New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-31
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
n,oor rvprpTs IN HANDWRITING TIES
TIFY-ROGET SEES HIS OP-
pORTJTEITY

,.s Aug 3O-At the opening this morn
s,o q, the Dreyfus court martial NJ. Paul Meyer
,nor,her Of the Institute and Director OF 'he
rcnoo, ~ Ancient Manuscripts. testified IN iaVoi
~ Drevfus After hearing also NM Mohnie'
md Cirv and NJ Picot, a member or the i's''
.r,a all NJ whom testified in favor OF Dreyius'
General Deloye testified against the prisoner III
respect TO the artillery references IN 'he oo
dereau. Then the Court. on application OF '"e
Government Commissary, Major Carriere' Vi
dered that the opening part OF to-morro" se'
10, no heb,nd closed doors for the purpose OF
Siscussing documents relating to the artiiiery'
The testimony of the handwriting experts ex-
an,ined to-day considered strongly iaN''"
HE TO Dreyfus. They were most empha'ic III
declaring that the bordereau was written DS
Esterhazy. and created better impression IMAM
H. Bertillon. by not introducing the fan'as'ic
uiagrams which the latter deemed necessary.
The action of General MERCER In asking 10 pe
allowed TO reply to NJ. Molinier, and then getting
ND and confirming the professors statement
that Esterhazy had changed his Handwriting
since 1894. puzzled the audience That Esterhazy
should have deemed 1t advisable to change MS
handwriting since tie date of the bordereau
appears at first sight to indicate that he wrote
Il and that Mercer should support Professor
reasons for this uncalled for Intervention
There are some people who see in Mercier's un-
solicited testimony yesterday in support OF the
honorable nature Of NJ Matthew Dreyfus's visit
70 Colonel Sandherr in 1894 in behalf Of his
brother. and the Generals move to-day, an In
dication of some change of attitude. perhaps a
prelude to a candid avowal OF his mistakes or
1894 On the other hand many persons think
that General MERCER fearing that Saturdays
exposure will discredt him altogether with the
Judges has conceived the idea of giving way on
certain points which, moreover. are almost IN
contestabe and thus to some extent, reinstat-
ing himself.
ROGET REPLIES TO PICOT.
NJ. Picot related an interesting conversation
which he had with the Austro- Hungarian Mill
tary Attache, Colonel Schneider, mention OF
whose name evoked prompt protest from Ma
jor Carriere In the name Of the Government ana
State. Colonel Schneider. according to this
witness admitted that Esterhazy acted as spy
and wrote the bordereau.
General Roget with his usual shrewdness.
seized upon NJ Picots statement that Colonel
Schneider expressed astonshment that French
officers should have the bad taste TO question
the word OF foreign officers to mount the plat
form and make a short speech in defence OF the
attitude Of the French officers, concluding with
the remark: II interviewed because when French
officers attacked they have the right TO de-
fend themselves" These words will be pub
lshed all over France and will tend TO make
General Roget more popular with the army.
General Deloye repeated his testimony before
the Court OF Cessation relating to the 100 short
cannon hydro pneumatic brake and the Robin
shell. Dreyfus. in reply made really clear
statement. explaining that he saw the hydro
pneumatic brake once at Bourges. once at the
School of War. and that he never it used
because while the General Staff he was
never present at firing practice.
Major Carrere then made his application to
have the court sit behind closed doors to-mor-
row. explaining that he desired 10 submit to
the court certain documents prepared by the
Gunnery Bureau, containing information which
1t was not desirable to discuss in public
The Court. after deliberation granted the ap-
phcation. and also acceded to the request Of
the defence that their witness. Major Hart
mann. Of the artillery. be permitted to be pres
ent. as he would give important testimony
showing that Dreyfus could not have written
the paragraphs in the bordereau concerning
artillery