The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-25
A Large Portion of the Audi
ence Files Out
When the Noted Detective Be-
gins to Testify.
TAKES UP THE DAY.
Every body Bored by the Mass Of
Technical Evidence
introduced to Prove That Drey-
fus Wrote the BOrdeTeau.


Rennes. Aug. 25-The opening of the
fifth session of the third week OF the
second trial by court martial of Captain
Alfred Dreyfus of the artillery, charged
with treason. occurred at 6:55 a. m
today, without any extraordinary in
cident
The clerk of the court read a medical
certificate. signed by two doctors
whose names were unknown to the
audience declaring it was impossible
for Colonel Du Patty de Clam to leave
his bed to come to Rennes and testify.
NJ Labor, leading counsel for the
defense. asked the president of the
court, Colonel Jouaust, TO Instruct two
well known medical men to examine Du
Patty de Clam, but Colonel JOuaust re-
fused.
Rowland Strong. an English newspa-
Der man, was then called to the Wit
ness stand and depOsed to the fact that
Major Count Esterhazy confessed to
hiTn that he wrote the famous bor-
dereau.
The next witness was M. 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 examining
the documents in the case. that Ester
hazy. not Dreyfus wrote the bordereau-
The witness opened his deposition
with q brief personal statement, pro-
testing against being characterized as
a doubtful expert by the military
party.
But" he added in tones OF profound
pity and turning towards Dreyfus. L
have no right to complain. and am 81
lent when 1 see before me the untor-
tunate man who sits there.
A murmur of approval from the. aud
ience greeted these words of sympathy.
NJ Colbert then repeated the evidence
he had given before the court of cassa-
tion. He gave his testimony in a clear
convincing manner and was most en-
phatfc in attributing the bordereau to
Esterhazy-
NO TRICKERY.
Answering questions of the judges,
NJ Colbert declared his conviction that
the bordereau was written in a run
ming, natural hand and said there was
no tracing or other trickery.
General CfOnSe asked TO be confronted
with NJ. Colbert and put a number of
questions. over one or two of which the
witness stumbled to the evident salts
faction of the military Witnesses, who
smiled and exchanged joyful glances.
NJ BertillOn, the noted anthrOpOmet-
aist, was called as the next mitness.
He wore a dark blue frOck coat and
carried a high hat in his hand. NJ. Ber-
tillon requested permission TO bring in
his diagrams and papers The request
was granted and NJ. Bertillon retired
for a moment. returning a the head OF
a squad composed of an infantry ser
geant and four privates, all stagger-
ing under the weight of immense leath-
er satchels. bulging with documents.
charts. etc. " hiCh they deposited on
the stage as a roar of laughter echoed
throughout the court. Even the judges
We're unable to suppress smile as they
gazed on NJ BertillOn's stage proper
ties strewn over half the platform.
a table was brought in upon which
the plans he was using could be placed.
The witness began by saying that only
intelligent men could follow his explain
atiOns. The court was soon half emp
tied, as the audience after smiling aud
IDLY at his extraordinary words and ex-
pressiOns, became bored and went out.
BERTILLON BEGINS.
NJ Bertillon commenced mis- deposi-
tfOn at $50 a m 1t occupied the whole
of this session and viii perhaps occupy
a good part of tOmOrrOW'S session.
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 explaining in
unintelligible terms. his 'infallible sys-
tenn of proving Dreyfus was the au-
thor of the bOrdereau.
The majority of the public however
utterly unable to comprehend NJ. Ber-
tlllon's theories, had left the court
room. Even la Dame Blanche aban-
doned her post In the meanwhile NJ
Bert1llon, with gestures and in the shrill
pitched voice of Quack at a country
fair. continued his monologue. produc-
ing every minute some fresh paper
covered with wonderful hieroglyphfcs
copies of which he presented to the
Judges who, with an expression of owl
IKE wisdom. carefully examined them
Their heads clustered together. their
eyes gazing on the long wide strips of
paper while NJ. Bertillon leaned over
their table trying to explain his mystf-
lying diagrams, which We're afterwards
passed to NJ Labor and Demange who. !
however, apparently did not derive
p ~aef9H Hmfe~ H.
Dreyfus gazed at the scene with a
look of stupefactiOn. The clearest ut
terance of n. BertillOn during the
course of his demonstration was that
the handwriting of the bordereau
obeys geometrical rythm, Of which
discovered the equation in the prison
er's blOtting pad"
A PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATIONS
The witness finally announced that
ne would give a practical deTnonstra-
tlon OF the writing of the bordereau ac-
cordlng to his system. Then he theat-
ncally cleared the desk attached to the
witness bar, drew his chair nearer. de-
posted his high hat on the floor and
slttlhg down. began copying the bor-
defeau The audience watched him
neht over the desk busily drawing let
ters' the judges gazing at him until a
tHe enQ OF ten minutes the people and
the Judges became restlessIy impatient
ana colonel JOuaust remarked that if
was not necessary to copy the whole
Dordereau and that a few lines would
SUFFICE.
A few minutes later NJ. BertiIlon
strobe to the judges table and Dlaced
eeIore them his copy. The judges, ,coun-