Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-31
Associated Press Dispatches by special wires.

,.sooiatsd Press Dispatches by Special Wires.
Reppes, France, Aug. 80. AT the
enening. in tho Lyoea. this morning.
ii The trial, by court-martinl, of Capt.
Alfred Dreyfls, M. Paul Meyer, a mem
her Of the Institute and n director of
The School Of Ancient Manuscripts. was
The first witness called, lie deposed in
favor Of Dreyfus. After hearing Mn.
Nolipier and Giry and M. Picot,
member Of the Institute, all Of whom
testified in favor of Dreyfus, Con.
DpIoye testified against the prisoner,
on the artillery references in the bor-
dereau.
Then, the court, on the application
of the government commissary, Major
Carriere, ordered that the opening part
Of tomorrow's session be behind closed
doors, for the purpose Of discussing
documents relating to the artillery.
NJ. Picot related an interesting con-
yersation which he had with the
Austro Hungarian military attache,
Col. Schneider, mention Of whose name
evoked prompt protest from Major
()arriere 10 the name Of the government
and state. Col. Schneider. according
10 this witness, admitted that Ester.
hazy acted as q spy, and wrote the
borderean.
Gen. Roget, with his usual shrewd.
ness, seized upon M. Picot's statement
that Col Schneider expressed astonish-
ment that French officers should have
the bad taste to question the word Of
foreign officers to mount the platform
and make short speech In defence of
the attitude Of the French officers, con-
Guiding with the remark: II inter
yened because, when French officers are
attacked, they have the right to defend
themselves. I" These words will be pub
shed all over France, and will tend
to make Gen. Roget more popular with
the army
Gen. Deloye repeated his testimony
before the Court of Cessation, relating
to the 120 short cannon hydro-pneu-
matte brake and the Robin shell.
Dreyfus, In reply. made a really clear
statement, explaining. that he saw the
pneumatic brake once at
Bourges, once at the School Of War,
and that he never saw 1t used, because,
while on the general staff, he was never
present at firing practice.
Major Carriere then made his appli-
ration to have the court sit behind
rosed doors tomorrow, explaining that
ub utoiTti w w tbo bohip tuh
tain documents prepared by the gun
merry bureau, containing information
which it was not desirable to discuss
in public. The court, after delibera-
tion, granted the application, and also
acceded to the request of the defence
that their witness, Major Hartmann, of
the artillery, be allowed to be present,
as he would give testimony showing
that Dreyfus could not have written
the paragraphs in the bordereau con-
corning artillery.
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
Following are the proceedings in
detail
The first witness today, M. Paul
Meyer, a member of the Institute and
director Of the School of Ancient
Manuscripts. described his researches
10 connection with the Dreyfus case,
which led to his conviction that the
bordereau was not only in Esterhazy's
handwriting but was actually written
by Esterhazy.
The witness explained that, in his
evidence before the Assi2es Court, he
was unable to be SO positive in regard
to the writer, because he had only seer
a facsimile of the bordereau, but al
the Court Of Cessation he saw the
original bordereau.
II CONVINCED myself" said NJ
Meyer, "by magnifying glass tina
hand and without hesitation, whereas
it is precisely hesitation in the forma
ton Of the strokes which reveals tn,
use of method of tracing. cal
ifirm that it is in the writing and II
he very hand of Esterhazy. That j
perfectly clear to me, (Commotion.
At the conclusion of his testimony
the witness gave demonstration of tn
fallacy Of the Bertillon system,
Prof. Auguste Molinier, Of the Schoo
Of Ancient Manuscripts, gave simila
evidence. He said that each fresl
examination of the bordereau onl
served to further convince him that !
was the work of Esterhazy,
Amid deep attention, the witnes
demonstrated how tho conclusions .
the experts who attributed the Dor
aereau to Dreyfus were mutually de
!tructive, and dwelt on the defects Q
u. Bertillon's arguments, pointing GU
mo striking resemblance of the allege
doctored handwriting with Esterhazy
writing, who, he added, in everybody
onlnion, had relations with Co
schwartzkorpen, the former Germa
military attache at Paris, and the dis
slmilarlties between the writing of tn
bordereau and that Of the prisoner.
The members of the court marti'
we're apparently much interested, an
asked Prof. Molinier number Of que
lions, to which he replied, upholdin
MS conclusion that EsterhaZy was tt
writer of the bordereau.
Cen. Mercier requested to speak, ar
called attention to the fact that, in b
testimony Before the Court of Cass
uon, Prof. Molinier said change WI
apparent In Esterhazy's handwritir
after 1894, and asked that the profe
sor 9 former evidence be read.
NJ. Labor, leading counsel for u
defence. inquired If Gen. Mercier il
tervened with the object of verifyii
frof Molinier's evidence. Couns
ADDED that it seemed to him that Ge
MERCER interviewed less in the chara
yer OF a witness than rs represent
IVe OF the. government commissions
ne therefore, would be grateful to q
general II he would kindly explain t.
bearing OF his remark.
zen. Mercier replied that, on IL
special point, he desired to confirm t
evidence Of Prof. Molinier, which,
SAID, oorroborated NJ. Bertillon's sta
iient that Esterhazy, the man of stra
changed his handwriting in order
replace Dreyfus. In conclusion, &c
Mercier said: Having emphasized I
point in regard to the change in EST
Nays handwriting in 1897, perhu
before, l am satisfied" (CommotioI
Prof. Giry also of the School
ancient Manuscripts, traversed grou