The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-15
MORE FARCICAL PROCEEDINGS
Under Guise OF q Trial in . Law Court.
witnesses Continue to Decline to Testify
in the lola Case-A Lawyers Clever
MaueuvrN

Paris. February 1o.-The examination
Of N. Trarieux. the former minister OF
justice. was completed at toiay's ses-
sion at the assizes court Of the Seine,
before which NJ. Zola and NJ Perreux.
manager OF The Aurore, are being
tried.
Major Patty du Clam was called and
refused to reply to questions put to
him relative to Mime. de Comminges.
The major also refused 10 reply 10
other questions. on the ground Of pro
fessional secrecy"
General Gonse and Colonel Henry
gave an explanation OF the indiscre-
tons of Colonel Picquart. who had
knowledge Of some OF the secret pa
pers Of the ministry for war.
The sitting was then temporarily
suspended and when il was resumed
General Pellieux, who was appointed
to investigate the Dreyfus case. and
upo whose report Major E~sterhazey
was coult-marialed, was examined.
General Pellieux said he would tell
the whole truth and not plead pro
fess!onal secrecy"
NJ. Trarieux said that while he was
minister of justice he had nothing 10
d. with the Dreyfus affair. He an
proved of NJ. Scheurer-Kestner's agi-
tation of the matter.
When ~Commandant Fornisetti was
called, NJ. Delegorgue, presiding judge,
refused to allow him to be questioned
regarding the Dreyfus case, and NJ.
Il T.3hnrip cnlnsal for NJ 1n1o
ed that owing to the action of the
court, he would the examina-
ton of Commandant Fornisetti and
Captain Lebrun-Renaud, and. others
whom he only desired to question re-
garding the Dreyfus case.
Major d'Ormescheville, Colonel Maui
rel and several other members of the
DreyfuS court-martial entered the
witness stand, but the presiding judge
refused to allow any question touching
on the Dreyfus case and SO NJ. Laborie
abandoned their examination.
| General Pellieux, on the witness
stand, said it was time the truth be-
came known. He then proceeded to re-
late the story of the Esterhazey in
quiry, and said NJ. Matthew Dreyfus
| and NJ. Schaurer-kestner both admit
ted that they could not prove the
charges against Major ~Esterhazey. Gen
eral PellieuX then INDUCED amid APP
| plause, in an Outburst against Colonel
P~icQuart. whom he accused of divulg-
ing an espionage affair to an outsider,
| eXclaiming: Such conduct is shame
| full" Referring to the bordereau, the
| colonel declared that the alleged fac
| SMILES published were all fictitious. AS
to the compromising letter sent to
Major Esterhazey, which might raise
suspicion that he had shady relations
with a foreign agent, General Pellieux
| said: 1T is incOnceivable that any one
could be SO naive as to employ this
| method of correspondence in a matter
Of such gravity" General Pellieux
here expressed Indignation at the in
excusable action of Colonel Picquart in
having Major Esterhazey's rooms
burglariZed without authority of any
kind. Colonel Picquart admitted this
and when the cOurt-martisi acquitted
Major E~sterhazev / was not astonish-
ed. L was proud of having contributed
tG the acquittal of Major Esterhazey,
which proves that in the French army
there were not two, but only one
, traitor"
M. Dupuy, the former premier, was
then called, and M. LabOrie began to
question him regarding the case of
Dreyfus, which the presiding judge We
tOed, WhereupOn NJ. Laborie announced
that he would throw up the examina-
ton Of M. Dupuy and other former
ministers, as the rulings of the pre-
siding judge made it fruitless.
M. T~heVenet, a former minister of
justice, who was next examined, said
he could easily understand why NJ.
ZOla was exercised by the 'veiled lady
story. NJ. lola, he added, had acted in
good faith, for complete light had not
been thrown upon this matter, and NJ.
Zola's was not the only mind troubled
NJ. Ihevenet expressed satisfaction at
the ccquittal of Major EsterhaZey,
which, he said, proved there were no
traitors in the French army, but he
boldly insisted" that complete light
had not been cast upon this grave af-
! ia ~. n he added, interested the
whole OF Europe. He further express
| Cd regret that the government had not
spoken, in order to restore tranquility
for the country. Continuing, NJ. Te-
venet said he was astonished that the
officers, instead Of giving open testi-
mony, should have taken refuge behind
professional secrecy"
NJ. Sale, a lawyer, followed NJ. Te-
venet on the witness stand. The pre-
siding judge Immediately refused to
allow questions to be put to him con
corning the Dreyfus case. and a heat
ed discussion etwee the judge and
NJ. Laborie ensued. The latter asked
for a short adjournment in order tc
draw up d formal application tina,
these questions be allowed.
When the hearing was resumed, NJ
LaEorie submitted the application re-
ferred to, Clemeneau, counsel for Tbs
Aurore, supporting him in a skillfu
maneouvre. The latter asked that for
NAL notice be taken Of the fact thai
NJ. Sslle, on the witness stand, has
| not denied that he was aware, through
a member Of the court-martial, tina
a secret document was submitted {,
the court-martial." The court refused
both applications; but, NJ. Clemeneau
by his ingenius e~xpedient of reading
a question in the form of an application
practically obtained what ne wanted
The court hen adjourned.