The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-09-01
N. BERTILLON'S VIEW
The Expert Testified as to Why He
Thinks Dreyfus Guilty.
HIS DEMONSTRATION" IS FEARED.
The Dreyfusards Apprehensive That the
Judges of the Court Martial May
he Gulled by the Handwrit-
ing Experts evidence"


the handwriting expert who is at the
head of the anthropometric department
of the prefecture of police of Paris, had
concluded the first installment of his
so-called demonstration of the guilt of
Capt. Dreyfus, a prominent Dreyfusard
referred to him as the fin dc steele Gag
liostro. The Dreyfusards refused to
regard him as anything but the prince
of quaclSs They cover his remarks
with ridicule and protest that the adj
mission of his fantastic theories as evil
dence before the court-martial is IA dis
grace to France. "C'est unc homie"
was the remark heard on all sides
when the session closed and the audi
ence, mainly made up of Drcyfusards,
was being pressed outside by the
gendarmcs, who clear the court room
as soon as the court adiourns.
Nevertheless even the Dreyfusards do
not deceive themselves as to the effect
NJ. Bertillon's testimony or ''demon-
stration" may have upon the judges,
who, they fear, will be gulled 10y what
the Dreyfusards consider spurious tes-
timony. All the judges have passed
highest school of science in France, and
they are thus peculiarly Interested in
such "evidence" as NJ. Bertillon's.
Moreover, with the aid of the innumer-
able diagrams and specimens of writ
ings which he submits to them. they
may be able to follow his reasoning
intelligibly, which is more than any of
the audience could do yesterday. If
the Judges accept Bertillon's premises
that Dreyfus, as an expert spy, did
not write ordinary handwriting. but
in close imitation even contriving to
give the letters the appearance of hav-
ing been traced in order to be able to
repudiatc them as Il forgery if detected
then the structure built upon this
groundwork may be scientifically cor
rect.
Even Dreyfus, when shown Bertil-
| Ion 5 demonstrations, admitted the in
genuity and plausibility of the system,
though he naturally declared that it
was built upon false basis.
A remarkable feature of Bertillon' 5
deposition was the heat and excite
nent he put into what was expected
o be a calm, dispassionate exposition
Of his theory. lie Numbered, shouted
and waved his arms as though engaged
in some terrible dispute. Once he lit.
orally shrielled and numbers of the
usual audience who had been unable
to follow him and was taking the air
in the court yard rushed back into the
hall, brcathlcssly inquiring what had
happened and imagining that he was
Illuminating some dreadful deuuncia-
ton of the accused.
Their excitement was turned into
hilarity when they found that he was
momcntarily impressing upon the
Judges the significance of the exact
space, measures in centimetres. be
tween two words in the bordereau
The military witnesses all of whom
sit in bunch, leaving Col. picquar
and Nj. Bcrtulus severely isolated, fol
lowed NJ. Bertillon's statements with
grave and wise expression of counter
ance. upon which never suspicion o
"A smile appeared, as though they un
derstood every word. Evidently they
had received IA mot d'ordre to preserv,
this attitude for. without seeing tn,
diagrams, they could not have under
stood any better than did the genera
public.
The Echo de Paris announced tina
the counsel of Dreyfus had obtainc,
possession of certain documents men
toned in the bordereau in Esterhazy'
writing, which they would produce il
court next week as Il coup de theatre
The correspondent of the Associates
press inquired rs to this in competen
DreyfuSard quarters yesterday after
noon. He was assured that the state
ment was erroneous, but was also toll
that the defense intended. in the even
of Capt Dreyfus being recondemned
to ask the German government to con
municate these documents, proving hi
innocence, and that they had reason t
believe such "A request would be grant
ed.
ROWAN AT TIDT0M