The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-29
Berti|Ion's System is Rent
Into Ribbons.
THE PEOPLE APPLAUD
DE CLAM WILL BE EXAMINED
AT HOME.
M. lABoRI BUILDS NO HOPE ON TRls
Five Witnesses for DreTus and Two Against
Him. Chief Handwriting Expert Charavay
Confesses His Error in "a and De-
cIares Dreyfus Innocent.
cIares Dreyfus Innocent.


clares Dreyus Innocent.
Rennes, Aug. 2S.-The balance of the
evidence today, for a change. was ln
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 i'm IA
vor of Dreyfus, who he today affirmed
was not the author of the bordereau.
His candid confession of error was
received with murlneTs of satis'actlteih
i'm court, which became discreet a.
plause in spite of Colonel ,JouaaIst' pat
ent disapproval when he solemnly added:
Il declare here, on my soul and con
science, that the bordereau was written
by Esterhazy."
The most important incident, however,
was Colonel JolIaust's s acauiescence to
Major CarTiene's request that Il ro.a
tory commission be instructed to take
Colonel Du Patty De CLAIMS deposition.
The initiative caune purely from tlie
Government comnlissaTy, Maitre Labori
and Demange having no faith IN such
a measure. because it allows Du Patty
De Clam to escape cross examination
which is the only thing worth having
in the present circumstances Dn paty
De Cham being witness for the prose-
ciition. Major Carriere will simply pre-
pare a list of questions which an ex-
afnining magistrate will put TO Du Patty
De Clam at his residence, and nobody
supposes that the witnessk will be very
much embarrassed by the interrGgatories.
Today the central figure IN the court
yard, which is the meeting place for
all the leading personages OF the tria.
during the suspension of sessions, was
Captain Freystaetter, who was the sub
ject of many fiatterialg remarks uDon
his manly and soldier-like bearing.
His modest and frank manner inspired
admiration in all except the generals
and the other military witnesses for the
prosecution. who seemed afraid of him
and scowled i'm his direction from the
other side of the court yard.
Captain Freystaetter will not remain
here until the end of the trial, hut will
leave asennes i'm a few days
VI De FreycinTf, former Minister Of
War. arrived this afternoon and will
testify tomorrow.
M. Daray-J laval the dranghtsman
called by the defence Saturday to re-
fute the testimony of NJ. Bertillon, re-
slrned his testimony at the opening nf
the court this morning, and with the
assistance of a blackboard. proceeded
to show the fallacy of the calculations OF
NJ BertiliOn and the latter's unfairness
in not submitting the handwriting Of
EsterhaZy to the same tests as the pris
ener's He declared. however, that even
if NJ Bertillon had done so the re-
suits would not have proved anything
The witness. however, insisted that
NJ. Bertillon had adopted a vicious
method in only making a partial expert
ment.
He pointed out number of irregulari-
ties i'm the handwriting of the bordereaH
and said the same irregularities were
particularly noticeable i'm Esterhazy's
caligraphy.
Finally NJ. Paray-Jayal declared that
NJ Bertill0n's measure to the word
interest" which SERVED as the basis for
the whole system. was entirely false.
and therefore NJ Bertillon's entire sys-
tenn ''falls to the ground and no longer
exists" Great sensation. The bor-
ueTpdu. ut Sdiu. SUull 1Ibl HiINe pStIi
traced, adding that it was an utter inn
possibility He then proceeded to il
lustrate why this was the case and to
prove the falseness of M. Bertillon's
deductions.
NJ. Bernard an inspector of mines.
who took high honors at the Polytechnic
School. who followed M. Paray-Jayal
ON the witness stand, said he appeared
to refrlte portion of NJ Bertillon's
evidence which was based ON false cal
cnlations.
Witness said he was greatly surprised
that Nj. Bertillon thought fit to have
recourse to psychological arguments to
prove:
First That the bordereau was fab
ricated.
Second That the methods which
might have been employed in writing
certain words We're such as to const-
tute proof against DreyfaIs.
The witness then proceeded to illus
trate nhotographically his contention
that the bordereaW was not Fabricated
document
In conclusion NJ. Bernard exhibited to
the judge a plate represemtating mage
of current handwriting and said:
s'If lit is examined by NJ BertilIon's
system it will show certain pecuiarities
which would be fonnd upon the exani
nation of fifty million other documents.
NJ. Beriillon would, therefore. say tho
document was fabricated. But he would