The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-30

by a magnifying glass that the border
eau was written in a free hand and with
out hesitation, whereas it is precisely hes.
itation in the formation of the strokes
which revealed the use of method of
tracing l can affirm that It is in the
writing and in the very hand of Ester
hazy That is perfectly clear to me Z"
(Commotion.)
witness gave demonstration of the fall
lacy of the Bertillon system.
Professor Auguste Molinier, of the
School of Ancient MSS. gave similar evil
dence. He said that each fresh examina-
tse x the bordereau only served to fur
-tilce him that it was the work
szy.
p attention the witness demon
~ the conclusions of the ex-
10 attributed the bordereau to
slyres us were mutually destructive and
dwelt on the defects of M. Bertillons ar
guments, pointing out the striking re-
semblance of the alleged doctored hand
writing with Esterhazy's writing, who,
he added, in everyhody's opinion. had re-
lations with Colonel Schwartzkoppen, the
former German Military Attache at Paris,
and the dissimilarities between the writ
ing of the bordereau and that of the
prisoner.
The members of the court martial were
apparently much interested and asked
Professor Molinier number of questions,
to which he replied, upholding his com
cllsion that Ssterhazy was the writer of
the bordereau.
General Mercier requested to speak and
called attention to the fact that in his
testimony before the Court of Cessation,
Professor Molinier said a change was ap-
parent in Esterhazy handwriting after
1894, and asked that the Professors
former evidence be read.
M. Labori leading counsel for the de-
fense. then jumped up and inquired if
General Mercier interviewed with the OBJ
ject of verifying Professors Moliniers
evidence? Counsel added that it seemed
to him that General Mercer iteryened in
the character of witness than as rep
resentative of the Government Commis-
sioner. He therefore, would be grate-
full to the General if he would kindly
explain the bearing Of the remark
Mercier replied that on this special point
h edesired to confirm the evidence OF
Professor Molinien, which, he said, corro-
morated nj. Bertnlon's statement that
Esterhazy. the man-of-straw, changed his
handwriting in order to replace Dreyfus.
In conclusion General Mercier said
Having emphasized the point In re-
gard to the change in Esterhazys hand
writing in 1897, perhaps before, am
satisfied" (Commotion)
Professor Giry. also of the School OF
Ancient MSS, traversed grounds similar
to that covered by Professor Molinier He
said the bordereau only had superficial
likeness to Dreyfus's handwriting and
asserted that 1t was certainly the work
of Esterhazy.
The witness also said that the border
eau was not written with the aid Of key
words.
Thereupon NJ Labori retorted that in
that case General Mercier should not have
repeated the evidence of NJ. Grenier before
the Court Of Cessation, as M. Grenier
showed Esterhazy,s caligraphy had be-
come less and less like the writing both
of the bordereau and of Dreyfus-
NJ Bertillon, at this juncture, said he
desired to speak, but the President of the
Court, Colonel Jouaust. hastily rose and
said. amidst laughter
.sThe sitting is suspended"
Then NJ Bertillon reseated himself in
a state of high dudgeon.
On the resumption of the sitting, M.
Georges Picot member of the Institute,
was called for the defence, Maitre De-
mango. of counsel for the prisoner, ex-
planning that NJ. Picot was summoned be-
cause, in May last, he had an Interview
with a foreign military attache, during
the course of which mention was made
of the document inserted in the dossier
by General Mercier
Colonel Jouaust recommended the wit
ness to be very cautious in his statements.
After promising to exercise care M.
Picot started with saying that he had an
Military Attache, which caused Colonel
Jouaust to intervene, saying:
But you cannot continue like this"
Major Carriere, the Government Com
missary. also exclaimed, sharply
81 protest in the name of the Govern
ment and the State against the indis-
cretion committed by the witness"
NJ. Picot then recommended his testi-
mony, eliminating the "Austro-Hun-
garlan." He said he had an interview
with certain Military Attache'' and
that the conversation turned upon the
Dreyfus case The Attache expressed
surprise at the incorrect attitude of
French officers in doubling the word Of
foreign officers.
MY impression" added the witness,
twas that he was anxious to assert
firmly and uneauivocally the absolute in
nocense of Dreyfus." fSensation.)