The Monticellonian., 1899-09-01
TAE FOURTH MEX BEGUN.
More Handwriting Experts Testify Before the Court Martial
 at Rennes.
ALL DO NOT AGREE WITH M. BERTIlL0k
Gen. Mercier Who was In His Ac, custOmed Seat, Didn't Seem to Bs as Cheerful as UsuaI-MilitaryO Of fcers are Apparently Ostracisina Capt. Freystaeter.

Rennes, Aug. 29.-When the fourth week of the second trial by court mar tisi of Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, of the ar. tiliery, opened in the Lycee building Gen. Mercier. who was minister of wal when Dreyfus was first tried, in 1895 was present, as usual, in the front TOW of the witness seats, thus definitely setting at rest the reports as to hi, as to his arrest.
 M. Paray-Jayafs Evidence.
 The first witness called was NJ. Pa, ray-JaNal, the draughtsman, whose evidence was interrupted on Saturday by the adjournment of the court.
 M. Paray-Javal was called by the de, fense to refute the system by which NJ. Bertilion, chief of the anthropom- etric department of the Paris prefec tEre of police, last week, attempted 10 prove tha the prisoner wrote the famous bordereau in q disguised hand and by means of key word Inter est" and that it could not have been written by Esterhazy, although ths document was in handwriting re sembling that of Esterhazy.
 Riack Board Demonstrations.
 With the aid of black board, NJ Paray-Javal, demonstrated the fallaeJ of Nj. Bertillion's calculations and crit. ipiS lot fai fubjeeting Esterhazy's handwriting ta the same tests as the prisoners writ ing. At the same time the draughts, man declares that even if NJ. BertillioT had done so, the results would not prove anything.
 Gen. Mercier Not So Cheerful.
 Gen. Mercier did not seem to bs very cheerful. He hardly said word 10 Gen. Gonse during the whole morn ing, but during the brief suspensien of the courts sitting, he and Generali Gonse and Roget walked up and down the court yard of the Lycee, engaged in conversation.
 Gen. Delioisderfre was not present He has been absent from the past few sessions, and il is rumored here that he is desirou. of leaving the sinking ship of the general staff.
 The Center of Interest
 The center of interest in the court yard was Capt. Freystaeter. of tic marine infantry. who testified so ia yorably to Dreyfus on Saturday, and who seemingly gave the lie to Col Maurel, who was president of the court-martial of 1894, in a most i'm Eortant feature of the latter'S evi. dence The captain, held a veritabie reception of his friends who pressed around him and shook his hand. Thes, friends. however. were all civilians Not single uniformed officer spoke to him. q clear indication of the de. termination of the military clique tQ CstraciZe him.
 simply PuIyerized BertiIion.
 When the two first witnesses had testified and argued against NJ. Der. tilon's system, it was the opinion ot the sympathizers of Dreyfus that il the statements of the witnesses were correct they had simply pulverized NJ Bertillon. The latter wished to reply but the president of the court, Col. Jouaust, declined to allow the special, ist to go over his evidence again, talk, ing the ground that the evidence would never end if every expert did the same.
 Interesting Testimony.
 NJ. TeSsionere testimony against DTeyfus then followed, and then Y Charavay, the expert who had previous. ly declared DreyfHs was the author ai the bordereau, was called to the wit. ness bar. His testimony proved to be of the greatest interest, as he came to confess he had made an error. and said he was now convinced that Ester, hay and not Dreyfus wrote the bor, dereau. This announcement made deep impression on the court. and was greeted with general murmur of sat. isfaction
 The next expert, NJ. Pelletier, also testified favorably to Dreyfus.
 Witness In Doubt.
 M. Couard, another expert, then de posed that, as the result of his exam. ination, he had become convinced that the bordereau was not written by Es. terhaZy, but he could not say it was written by Dreyfus, because he had not seen the prisoners handwriting
 The final witness, NJ. Narinaud main. tained the declaration he had made be, fore the court of cassason, that the bordereau was not written by Ester. hazy.
 De Freycinet to Testify.
 Col. Jouaust then announced that M. De Freyeinet, who resigned as min. ister of war, May 6, of the present year, and who was succeeded by NJ, kraptz, who in turn was succeeded by Gen. De Marquis de Gallifet on the downfall of the Dupuy ministry would be among the witnesses Tuesday and the session was closed at 1l:5 a. m., with the request that a rogatory com. mission be sent to Col. Paty de Clam, whose illness prevents his attendance in court, to which Col. Jouaust agreed.
 This step does not satisfy the de, fense, hut they aequiesced to the com. mission taking Du Patty de ClaIn's tes, timony on the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread.