The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-29
TESTIMONY GIVEN BEFORE THE
COURT-MARTTAL AT RENNES
ON MONDAY
BERTILLON Is DISCOMFITED
HIS ARRANGEMENT OF. THE PRIs-
ONER DENOUNCED BY A
FAMOUS EXPERT
BoRDEREAU BY EsTERHAzY


Declared That Dreyfus Was
GuiIty-Capt. Freystaetter Hero of
the HOur-COI. Panizzardi States
That a Friend of Du Patty de Clam
Is ImpIicated-Mercier's Danger.
RENNES. Aug. 2S.-The balance of the
evidence before the court-marrial today,
for change, was in 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 ne had chang
ed his opinion, which III 1891 was against
and is now in favor of Dreyfus, who, he
today affirmed, was not the author of
the bordereau. His candid confession Of
error was received with rurmurs of sat
istRction in court, which brought forth
discreet applause, in spite of Col. Jou-
aust's patent disapproval, when he SOL
emnly added:
al declare here on my soul and con-
science that the bordereau was written
by Esterhazy."
The most important incident, however,
WIS Col. Jouausi's acGuIescence 10 Maj.
Carriere's request that a rogatory COM
mission be instructed to take Gel. du Patty
de CLAIMS deposition The initiative came
purely from the government commissary,
Maitres Labori and Demange having no
faith in such measure, because it allows
Du Patty de Clam to escape cross-eXam-
ination, which is the only thing worth
having under the present circumstances.
Du Patty de Clam being a witness for the
prosecution, Maj. Carriere will simply
prepare list Of questions, which an ex-
amining magistrate will put to Du Patty
de Clam at his residence, and nobody sup
poses that the witness will be very much
embarrassed by the interrogatories.
NJ de Freycinet former minister Of War,
arrived this afternoon and will testify to-
morrow.
BERTILLON DISPUTED,
NJ Paray-Javal the draughtsuan, call
ed by the defense Saturday to refute the
testimony of NJ. BertiIlon, the famous
anthropometer, resumed his testimony
at the opening of the court this morning,
and with the assistance of a blackboard,
proceeded to show the fallany of the cal
culations of M BertiIIon and the latter's
unfairness in not submitting the hand
writing of Esterhazy to the same tests
AS the prisoners. He declared, however,
that, even if NJ. Bertillon had done so,
the results would not have proved any
thing. The witness, however, insisted that
NJ. Bertillon had adopted a vicious
method in only making a partial expert
ment.
Continuing, M Paray-Javal proceeded
to show that the geometric regularities
alleged by NJ. Bertillon did not in reality
exist. He pointed out number Of ir-
regularities in the handwriting of the bor-
dereau and said that the same irreguari-
ties were particularly noticeable in Ester
hays caligraphy. He also contended
that the alleged regularity of the key
word interest was only approximate
and proceeded to illustrate his arguments
on the blackboard, showing that NJ. Ber-
tillon's proofs applied as equally to Ester
haZy as to Dreyfus. Finally M Paray-
laval declared that NJ. Bertillons meas
urement of the word interest" which
served as the basis for the whole system
was entirely false, and therefore NJ Ber-
tillon's entire system falls to the ground
and no longer exists" Great sensatfonO
This witness, who had awakened the in
terest of his hearers, maintained that the
bordereau could not have been traced
adding that 1t was an utter impossiblity
He then proceeded to illustrate why this
was the case to prove the falsehood of
M. BertillOn's deductions
In conclusion, NJ. Paray-JavaI said.
amid laughter, that he thought M. Bertil
Ion was very intelligent man, but that
his system was false, and he, the wit
ness, was convinced that only self-esteem
prevented M Bertillon from admitting
his error.
M. Bernard, an inspector of mines,
who took high honor at the Polytechnic
who followed NJ. Paray-JavaI at the wit
ness bar, said he appeared to refute a
part of NJ. Bertillons evidence, which
was based on false calculations. AS
matter OF fact, he added, 1t was on such
basis that the whole system rested.
Witness said that he was greatly sur
prised that NJ. Bertillon thought fit to
have recourse to psychological arguments
to prove:
First-That the bordereau was fabri-
Gated.
Second-That the methods which might
have been employed in writing certain
words were such as to constitute proof
against Dreyfus.
M. Bernard also said he was astonished
at the fact that M Bertillon had under
taken to account for the shape of letters
and space between words
There were not 1.25 mllimetres. as al
legged by M. Bertillon, but 156 More
over, the writing of the bordereau was
natural and rhythmic, while its character
and size showed it was not written bv
either a short-sighted or a long-sighted
person.
The witness then proceeded to illus
trate photographically, his contention
that the bordereau was not a fabricated
document, and also pointed out impor-
tant differences between NJ Bertillon's
photographs and the original.
AMUSING SCENES
While pointing out fault in the appli-
cation of the system, NJ. Bernard aroused
merrlment by remarking that NJ Bertil-
Ions system could nevertheless be use
full, seeing that 1t enabled the witness
to show the bordereau was a natural.
and not a fabricated document.
In conclusion, NJ Bernard exhibited to
the judges a plate representing a page
of current handwriting, and said:
If 1t is examined by NJ. Bertillon's svs-
tenn, it will show certain pecuIiarities
which would not be found upon the ex-
animation of 100000 other documents.
M. Bertillon would therefore say the
document was fabricated, but he would
be wrong, for I borrowed the page from
a report written by NJ Bertillon him
SELF
M. Bertillon demanded pernoi- sior 70 va