New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-27
THE DAYS TESTIMONY.

AUG 16-The temperance on the
- ., Tho court martial to-day OF the prop
critics or NJ Bertillon the well known au'no' -
.,o svsten for taking measurements OF ciin'i
mis- was the signal this morning Tor an ou'-
hurst OF hiarity on the part OF the auuie"N
BEFORE continuing his demonstraton' M D
tillon replied TO the comments upon ms
Ynony OF yesterday. In regard 10 'he p''so
o,.r,a,,on n, ooh the wretch" the specialist
asserted that IL Dreyfus, who had up " 'io.
time retained his self possession so 1ar loie0
himself at that particular point as 10 lnsui' 'he
witness II was obviously due to agitation 'wheh
ne saw that his method OF faoriea'ie '"e
dereau was discovered
NJ Bertillon then resumed the EXPOSITION vi
the techncalites Of his system and pears OF
laughter greeted his remarks as he again passeo
round charts, plates, etc. MY extraordinarily
ingenious demonstration yesterday proves the
excellence of my system" he said.
Hero followed a re-enactment Of scenes similar
20 those OF yesterday. The prisoner was ap-
parently quite indifferent TO what was gong on
and the judges and counsel alone attempted
10 follow the specialist in his intermnaoe
cryptographic problems.
The witness was heard TO say. during his
demonstrations The system have the honor
TO explain to you can easily be carried on under
your eyes and If you like will again read the
notes" Roars of laughter greeted the depre-
catory reply Of Colonel Jouaust, president OF
the court, who said: "Oh! do not trouble your
self"
WEARIED OF BERTILLON'S FARCE.
AS the comedy was prolonged it grew so weari-
some that the audience brought out newspapers
and chatted in low tones NJ. Jaures. member
OF the Chamber of Deputies and a strong Drey-
fusard, openly showed his mpatience but was
not rebuked for so doing
NJ BertilloD at one point advanced alleged
fresh proofs against the prisoner. namely, in
the Dreyfus papers seized at the War Office.
and in which the specialist said he found that
two words had been traced. AS he proceeded
the judges finally paid the most cursory atten-
ton 10 the examples submitted.
one of NJ Bertillon's demonstrations was
handed to Dreyfus. who closely scrutnized 1t
and returned the papers with disdainful shrus
OF his shoulders and without uttering word
In summing up the results of his test. NJ. Ber-
ton said Fully understanding the response
bility Of so positive statement, on my soul and
conscience declare to-day. as did in,lSg4 on
my oath that the bordereau is the work of the
prisoner here" Dreyfus heard this assertion
unmoved
explained the similarity OF the handwriting Of
the bordereau and that of Esterhazy, TO which
he replied that since 1894 Esterhazy must have
practised the imtatory writing of the bordereau
in order to render possible the substitution Of
himself for the prisoner. In support of this
theory NJ Berton produced fresh array Of
plates, which, he alleged, proved his hypothesis
in regard 10 Esterhezy. This induced murnurs
OF assent and dissent. He pointed out that In
Esterhazy's writing there were certain cali
graphic blunders which, he asserted. did not
exist in the original bordereau, but were found
in reproductions OF the document In conse-
quence Of imperfections in the methods employed
to reproduce them. This, he continued. tended
TO prove that Esterhazy had appropriated the
writing Of these reproductions. "Esterhazy."
exclaimed NJ Bertillon, as man Of straw and
a scoundrel. / have said this ever since the
commencement of the Zola trial" There a
sensation in court at this remark which was
turned TO laughter the witness In his excite
ment knocked his portfolios TO the ground
NJ. Demange asked NJ. Bertillon II he. the wit
ness, had submitted Esterhazy's handwriting TO
the tests the bordereau. The witness
replied in the affirmative, explaining that how
ever, the tests less complete than in the
of the prisoner.
WRITING EXPERT UNDER FIRE.
Counsel reminded the witness that he said in
1894 that he found in the boIdereau a cryptic
graphic signature alfred Dreyfus." NJ Bertil-
lon replied that he was not now positive on this
point. to which, he added, he attached mo i'm
portance whatever"
Referring 10 NJ. Bertuon's statements yester-
day that he found in the bordereau words Drey-
fus was In the habit of using in documents OF
the War Office, NJ Demange asked how the wit
ness accounted for this, and the specialist ex-
planned with some confusion that II was a neces-
sary counterpart of the precautions taken by
the prisoner when he wrote the bordereau. "ir
order TO make out that he the victim Of 8
plot"
Asked his opinion of the letter from Matthew