The San Francisco call., 1899-08-26

u. NA-4CiAF b4IC manu- expert,
who is at the head Of the an
- thropometric department of the
prefecture of police at Paris, had
concluded the first installment of
his so-called demonstration of the guilt
of Captain Dreyfus a prominent Drey-
fusard referred TO him as the fn-de-
steele Cagliostro.
The Dreyfusards refuse to regard him
as anything but the prince of quacks.
They cover his remarks with ridicule
and protest that the admission Of his
fantastic theories as evidence before
the cOurt-martial is a disgrace to
France. 'C'est une honte," was the
remark heard on all sides when the ses-
sion closed, and the audience mainly
made up Of Dreyfusards, was being
pressed outside by the gendarmes, who
clear the courtroom as soon as the
court adjourns.
Nevertheless even the Dreyfusards
do not deceive themselves as to
the effect NJ. Bertilon'sl testimony
or demonstration may have upon
the Judges, who. they fear, will be
guIled by what the Dreyfusards con-
slider spurious All the Judges have
passed through the Ecole Polytech-
nique, the highest school of science in
France, and they are thus peculiarly
interested in such evidence as that of
Bertillon. Moreover. with the aid of in
Vulnerable diagrams and specimens of
writing which he submits TO them, they
may be able TO follow his reasoning in
telHgertly, which is more than any
member Of the audience could do to-
day. If the Judges accept Bertillon's
premises-that Dreyfus, as an expert
spy, did not write in ordinary hand
writing but in close imitation, even
contriving 10 give letters the appear
ance of having been traced, in order to
be able TO repudiate them as forgery
if detected-then the structure built
upon the groundwork may be scientific
ally correct. Even Dreyfus, when
shown Bertillon's demonstrations. ad-
mitted the ingenuity and plausibility of
the system, though he naturally de-
clared that it was built upon a false
basis
A remarkable feature Of Bertillon's
deposition was the heat and excite
ment he put into what was expected to
be a calm, dispassionate exposition of
his theory. He thundered, shouted and
waved his arms as though engaged in
some terrible dispute. Once he literally
shrieked. and numbers of the usual
audience who had been unable to fol-
low him and were taking the air in the
courtyard rushed back into the hall,
breathlessly inquiring what had hap
pened and imagining that he was full
minatfng some dreadful enunciation of
the accused.
Their excitement turned into hilarity
when they found he was momentarily
impressing upon the Judges the signifi-
cance of the exact space measured in
centimeters, between two words in the
bordereau. The military witnesses. all
of whom sit in a bunch. leaving Colonel
PiCquart and NJ. Bertullus severely iso-
lated followed NJ Bertillon's statement
with grave and wise expression of
countenance, upon which never a sus-
picion Of a smile appeared, as though
they understood every word Evidently
they had received a mot d'ordre to pre-
serve this attitude, for without seeing
the diagrams they could not have un-
derstood any better than did the GEN
eral public.
The Echo de Paris announced to-day
that the cousel of Dreyfus had obtained
possession of certain documents men
toned in the bordereau, in Esterhazy's
writing, which they would produce in
court next week as a coup de theatre,
The correspondent inquired as to this
in competent Dreyfusard quarters this
afternoon. He was assured that the
statement was erroneous. but was also
told that the defense intended, in the
event of Captain Dreyfus being re-
condemned. to ask the German Govern
ment to communicate these documents. |
proving his innocence, and that they
had reason to believe such a request
would be granted.