Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-25
A MYSTERY TO ALL
| BetiNon Tries to Explain
| His System
HOW He |NcR|MINAT DREYFUS
Discusses the Writing in the
Bordereau.
EXPERT COLBERT AGAINST him
Latter Somewhat Disconnected by
Gen. Gonse's Questions.
EXPERT COLBERT AGAINST him
TEDIOUS FOR SPECTATORS

| RENNES. August 25-At the opening of
the Dreyfus court martial this morning
The clerk of the court read medical certi-
fcate signed by two doctors. whose names
were unknown to the audience, declaring
| it impossible for Colonel Du Patty de
Clam to leave his bed to come to Rennes
and testify.
Matre Labor, leading counsel for the de-
Tense, asked the president of the court,
Colonel Jouaust, to instruct two well-known
medical men to examine du Patty de Clam,
but Colonel Jouaust refused.
Rowland Strong, an English newspaper
man. then called to the witness bar
and deposed to the fact that Major Count
Esterhazy confessed to him that he wrote
The famous bordereau. The next witness
was NJ. Colbert an expert of the Bank of
France, who can claim the honor of being
the first man in France to have declared
IN favor of Dreyfus. He reported on exam
ming the documents in the case, that Es-
terhaZy and not Dreyfus, wrote the bor-
dereau.
The witness opened his deposition with a
brief, personal statement, protesting against
being characterized as a doubtful expert
by the military party.
But he added, in tones of profound
pity and turning toward Dreyfus, II have
see before me the unfortunate man who
sits there.
A murmur of approval from the audience
greeted these words of sympathy.
Colbert Repeats Old Evidence,
M. Colbert then repeated the evidence he
had given before the court of cessation.
He gave his testimony in a clear. convinc-
ing manner and was most emphatic in at
tributing the bordereau to Esterhazy
Answering questions of the judges, NJ
Colbert declared his conviction that the
bordereau was written in a running, nat
ural hand. and said there was no tracing.
or other trickery
General Gonse asked to be confronted
with NJ Colbert and put number of ques-
tons, over one or two of which the wit
ness stumbled, to the infinite satisfaction
of the military witnesses who smiled and
exchanged joyful glances.
M. Bertillon, the noted anthropometaist,
was called as the next witness. He wore a
dark blue frock coat and carried high
hat in his hand. NJ. Bertillon requested
permission to bring in his diagrams and
papers. The request was granted, and M.
Bertllon retired for moment, returning
at the head of a squad composed of an
infantry sergeant and four privates, all
staggering under the weight of immense
leather satchels bulging with documents,
charts, etc, which they deposited on the
stage as roar of laughter echoed through
out the court. Even the judges were un-
able to suppress smile as they gazed on
NJ. Bertilons stage properties strewed
over half the platform. table was
brought in, upon which the plans he wax
using could be placed.
The witness began by saying that only
intelligent men could follow his explana.
tions The court was soon half emptied.
as the audience, after smiling audibiy at
his extraordinary words and expressions
became bored and went out
M. Bertillon commenced his deposition at
$40 am 1t occupied the whole of the ses-
sion and will perhaps occupy a good part
of tomorrows session
Curious Scene in Court.
The court room presented a curious scene
while NJ Bertillon. whom the Dreyfusards
in their most indulgent moments describe
as a dangerous maniac spent the three
remaining hours of the session in explain
ing in unintelligible terms, his "infallible
SYSTEM. of proving Dreyfus was the author
of the bordereau. The majority of the pub
lie. however, utterly unable to comprehend
NJ. Bertillon's theories had left the court
room Even La Dame Blanche aban-
dOned her post.
In the meanwhile NJ. Bertillon, with ges-
lures and in the shrll, pitched voice Of
ouack at country fair. continued his
monologue producing every minute some
fresh paper covered with wonderful hiero-
glyphics copies of which he presented to
the judges, who with an expression of OWL
like wisdom, carefully examined them Theil
heads clustered together, their eyes gazing
on the long, wide strips of paper while M.
Bertillon leaned over their table, trying to
explain his mystifying diagrams, which
We're afterward passed to NM Labori and
Demange, who however. apparently did not
derive much profit from their perusal.
Dreyfus gazed at the scene with look
of stupefaction. The clearest utterance Of
NJ. Bertillon during the course of his DEM
onstration was that the handwriting of the
bordereau ''obeys geometricaI rythm of
which discovered the equation in the pris-
oner's blotting pad" The witness finally
announced that he would give practical
demonstration Of the writing Of the bor-
dereau according to his system. Then he
theatrically cleared the desk attached tn
the witness bar, drew his chair nearer, des