Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-20
INCLINED TO HOLD ON
France Shows No Disposition to Let Go in
the Waller Case.
UNITED STATES IS ASKING TOO MUCH
Transcript of the Madagascar Military
Court Will Not Be Furnished.
RlB0T GOVERNMENT MAY FALL ON IT
Whole Course ofthe Campaign Will Furnish
Embarrassing Interpretations.
RlBoT GOVERNMENT MAY FALL ON IT
QUEER STATUS OF THE CARMAUx STRIKE
WOrl<mcn of the Big Glass Factory
Remain Idle While Cavalry Pa
trolls the Town, which is
Officially Quiet.

Copyrighted, 1895 by Press Publishing Company.
PARIS, Oct. 19.-(New York World Cable
Special Telegram. )-Telegrams from New
York and Washington have revived French
interest in and animated the discussion of tht
Waller case and the question is likely tc
prove one of the features of the opening
days of the approaching session Of Parla
ment. The budget is not ready, so that the
first week or more of the session will be
given up to interpretations largely in regard
to Madagascar, and, not unlikely, they may
result in the fall of the Ribot ministry
Charges freely made in influential quarters
Of Paris show an almost incredible misman.
agement of the war, in which barely dozen
French soldiers have been killed by the bull
lets of the enemy, but thousands by diseases
which ordinary precautions would have Ger.
tainly largely averted.
AS to the Waller case, l have been able
to obtain accurate official information as to
its present status and prospects, which must
have created serious apprehensions in the
United States In the first place the dossier
record of tho trial of the ex-consul at Tama-
ministry, but they have neither promised
United States. They take the ground that
the court which tried and convicted Waller
was one of perfectly competent jurisdiction
as much so, indeed, as any established court
in France itself. 1t was not only not drum
head or special court-martial, but was a per-
manent court, established when martial law
was proclaimed, and which tried all offenses,
the Waller case being only one case of many
MAY NOT GIVE THE TRANSCRIPT.
The French ministry claims that the Amer
lean government would have no more right
to demand or expect a dosser of the forth
coming trial in Paris of O'Brien for the
murder of Waddel, If O'Brien is convicted,
than a, dossier of the Waller case. In fact
they maintain that there is no precedent in
diplomatic history of any nation for such a
demand, and indeed, l am Informed such
demand has been made by but one govern
ment. Therefore, If a dossier be finally given
the American government it will be purely
as matter Of courtesy. 1t is a fact, how
ever, that as such a gift might be construed
as reflection upon both the officials of the
court and the military government of Tama-
tave this may be the insuperable obstacle to
its surrender. On the other hand, Ambassa-
dor Eustis, of whose even aggressive patri-
otlc enthusiasm there can certainly be no
doubt, after his London speech, may be ex-
pected to maintain that the circumstances of
the Waller accusation and trial were peculiar,
in that the French occupation of Tamatave
and establishment of a court there did not
permit them to try and convict an American
citizen who was protected by the terms of
treaty between the United States and the
long established government Of Madagascar
There is the principle involved OF protection
of not only citizens of the United States, but
any country foreign to attacking nation in
various coonizing expeditions throughout the
world.
GIVES WALLER A BAD NAME.
The Waller case is from the foregoing
statement delicate and complicated one and
its final issue only problematical. AS to the
fact printed here today that Paul Bray,
Walters son-in-law, has preferred charges
against Consul Edward T. Wetter, Waller's
successor, l learn that the French govern
ment Is in possession Of an intercepted letter
from Waller at Tamatave to his wife in An
tananarivo, denouncing two Americans then
on their way to Antananarivo as French
spies. Had this charge been communicated
by Mrs. Waller to the Hova authorities as
the French ministry claim Waller intended
should be done, the two Americans would
certainly have been put to death in Antan-
anarivo. French officials here say there was
no truth in the charge. and express wonder
that the American government would inter-
tere in behalf of such a man as Waller
They also had letter from Consul Wetter
to Waller, seized among Walters effects, in
which the former recounts the above alleged
facts, saying that while he CWetter) will do
everything in his duty as consul in Wallers
behalf, he could not, therefore, be expected
to do more in view of Wallers treacherous
action toward his two fellow citizens.
NJ Brunei. deputy for the Isle Reunion,
who has interested himself particularly in
the Waller case and in Madagascar affairs
generally, said to the correspondent OF the
World today that he would not press his in
terpellation against the government Of the
allowing OF the interview of the
second secretary Of Minister Eustis and Con-
sui Alexander with Waller in prison, as the
prison officials present did not understand
English, but he declared he would protest
in Parliament against any concession to the
United States in the Waller case further than
perhaps to commute his sentence to a short
term as matter of courtesy Brunei has
lived much in Madagascar, and denounces
Walters personal character.
o'BRIEN STUBBORNLY SILENT.
The trial of O'Brien, above noted. promises
to be curious one. During a long incar-
ceratlon he had preserved stolid silence, max
Ing no excuse or explanation of his muir
lerous assault upon his former associate. He
has also perslstenty refused to employ coun
sci, and handsomely dressed woman from
New York recently applied to the United
States embassy, stating she had vainly urged
O'Brien to allow her to seek legal assistance
and asking the embassy to intervene. OF
course. however, nothing could be done in
he face of oBrien's continued refusal. wad-
iell was equally reticent during the week
before he finally succumbed to the three pistol
hots and the cause of the quarrel may never
'e known. II is fully established that o Brien
= the famous New York bunco man whose
escape a. Utica created such sensation