The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-25
BERTnLON'S
JARCON.
Court Nearly Paralyzed By
the Expert on Hand
writing in the Drey-
fus Case.
"OH, GIVE US A REST" !"
Colonel Jouaust Worn Out
By Cryptoganlc Technl-
calities.
HE is A CLEVER FORGER
M. Labori's Summing Up of the
Witness and His Queer
Evidence.
He is A CLEVER FORGER
LEV cable to The Assoeiated Press.l

IBv Gable to The Associated Press.l
RENNES, Aug. 25, 1S99.-The opening
of the fifth session of the third week Of
the second trial by court martial of Cap
tain Alfred Dreyfus, of the Artillery,
charged with treason, occurred at 6;S5 a.
NJ TODAY without any extraordinary Incl
dent.
The clerk of the court read medical
certificate, signed by two doctors whose
names were unknown to the audience,
declaring it was impossible for Colonel
Du Patv de Clam to leave his bed, come
to Rennes and testify
Maitre I,abori. leading counsel for the
defence. asked the President Of the court,
Colonel Jouaust, to instruct two well
known medical men to examine Du Patty
de Clam. but Colonel Jouaust refused.
Mr.. Rowland Strong. an English news
naper man. was then called to the witness
bar and deposed to the fact that Major
Count Esterhazy confessed TO him tnat
he wrote the famous bordereau-
The next witness was NJ Colbert, an ex-
pert of the Bank Of France, who can claim
the honor OF being the first man in France
to have declared in favor of Dreyfus. He
reported, on examining the documents IN
the case that Esterhazy, and not Drey-
fus wrote the bordereau.
The witness opened his deposition with
a brief, personal statement, protesting
against being characterized as a doubt
fuI expert" by the military party.
.sBut,'' he added, lin tones of profound
pity and turning towards Dreyfus, I
have no right to complain and am silent
when l see before me the unfortunate
man who sits there
A murmur of approval from the audi
ence greeted these words of sympathy
NJ Colbert then repeated the evidence
he had given before the Court of Cassa-
ton. He gave his testimony in a clear,
convincing manner and was most en-
phatic IN attributing the bordereau to
Esterhazy.
Answering questions of the Judges. NJ
Z Colbert declared his conviction that the
bordereau was written in a running, nat
ural hand and said there was no tracing
or other trickery.
General Gonse asked to be confronted
with M. Colbert, and put number of
questions, over one or two of which the
witness stumbled, to the infinite satisfac-
ton of the military witnesses, who smiled
and exchanged joyful glances
NJ Bertillon, the noted anthropometer
Tor specialist in the measurement of the
human body, was called as the next
witness. He wore dark blue frock coat
and. to the general surprise of the au-
dience, entered the court room without
single paper and carrying high hat
in his hand instead. But the astcnish-
ment was short-lived, the first words Of
NJ Bertillon being a request to permit
his diagrams and papers TO be brought
In The request was granted and M
Bertillon retired for a moment. Later he
returned at the head of squad COM
posed of an infantry sergeant and four
privates, all staggering under the weight
of immense leather satchels. bulging with
documents, charts. etc, which they de-
posted on the stage as roar of laughter
echoed throughout the court. Even the
judges were unable to suppress a smile
as they gazed on NJ. Bertillons stage
properties strewed over half the platform.
A table was brought in, upon which the
plans he was using could be placed
The witness began by saying that only
intelligent men could follow his explana-
tions, and the court was half emptied as
the audience after smiling audibly at his
extraordinary words and expressions soon
became bored and went out
NJ. Bertillon commenced his deposition
at $50 A. NJ. 1t occupied the whole of
this session and will, perhaps, occupy a
good part of tomorrow's session.
The court room presented a curious
scene while NJ Bertillon, whom the Drey-
fusardS, in their most indulgent moments
describe as dangerous maniac'' spent
the three remaining hours of the session
in explaining, in uninteligible terms. his
'infallible system" of proving Dreyfus
was the author of the bordereau The
majority of the public. utterly, unable to
comprehend u. Bertillon's theories. had
left the court room. Even ia Dame
Blanche the White Lady, abandoned
her post
In the meantime NJ Bertillon, with
gestures and In the shrili. pitched voice
of a qpack at a country fair. continued
his monologues producing every minute
some fresh paper covered with wonderful
hierogiyphics, copies OF which be present.
ed to the Judges, who, with an express
sion Of owl-llke wisdom, carefully
examined them Their heads clustered
together. their eyes gazing on the long,
wide strips of paper while NJ. Bertillon
leaned over their table. trying to explain
his mystifying diagrams, which were
afterwards passed to NM. Labor and De-
mango, who. however, apparently did not
derive much profit from their persual.
Dreyfus gazed at the scene with look
Of stupefaction.
The dearest ntterance Of NJ BertiIlon,
during the course of his demonstration,
was that the han6writins Of the border
saa ~obeys i geametrieai Rhythm, Of