The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-29
|ADAY FOR DREYFUS
Seven Expert Witnesses In Handwrit.
Ing We're Put on the. Stand.
FIVE FAVORED THE PRISONER.
Bertillon's Theory Regarding the Dor.
dereau Was Proven GroundleSS.
at WAS NOT THE WORK OF DREYFuS,"
Said NJ. Charavay, but Was Undoubtedly
Written by Esterhazy."
Patty De CLAIMS TESTIMONY TO BE TAKEN
VIII Come in the SHINE of n Deposit
ton and lie VIII Escape Cross
examination.
1T WAS NOT THE WORK OF DREYFus,"
Said NJ. Charavay, but Was Undoubtedly
Written by Esterhazy."
ATTY De CLAIMS TESTIMONY TO BE TAKEN
ton and lie VIII Escape Cross
examination.

Rennes, August 2O.--The balance of tht
evidence today, for change, was in favor
OF Dreyfus. Five witnesses were for him
and two against him
The most interesting testimony was that
of Chief Handwriting Expert Charavay
who had come to declare he had changed
entirely his opinion, which in 1894 was
against and now is in favor of Dreytus
who he today affirmed was not the author
of the bordereau.
| His candid confession of error was re-
ceived with murmurs of satisfaction IN
court, which became discreet applause in
spite OF Colonel Jouaust's impatient dis
| approval when Chavary solmenly said: IL
declare here on my soul and conscience
that the bordereau was written by Ester
hazy."
The most important incident was Colonel
Jouausts acquiescence to Major Carriere's
request that rogatory inquiry be started
TO take Colonel Du Patty de CLAIMS depo-
sition. The initiative came purely from
the government commissary, Maitres La
bori and De Mango having no faith in such
a measure, because it allowed Du Patty de
Clam to escape cross eXa mination, which
is the only thing worth having under the
present circumstances Du Patty de Clam
being a witness for the prosecution. Major
Curriere will simply prepare list of ques-
tions, which the examining magistrate will
put to Du Patty de Clam at his residence
and nobody supposes that the witness will
be very much embarrassed by the inter-
rogatories.
Today the central figure in the court
yard. which is the meeting place for all
suspension of the sessions. was Captain
Freystatter, who was the subject of many
fattering remarks on his manly and SOL
dier-like bearing. Indeed, the interest in
him was so great that some persons waited
all night long outside the door of the court
rear of the court room in the hope OF see
ing him at today's sitting, an impression
having gone abroad that he might be re-
called.
His modest and frank manner inspired
admiration in all except the generals and
the other military witnesses for the prose-
cuton who seemed afraid of him. Captain
Freystatter will not remain here until the
end of the trial, but will leave Rennes in
few days.
NJ. De Freycinet, former minister OF war,
arrived this afternoon and will testify to-
morrow
General MERCER did not seem to be very
cheerful today. He hardly said word TO
General Gonse the whole morning. but
during the brief suspension of the court 5
sitting he and Generals Gonse and Roget
walked up and down the court yard OF
the Lycee. engaged in conversation. GEN
eral De Boisdetfre was not present in court
today; he has been absent for the past
few sessions. and 1t is rumored here that
he is DESTROYS of leaving the sinking ship
of the general staff.
The following is the testimony in de-
tail.
NJ. ay-Javal. the draughtsman. called
by the defense Saturday TO refute the tes-
timopy of NJ. Berillon, the famous an
th1opometer, resumed his testimony at the
opening of the court this morning and
with the assistance of a blackboard pro-
ceeded to show the fallacy OF the calcula-
tons of NJ Berillon and the latters UNI
fairness in not submitting the handwriting
OF Esterhazy TO the same tests as the pris-
oners. He declared, however, that even
ii NJ. Bertillon had done so the results
would not have proved anything. The wiz.
ness. however, insisted that NJ. Bertillon
has advocated dangerous method OF only
making a partial experiment.
Continuing, NJ. ParayJaval proceeded to
show that the geometric regularity alleged
by NJ. Bertillon did not really exist. He
pointed number of Irregularities in the
handwriting OF the bordereau and said tbs
same Irregularities were particularly no.
tiecable in Esterhazy's caligraphy He also
contended that the alleged regularity of
the key word Interest" was only approxi-
mate and proceeded TO Illustrate his argu-
menis on the blackboard showing that all
NJ. Bertilon's proofs applied as equally
to Esterhazy as to Dreyfus. Finally NJ.
Paray- laval declared that NJ, Bertillon's
measurement of the word interest
which served as the base OF the whole
system was entirely false and therefore NJ.
Bertillon's entire system was false to the
ground. (Great sensation)
This witness who had awakened the In
terest of his hearers, maintained that the
bordereau could not have been traced, adj
ding that IL was an utter impossibility. He
then proceeded to illustrate why this was
the case and to prove the baseness of Nj.
Bertillon's deductions. In conclusion, NJ
Paray- laval said. amid laughter, that he
thought NJ Bertillon was very intelli-
gent man, but that his system was false
and the witness was convinced that only
self esteem prevented NJ. Bertillon from
admitting his error
NJ. Bernard, an inspector OF mines, who
took high honors at the polytechnigue
school. followed NJ. Paray-Javal at the
witness bar and said he appeared to refute
a portion OF NJ. Bertillon's evidence which
was based on false calculations AS a
matter Of fact he added it was on only