The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-26


! Demange asked how the witness ac-
| counted for this and the specialist explain
ed with some confusion, that it was a
necessary counterpart of the precautions
| taken by the prisoner when he wrote the
bordereau, in erdersto make out that ne
| was the victim of a plot" tSensation.)
| Asked his opinion of the letter from
Matthew Dreyfus, called the "Blotting-
pad Letter. from which the specialist
alleged the prisoner took the keybord for
| his work ON the bordereau, NJ. Bertlllon
replied that he had no opinion on the
| subject. but he maintained. the letter had
been written by the same system as the
bordereau.
/ ..,rnat is my hypothesis said the wit
ness, many similar ones can be found" !"
1 (Sdurmurs Of disapproval.)
M. Laoori asked how NJ. Bertillon re-
conciled the result of the present expert
ments, namely, that the bordereau was
written by Dreyfus tracing Esterhazy' $
handwriting, with his opinion in 1894 that
| the bordereau was written by Dreyfus
| unless it had been most carefully forged.
TO this M Bertillon replied that it was
only a hypothesis whereupon NJ La
bori remarked that the forgery was then
Of such a nature as to constitute proof
in favor of Dreyfus, .'yet, today it Is
made proof against him"
Continuing counsel said
nSince the witness admits Esterhazy
has written by the same mathematical
methods as Dreyfus, why has he attriput-
| ed the bordereau to Dseyfus rather than
to Esterhazy?"
M. Bertillon-s.It was on Dreyfus's blot
| ting pad that the key word interest was
found. and Esterhazy might have mad
access to this word
M. Labori-"Does M Bertillon admit
that Esterhazy is a traitor?'
Colonel Jouaust refused to put the ques-
ton TO the witness. tSensation.)
NJ Labori. continuing his questions,
asked M Bertillon's opinion as to what
| system of defense might have been en-
| ployed by the writer of the bordereau 1t
the document had been found on him."
] The witness in confused and almost
/ inaudible tone declared the prisoner would
then have maintained the document was
! a forgery and would have adduced 1t as
proof of a plot.
NJ Labori-"In that case, the prisoner
must have forseen the appearance on the
| scene of a man so eminent as M Bertll-
/ Ion Qaughter) capable of imagining a
system so ingenious as the one he has ex-
pounded today. Renewed laughter@
| NJ. Bertillon retorted that in his opin-
ion, a man of the ability of the accused
could have made model line. in quar-
ter of an hour, ever time he had occasion
to write.
Replying to further questions, M. Ber-
tillon admitted he had discovered in Es-
terhazy's writing peculiarities similar to
those in the bordereau.
Counsel pointed out that it was i'm
possible to maintain the hypothesis that
j Esterhazy was man of straw, since in
1887. when he might very well have ad-
! rnitted drifting the bordereau, he had con-
fessed nothing. The reasoning of M. Ber-
tillon. counsel asserted, therefore, fell to
the ground
After a short incidental discussion Of
the Weyler forgery which, it was be-
lieved. was perpetrated by order of the
Prefect of Police, Colonel Jouast asked
| the prisoner if he had anything TO say
in reply to the witness and the attention
of all present was Immediately riveted on
Dreyfus. who explained how the exclama-
| ton. .sOh, the wretchi" escaped his lips
yesterday.
IN. Bertillon," the prisoner said, was
| constantly turning to me while testifying
and calling me the guilty man. retort-
! ed wretch to him. These are the cir
Gums tances under which I uttered the
word.
Il have nothing to reply to the deposit
ton of the witness. But there is one
thing of which am absolutely sure, and
| that is that / am not the writer of the
bordereau." Great sensation.)
Referring to his papers which were seiz-
| ed at the War Office, Dreyfus said 1t
would not be strange to see notes writ
ten by officers altered. He added
II was shown yesterday a note rela-
tive to General de Miribel There were
| in the document corrections made by the
Chief of Department himself" This
showed, he said, that Immediately after
having written note he handed 1t to
the Chief of Department.
Referring to the so-called plotting pad
letter. Dreyfus said
.sThis letter is perfectly genuine Ma
| dame Dreyfus can testify to that point
No one here viii doubt the word Of Ma
dame iDreyfus and you, gentlemen, less
than any one,'' he added. looking steadily
at the Judges.
| After a brief adjournment, the Govern
ment Commissary, Major Carriero, called
upon Captain Valerie, of the Artillery, to
explain M. Bertillon's system and to give
an opinion on the subject. The Captain
said he thought NJ. Bertillons evidence
might be summarized in sentence
.9rhe bordereau was doctored and the
document fabricated by means of secret
writing, or writing with a key, the key
a f.