Armand of Paty de Clam
The Commander Armand Auguste Charles Ferdinand Mercier of Paty de Clam (1853 - 1916) is an officer French, impassioned Graphologie, to which one entrusted the preliminary instruction of the Affaire Dreyfus.
Its role in the Dreyfus business
In October 1894, a few days after the discovery of the “form”, a letter addressed to the German military attach3e in Paris which mentioned classified information secrecy-defense, the suspicions go on the captain Alfred Dreyfus.Of Paty de Clam is then charged to compare the writing of Dreyfus and that of the form. From Paty concludes that the common points are enough to justify an in-depth survey.
The military authorities name it then responsible for the official investigation. The October 15th, it convenes Dreyfus with the ministry after having carefully prepared the meeting. Pretexting a wound with the hand, he asks Dreyfus to write in his place a letter which shows elements of the form. Although Dreyfus refuses to acknowledge to be the author of the form, of Paty announces to him that it is stopped for high treason and tightens him a weapon: in vain, Dreyfus does not wish to commit suicide.
Led to the Prison of Seek-midday, Dreyfus is seen imposing by of Paty de Clam series of tests graphological: , lying, sitting upright, of the left hand. The opinion of of Paty de Clam must however be corroborated by that of an expert in graphology.
A first expert, Alfred Gobert, makes a report/ratio negative. One thus calls upon another expert, Alphonse Bertillon. This one returns a report/ratio positive supporting the thesis of the “autoforgery” which claims that Dreyfus wrote the form by imitating its own writing but while slipping there of the voluntary dissimilarities. It for example would have slipped there of the imitations of the writing of his brother Mathieu.
Finally, of Paty de Clam writes a report/ratio which draws aside from information favorable to Dreyfus and adds “overpowering” parts. It is him which communicates a secret file with sworn military of the lawsuit of 1894, during the door - closed i.e. during the deliberations. Defense then does not have any means of disputing this “evidence” of which it was not informed. It also orders with Mrs. Dreyfus to maintain the secrecy on the arrest of her husband.
When the business takes an unfavourable turning for the staff, of Paty de Clam will be put at the retirement of office. In 1914, at 61 years, it engages again in the army during the Great War under the orders of his own son. It will finish its days in 1916 continuations of a wound received with the face.