The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-28

PARIS. Oct. 2I.-The Court or casa
ton which is to decide upon the re-
opening of the case of Alfred Dreyfus,
the prisoner of Devils Island who is
alleged to have been falsely convicted
of selling important military plans to
agents of a foreign power, opened at
noon to-day. The hall was filled with
people, but there was no demonstration
around the Palace of Justice, the gates
of which were closed. AS matter OF
precaution only ticket holders were ad-
mitted, and guards were stationed in all
the corridors.
Maitre Labourie, who was counsel
for N. Zola during the latter's famous
trial, was seated among the lawyers,
and Nine. Dreyfus, wife Of the prisoner,
was provided with a seat in a corner.
She was represented by Maitre Nor
maud.
The Dreyfus appeal case was called
Immediately after the opening of the
court Reporter Bard opened the pro-
ceedings by referring to the scandals
aroused by the case, even before the
appeal for a revision of the trial was
demanded He then reviewed the his
tory of the case from the arrest Of
Dreyfus and said his condemnation was
for one Of the crimes which inspire uni
versaI horror and which implicated
one of those in whom the country put
much confidence. Continuing, NJ. Bard
spoke of the efforts made to obtain
revision of the case, referred to the de-
nunciation of Major Esterhazy and re-
viewed Nine. Dreyfus' appeal for re-
vision.
In so doing NJ. Bard said this appeal
- %51y, hot no
bordereau was written by Major Ester
hazy. He then pointed out that there
were suspicious facts which justify the
request for the revision. Nine. Drey-
fus contended that her husband did not
write the bordereau, which some of the
experts reported he did write. The
court, therefore, would have to examine
these facts and decide whether a re-
vision was justified.
NJ. Bard added that the appeal for a
revision was decided upon In conse-
quence Of the late Lieutenant Colonel
Henry's confession that he had forged
a document in the case; but Bard said
this forgery was committed in 1896. and
could not alone be regarded as ground
for revision or for an annulment of
the Judgment rendered in 1894. Not
that Lieutenant Colonel Henry had
committed forgery, his evidence was
most crushing against Dreyfus, but, he
continued, the ~vldence Of a forger is
open to suspicion. There was, there
fore. the presumption Of innocence,
based upon fresh facts that led to the
appeal for a revision Of the case and
there was also ground to ask whether
70 ho1 11eyI,t p
to light, and If Dreyfus was really the
author Of the bordereau and note writ
ten to Major Esterhazy and found in
the apartment of Nine. Pays, in
which the writer asked what he should
do respecting the bordereau.
M Bard next read Colonel Patty du
CLAIMS report Of the arrest of Dreyfus,
then captain in the French artillery,
doing staff duty, in which the colonel
said that Dreyfus, while writing at his
dictation, betrayed intense excite
ment."
But" NJ. Bard added. the photo
graph taken of this writing does not
give the slightest indication that Drey-
fus was laboring under excitement"
Dreyfus. M. Bard also said, denied
to Colonel Patty du Clam that he had
ever had relations, directly or Indirect
ly, with foreign powers. Colonel Patty
du CLAIMS report further showed that
Dreyfus had TO write discriminating
documents in ten different ways, sit
ting and standing, with and without
gloves and with ordinary and broad
pointed pens.
Later NJ Bard cited further facts
favorable to the revision and expressed
astonishment at the manner in which
the whole affair had been conducted.
He referred to the fact that the resi-
dence Of Colonel Picquart had been
searched, while the residence of Major
Esterhazy, who was directly accused,
was not searched.
The reporter also severely criticized
Major Ravary's report on the charge
against Major Esterhazy, and he fur
ther said that the handwriting experts,
Benhomme and Varnierd, were luna
Ties. whose testimony was unreliable
After referring to the fact that the
experts who examined the bordereau
difYered widely In opinion, M. Bard con-
cluded by expressing the belief that, as
the bordereau was the principal factor
IN the condemnation of Dreyfus, on the
testimony of experts his condemnation
ought to be revoked.
Great stress was laid by M. Bard on
Colonel Picquart's letter of July IA, 1893,
4o tha Minister of Justice, in which