The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-09-01
THE DREYFus TRIAL.
Some Dramatic and Sensational Fea-
lures of the Evidence.

|
Dramatic and sensational as was
Thursdays session of the Dreyfus court
martial, it yielded less substantial advan-
tage to the defense than the friends of
truth and justice anticipated. The polti-
cal character Of the trial was strongly
emphasized For the first time the court
itself directly intervened to shield and
protect the military witnesses. The re-
frain so familiar at the Zola trial. this
question will not be put" was frequently
heard during Labori's attempt to cross
examine Mercier the chief Of the con-
spirators Besides, many of the ques-
tions which counsel did put and which
the court could not decently rule out as
irrelevant Mercier simply declined to an
lswer, being sustained by the presiding
officer in his refusal.
Ali that Labori succeeded in showing
was that Mercier was intriguing with
Patty de Clam on the very eve of the
present trial, that he inserted an alleged
discriminating document in the secret dos
sier which he had illegally held and that
he had tried to prevent the defense from
knowing its contents. This document
Col. Jouaust was forced to rule out. Ali
the rest Of the scathing cross-eXanina-
ton related to the trial of 1894, now
known to have been f1agrantly lawless
and unfair, and had no bearing on the
question under inquiry except as tending
to prove the existence of prejudice and
conspiracy.
AT the opening of Fridays session of
the court-martial, doctors certificate
to the effect that it was impossible for
Du Patty de Clam to be present was
read. NJ. Labori asked the court that
an official physician be sent to examine
De Clam, but Col. Jouaust refused.
NJ. Colbert, handwriting expert of the
Bank of France, was called. Colbert told
how he was originally called by the war
Office to examine the bordereau. After
comparing it with specimens of Dreyfus
handwriting he declared that from first
to last it was not the work Of accused
Gen. Gonse was called to confront the
witness. Gonse said that Colbert was
wrong in the details of his testimony,
whereupon the expert earnestly demon
strated the correctness of all he had said.
Gonse retired discounted, but insinuated
that Dreyfus had known the witness in
the bank. Dreyfus denied emphatically
that he had ever known Colbert
The rest Of the days session was given
over to the testimony of NJ. Bertillon,
head of the anthropometric department
Of the Paris police, and who maintains
that he has proved Dreyfus was the au-
thor of the bordereau.
| Bertillon came into court accompanied
| by four soldiers carrying charts, portfo.
/ lios, compa sses, logarithm tables, photo
graphs, etc, which looked like the proper
ties in comic opera. The audience
burst into laughter at the sight. The
| judges themselves looked dismayed as
the procession approached the platform,
md all those in the court who did not
| have to be there fed from the room. The
rush for the doors was noted by Bel.til-
ion, who remarked that it took intelli-
gent people to understand what he was
going to demonstrate.
After arranging his paraphernalia
about him on tables and chairs. the wit
ness began by stating that the bordereau
had bee1 produced by the forces of ma
turc, but that somebody must have writ
ten it. This was given in the manner of
man announcing a great discovery. NJ
] Bertillon continued by declaring that the
bordereau had been traced by Drcyfus,
who had cleverly initiated his own hand
writing. Then Bertllon proceeded to
give the exact measurement Of each pen
stroke. and showed the court q large
diagram resembling the plan of a fort.
ress.
5 This he claimed proved mathematically
, that Dreyfus was guilty. The witness
stopped constantly to unite packages and
surround himself with mysterious ap
paratus to the increased bewilderment
of his auditors. Bertillon proceeded tc
demonstrate his whole system, which
with its ratios and angles, was under
stood by no one in the court. The table
in front of the witness was filled with
charts which came inexhaustively from
numerous pouches. Bertillon's exhibi
ton discredited the whole expert sys
tenn. His reasoning was based on taking
as a fact some charge against Dreyfus
which was unsupported by evidence and
then arguing in a circle.