Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-31
EXPERTS FOR DREYFUS
Declared Esterhazy Wrote the
Bordereau.
MERCER WAS CORNERED AGAIN.


RENNEs, France, Aug. 3l.-The first
witness ut the third session of the fourth
week of the second courtmartial OF Cap.
tain Alfred Dreyfus was NJ. Paul Meyer,
member of the Instlp.te and director of
the School of Arcie.t Manuscripts. He
declared Esterhasv wrote the bordereau.
At the conclusion of his testimony
the witness gave demonstration of the
fallacy of the Bertillon system.
Prof. Auguste Molinier of the School
of Ancient Manuscripts gave similar
evidence. He said chat each fresh ex-
animation of the bordereau only served
to further convince him that il was the
work of Esterhazy.
General Mercier requested to speak,
and called attention to the tact that in
his testimony before the court of cassa-
ton Prof. Molinier said Il change was
apparent i'll Esterhazy's handwriting
utter 1904, and asked that the profess
ur's former evidence be read.
NJ. Labor, leading counsel for the de-
fense, inquired if General Mercier in
tervened with the object of verifying
Prof. Molinier's evidence.
Mercier replied that ON this special
point he desired to confirm the evidence
OF Prof. Molinier, which, he said. cor
roborated NJ. Bertillion's statement
that Esterhazy, the man of straw,
changed his handwriting in order to re-
place Dreyfus.
Prof. Giry. also of the School of An
cient Manuscripts, traversed ground
similar to that covered by Prof. Molin-
ier He said the bordereau only had q
superficial likeness to Dreyfus' hand
writing, and asserted that it was Ger.
tainly the work Of EsterlXzy.
Mcrcier was again questioned. The
general replied he had not wished to ex-
press an opinion, but he reiterated that
NJ. Bertillon had shown that Esterhazy's
handwriting had become more like that
of tie bordcreau.
NJ. l4ibori retorted that i'll that case
General Mercier should not have re.
peated the evidence of NJ. Grenier be.
nier showed that EsterhaZy's caigra-
ply had become less and less like the
writing both of the bordereau and of
Dreyfus.
NJ. Georges Picot, member Of the
Institute, was called for the defense.
NJ. Picot started with saying that he
had an interview with the Austro-liun-
gariin military attache. Colonel Jou-
aust stopped the witness, saying:
"You cannot continue like this"
Major Carriere, the government conf
missary, also protested.
NJ. Picut then recommended his testi-
mony saying he had an interview with
Il certain military attaohe, and that the
testimony turned upon the Dreyfus case.
The attache expressed surprise at the
incorrect attitude of French officers"
in doubling the word of foreign Off.
GERS.
my impression" added the witness,
was that he was anxious to assert
firmly and unequivoc;llly the absolute
innocence of Dreyfus." Sensation.l
Regarding the bordereau," contin-
ued NJ. Picot, "the attache said only
three documents, enumerated, were re-
ferred to, the fact being that the others
were paddl meant to swell the dos
sier.
The witness noticed that the attache
employed the expression "hydraulic
brake" and never pneumatic brake"
In regard to Esterhazy, M. Picot said
the at ache declared that ne considered
him swinIlef The attache also as.
serted that Esterhazy had relations with
Colonel Schwartzkoppen, who dismissed
him because Esterhazy only brought in
formation devoid of interest.
1t was then, continued M. Picot, that
Esterhlzy tried to enter the war Office
and almost succeeded, and it was then
that he wrote to Colonel Schwartzkop-
pen the letter since knowa us "the bor-
dereau." In reply to thS'writer of the
bQrdereau, added NJ. Picot, Colonel
Schwarlzkoppen wrote the telegram
card, known as the Petit Bleu, but, on
reflection, he crumpled it up and threw
it in the fireplace.
General Roget, with his usual shrewd-
ness, seized upon M. Picot's statement
that Colonel Schneider expressed aston
ishment that French officers should
have the bad taste to question the word
of foreign officers to mount the plat
form and make IL short speech in de-
tense of the attitude of the French Off
GERS, concluding with the remark:
II interviewed because when French
officers are attacked they have the right
TO defend themselves.
General Deloye repeated his testi.
mony before the court of cassatlon re-
lating TO the l2) short cannon, hydro
pneumatic brake and the robin shell.
Dreyius, i'll 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 saw it used, because, while on the
general staff, he was never present at
firing practice.
Major CarrIere then made his appli- |
cation TO have the court sit behind |
closed doors today, explaining that he
desired to 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 application, and also acceded to the
request of the defense that their wit |
nesses. Majors Hartmann and Diveros,
Of the artillery, be allowed to be pres
ent. us they would give important testi- |
mony showing that Dreyfus could not |
have written the paragraphs in the |
bordereau concerning artillery.