The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-26
EXPERT EVIDENCE.
MN. Colbert and BertilIon, Caligraphy
Experts, Put on the Stand.
TESTIMONY WAS CONFLICTING.
According to Colbert, the Bordereau
Was Written by Esterhazy.
1T WAS A VERY CLEVER FORGERY.
Governments Witness Equally as Sure 1t
Was Written by DreyfuS.
THE SESSION WAS DEVOID OF INTEREST
Has Summoned Ten New Wit
Reconsideration Expected.

Renncs, August 25.--After NJ. Bertillon
the handwriting expert, who is at the head
OF the anthropometric department of the
prefecture of police in Paris, had con-
cluded the first instalment of his So
called demonstration of the guilt of Cap
tain Dreyfus prominent Dreyfusard re-
ferred to him as THE Fin De Selole
Cagliestro" The Dreyfusards refused 10
regard him as anything but the prince of
quacks. They cover his remarks with rid
icule and protest that the admission of his
fantastic theories as evidence before tho
court martial is a disgrace to France.
"Cest un honte,' was the remark heard on
all sides when the session closed and the
audience, mainly made up of Dreyfusaris,
was being pressed outside by the gem
darmes who cleared the court room as
soon as court adjourned. Nevertheless.
even the Dreyrusards do not deceive thom
selves as TO the effect NJ Bertlllons tes'
timony or demonstration" may have upon
tho judges who, they fear, will be gulled
by what the Dreyfusards consider spuri-
GUS All the judges have passed through
the "Ecole Polytechnique, the highest
school of science in Franco, and they are
thus peculiarly interested in such "evi-
dence" as NJ. Bertilon's.
Moreover, with the aid of the innumer-
able diagrams and specimens of writing
which he submits to them. they may be
able to follow the reasoning inteiligibly
which is more than any member OF the
audience could do to-day. If the Judges
accept Bertillon's premlses-that Dreylus
as an expert spy did not write ordinary
handwriting but in close imitation, even
eontriving 10 give the letters the appear
ance OF having been traced, In ordeF 10
be able TO repudiate them as a forgery
if detected-then the structure buiit upou
this ground work may be scienoicaily cor :
rect Even Dreyrus, wnen SHOWN bertil-
Ions demonstrations. admitted the iag.-
nuity and plausihility OF the system
though he naturally declared that II was
built upon a false basis remarkADlc
feature of NJ. Bertilon's deposition was the
heat and excitement he put into what was
expected TO be "a calm. dispassionate eX-
position of his theory. He thundered'
shouted and waved his arms as though
engaged
he literally shrieked, and members OF the
usual audience who had been unable 10
follow him and were taking the air in the
court ward rushed into the hall breath
lessly inquiring what had happened dam
aging, supposing that he was Illuminating
some dreadful denunciation of the ac-
cused Their excitement was turned INTO
hilarity when they found that he w2s mo-
mentarily impressing upon the judges the
II nj
In centime.ers, between two words In the
bordereau
The military witnesses, all of whom SIT
in n bunch. leaving Colonel Plcquart and
NJ. Bertuillus Severely isolated, followed
NJ Bertillon's statements with a grave
and wise expression OF conntenance;, upon
which never suspicion of a smile APP
peared. as though they understood every
word Evidently they had received mot
d'ordre TO preserve this attitude, for with
out seeing the diagram they could not
have understood any better than did the
general public.
THE Echo De Paris announced TODAY that
thc counsel for Dreyfus had obtained pos
session of certain documents mentioned in
the bordereau in EsterhaZy's handwriting,
which they would produce in court next
week as coup de theatre. The CORE
spondent of the Associated Press inquired
as IN this in competent Dreyfusard head
that the statement was erroneous: but
was also told tkat the defense intended in
the event of Captain Dreyfus being re-
condemned TO ask the German government
TO communicate these documents proving
his innocence and that they han reason 10
halieve such a request would be granted.
Following are the proceedings In detail:
At the opening OF the session of the
Drevfus court martial today comment was
caused by the request OF NJ. Gribelin, the
principal arehlvist of the headquarters
staff for permission to absent himseli Tor
twenty hours, owing to summons OF the
minister of war. General Gallifet, who de-
sired to see him in Paris. IT was sus-
gested that the minister Of war wished to
refresh NJ. Gribelin's memory. which has
been strongly antiDreyfus.
IRE reading of the medical certificate
signed by the two doctors, whose names
were not fsmiliar to the court, setting
forth that Colonel Du Patty de Clam is 100
IN 10 leave his bed and appear at Relnea,
~ which the audience was not surprised.
Maoame Du Patty de Clam also wrote to
the government commissary ofering
written supplementary deposition from her
husband.
the doctors who signed the certificate,
asked the court TO appoint two well known
physicians to report officially on Du Patty
de CLANS condition. Colonel Jouaust,
however, declared 1t was useless TO do so,
as the condition of the Invalid was well
krown
Rowland Strong. correspondent OF the
New York Times and a member of the
stan of the Observer Of London. was the
6rst witness called. He described at
ianeth the interviews which he had with
Esterhazy, saying the Observer offered