehemently, amid
excitement.