The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-26

nau ReneaFSeO III Carefully
Dreyfusards Pronounce BertiIIOn
a QuacIk, but Realize the Danger
That May LurI in His Testimony
Before the Partial Judges.
RENNES, Aug. 25-After NJ. Bertillon,
the handwriting expert, who is at the
head of the anthropometric department
= of the prefecture of police of Paris, had
concluded the first installmenl of his
demonstration of the guilt of Capt. Drey-
fus before the Rennes court-martial to-
day a prominent Dreyfusard referred to
him as the fin-de-siecle Cagliostro.
The Dreyfusards refuse to regard him
as anything but the prince of quacks.
They cover his remarks with ridicuIe.
and protest that the admission of fan
tastic theories as evidence before the
court-martial is a disgrace. "C'est une
honte," was the remark heard on all sides
when the session closed, and the audi
ence, mainly made up of Dreyfusards,
was pressed outside by the gendarmes,
who cleared the court room as soon as
court adjourned.
Nevertheless, the Dreyfusards do not
deceive themselves as to the effect of M.
Bertillon's testimony or demonstrations
may have upon the judges, who, they
fear may be gulled by what the Dreyfus-
ards call shams. All the judges have
passed the Ecole Polytechuique, the high
est school of science in France, and they
are thus peculiarly interested in such ev-
idence as N. Bertillons Moreover, with
which he submits to them, they may be
able to follow his reasoning intelligently,
which is more than any member of the
audience could do today. if the judges
accept Bertillons premises-that Dreyfus,
as an expert would write no ordinary
handwriting, but a close imitation, con-
triving to give the letters the impression
of having been traced in order to be able
to repudate them as a forgery if detect
ed, the structure built upon this ground
work may be scientifically correct. Even
Dreyfus when shown Bertillon's demon
stration, admitted the ingenuity and
plausibility of the system, though he nat
urally declared that it was built upon
false basis.
SHRIEKED AND FUMFD.
a >
deposition was the heat and excitement
he put into what was expected to be a
calm, dispassionate exposition of his the
ory. He thundered shouted and waved
his arms as though engaged in some ter
rible dispute. Once he literally shrieked,
and numbers of the usual audience, who
had been unable to endure him and were
taking an airing in the court yard. rush
ed back into the court room, breathlessly
inQuiring what had happened, and imag-
ined he was Illuminating some dreadful
denunciation of the accused. Their eX-
citement was turned into hilarity when
they found he was momentarily Impress
ing upon the judges the significance Of
the exact space measured in millimeters,
between two words in the bordereau.
The military witnesses, all of whom sit
In a bunch, leaving Col. Picquart and M
Bertulus severely isolated, followed NJ
Bertillon's statements with a grave and
wise expression of countenance, upon
which never a suspicion of a smile oc-
CURED, as though they understood every
wcrd Evidently they had received mot
d'ordre to preserve this attitude, for, not
having seen the diagrams, they could not
have understood any better than did the
general public.
The Echo de Paris announced today
that the counsel of Dreyfus had obtained
ed in the bordereau In Esterhazy's hand
writing, which they could produce in
court next week as a coup de theatre
The correspondent Of the Associated
Press inquired as to this in competent
Dreyfusard quarters this afternoon. He
was assured the statement was errone-
GUS but was also told the defense intend
ed in the event of Capt. DreyfUs being
re-condemned to ask the German govern
rnent to communicate these documents,
proving his innocence, and that they mad
reason to believe that such a request
will be granted.
DIJ PATTY DE GIANTS RUSE.
Az the opening of the session consider
able comment was caused by the request
of M. Gribelin, principal archivist of the
HEADQUARTERS staff, for permission to alb
sent himself for twenty-four hours, oW-
ing to a summons of the minister OF
war. Gen. the Marquis de Galliffet who
desired to see him in Paris.
It is suggested that the minister of war
wished to refresh NJ. Gribelin's memory,
which has been so strongly anti-Dreyfus.
Then followed the reading Of the med
ical certificate, signed by two doctors
whose names were not familiar to the au-
dience, setting forth that Col. du Patty
de Clam was too Ill to leave his bed and
arpear at Rennes. M. Labori asked the
court to appoint two well known physi-
clans to report officially on Du Patty de
CLAIMS condition.
Col. Jouaust, however, declared it was
useless to do so, as the condition of the
invalid was well known.
Rowland Strong, a member Of the staff
of the Observer, of London, was the
first witness called. He described at
length the interviews which he had with
Esterhazy, saying the Observer offered
Esterhazy $500 for certain documents,
and a confession that he wrote the bor-
dereau, as published April 25.
former sergeant, who was at one
time employed in the war Office testified
to seeing Dreyfus copying the list of rail-
road stations mentioned in the plan of
IS mobilization, to which Dreyfus replied:
"It is true; but I copied the list by or
der of Capt. Besse." (Sensation)
HANDWRITING EXPERTS TESTIFY.
The evidence of handwriting experts
followed.
M Colbert, an expert for the Bank of
France, asserted that the handwriting of
the bordereau was natural and fluent,
but that it was almost illegible, whereas.
Dreyfus, even when writing rapidly. al
ways wrote most legibly.
The witness asked Gen. Gonse if an
envelope accompanied the bordereau, as
he, M. Colbert wished to see what the