Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1899-08-29
THE DREYFUS TRIAL.
Nothing Sensational Developed from
the Witness Stand.
ONLY FEW TESTIFIED
Du Patty de Clans Testimony WIN BE
Taken and Submitted 10 the
Court - Some Important
q Witnesses Summoned.

Rennes. Aug es-When the fourth
week Of the second trial by courtmartial
Of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, charged
with treason. opened this morning
General Mercier. who was minister OF
war when Dreyfus was first tried in
1894. was present as usual. in the front
row Of the witness seats. thus definitely
setting at rest the reports as to his hav'
ing fed 70 the island Of Jersey and az "a
his arrest.
The FIRST witness called was NJ Paray
java. ), draughtsman, whose evidencs
was Interrupted Saturday by adjourn.
ment NJ. Paray laval was called by
the defense to refute the system by
which NJ Alphonse Bertillon, chief Of
the anthropometric department. Of the
Paris prefecture Of police. attempted q
prove the prisoner wrote tho famous
bordereau in a disguised hand and by
means Of the key word interest. and
II could not have been written by Ester
hazy, although the document in hand.
writing resembling that of EsterhAzy.
With the aid Of a blackboard NJ.
Paray laval demonstrated the fallacy Of
NJ Bertillons calculations and critioiz.
ing the latter's unfairness in not sub
jeciing Esterhazy's handwriting 10 the
same@ests as the prisoners writing Al
she same time the draughtsman declared
even II NJ Bertillon had done so the
results did not prove anything. In brief,
the morning session may be said 10 have
been a field day for handwriting experts
who devoted themselves 10 demolishins
one another's evidence. The public fol-
lowed the depositions listlessly. but the
judges and counsel listened with the
[ greatest attention.
General Mercier did not seem very
cheerful. He hardly said a word 70 Gen.
Come the whole morning. bat during a
brief suspension Of the courts sitting hs
and Generals Come and Roget walked
mp and down the courtyard Of Lycce en-
gagged In conversation.
General de Boisdeffre was not present
he having been absent from the past few
sessions and rumor here says he is desir
Gus Of leaving the sinking ship Of the
generals staff.
The center Of interest Is the evidence
Of Captain Freystatter OF the marine in
fantry. who testified 80 favorably foi
/ Dreyfus on Saturday and who. seeming
I IL gave the lie 20 Colonel Maurel who
was president Of the courtmartial OF
1894. is the most important feature OF
the latter's evidence The captain hello
q veritable reception Of friends. who
pressed around him and shook his hands
These friends. however. are all civilians
Not a single uniformed officer spoke &c
him. which are the first fruits Of frank
ness and clear indication Of determine
ton Of the military 10 ostracize him.
When two Of the first witnesses testi.
fed and argued against NJ Bertillon',
system. II was the opinion Of sympa
thiEers Of Dreyfus, that II the statement,
OF the witnesses were correct they sim
ply pulveriEed NJ Bertinon TheIlattei
wished 10 reply, but the president oi
the court declined TO allow the special
ist 10 10 over the evidence sgais. taking
the ground the evidence would never
end IL every expert did the same. Al
amusing scene followed. NJ. Bertillor
pleaded he had personal statement tS
make and mounted the platform But
he had hardly uttered half doEer
words when Colonel JouauSt saw he wa,
merely regrinding his evidence. and Il
tl,e satisfaction Of the audience. he curt
ly told the specialist TO leave the plat
form. which he did discomdtted.
NJ. Tessioneres testimony against
Dreyfus then followed aud then NJ
Charvay. the expert who previously dc.
clared Dreyfus tho author Of the borde.
reau was called 10 the witness bar. His
testimony proved 10 be Of tho greatest
interest as IL came in confession that
he had made an error and he said that
he was now convinced NJ Esterhazy and
not Dreyfus wrote the bordereau. Thii
announcement was greeted with gen
eral mumur Of satisfaction.
The next expert NJ Pelletier, alsC
testified in favor Of Dreyfus.
NJ. Couard, another expert then de
posed and said he had become convinced
that the bordereau was not written by
Esterhazy. but could not say 1t wa,
written by Drytus because no had not
seen the prisoners writing
NJ Narinaud maintained the deolara
ton he made before the court Of cassa
! ton that the borderoiu was not writer
by Esterhazy.
Colonel Jouaust announced that NJ.
do Freycinet, who resigned the minister
Of war May q, aud who was succeeded
] by General Gallifet on the downfall OF
she Dupuy ministry, would DO among
the witnesses tomorrow.
The session closed with a raausst that