The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-17
PECULIAR JUSTICE.
Singular Proceedings in the Trial
Of N. Zola in Paris.
WITNESSES MAKE ARGUMENTS.

Although NJ. Zola's Evidence Is Ex-
cluded by tho Judge, His Opponents
Are Permitted to Make Speeches to
the Jury From the Witness Stand.
Paris, Feb. 1.-THE approaches to the
palace of justice and the lobbies show
ed no evidence of unusual excitement
yesterday just before the opening of
the ninth day of the trial of NM.
zola and PerreuN. There was no DEM
onstration upon M. Zola's arrival. The
court was crowded, as usual.
The presiding judge rejected NJ.
Clemenceau's request of Tuesday that
he appoint magistrate to question
Madame De Boulancey If among the
letters she has from Major Esterhazy
there is not one containing the follow
ing expressions General Saussier
Chen commander-in-c -chief of the French
army and military governor Of Paris)
is a clown. In our country the Ger
mans would not show him in a circus"
"If the Prussians got as far as Lyons
they might throw away their guns and
keep only their riding whips to drive
the French In front Of them.'
NJ. Laborie, counsel for M. Zola, re-
nounced the examination of the mem-
bers of the Esterhazy court martial, but
he energetically demanded that General
Billot. the minister for war, be called.
The presiding judge. M. Delegorgue.
invited M. Laborie to present a con-
clusion to that effect.
General PelleuX who conducted the
Investigation into the charges brought
against Major Esterhazy. created a
sensation by protesting against the ac-
certance of the evidence of the "ama-
teur experts who have not seen the
original bordereau." adding that he
also desired to raise his voice "in the
most emphatic manner against ISLANDERS
which are calculated to destroy con-
fidenct in the heads of the army, at
time when danger is perhaps nearer
than people believe"
Continuing General Pellieux said he
considered the proceedings showed that
the defense attached no weight to the
evidence CT the sworn experts who had
seen the original bordereau and had
compared it with the acknowledged
handwriting Of the accused.
For some time there has been much
talk Of handwriting. people discussing
who could have written the bordereau.
Well, l will prove to you here. with the
papers in my hand, that the officer who
wrote The bordereau was an artillery
man.
NJ. Labore here interrupted the wit
ness, saying:
Il ask that Colonel Picquart, who at
the present moment is at the house Of
Magistrate Bertulus, be summoned to
hear this evidence"
1T is not your turn to speak," re-
piled the presiding Judge.
M. Laborie however, returned to the
charge. protesting and insisting that
Colonel Ficquart be called. When Gem
eral Pelieux was allowed to continue
his evidence he said:
IAN ANALYSIS of the bordereau In
dicates that only an artillery officer, at
tached to the war ministry, could have
known the facts recited or have used
the techncalities employed in the bor-
dereau. An infantry man could never
in his life have spoken of the things
of which the bordereau speaks"
"And now" exclaimed the general,
raising his voice, what remains OF all
this fabric? Not much. Yet they ao-
cuse officers of acquitting a guilty man
in pursuance Of orders. -
Il have not mind of pure crystal,
but l have the soul of soldier, which
revolts at hearing the infamous asper-
sions showered upon us, and can keep
silence no longer. 1 cannot stand still
and see men trying to detach the army
from its chiefs. for if the soldiers cease
to have confidence in them what will
the chiefs do in the day of danger,
which is perhaps nearer than people
In conclusion General Pelleux said:
"We should have been glad If the the
court martial had acquitted Dreyfus,
as it would have shown there was no
traitor for the army, for all of US to
mourn for" |
On leaving the witness stand the gem
eral was long and loudly cheered. |
The presiding judge refused to allow |
M. Laborie to make reply to Gem
eral Pellieux, and M. Laborie lodged d !
formal protest. |
At the request of the defense CofDnei |
was then sent for. In the
M. Scheurer-Kestner, the
former vice president of the senate
,alled attention to alleged inaccuracies
n the evidence of NJ. Teyssonniere. the
expert. He said 1t was
1uite impossible that he, NJ. Scheurer-
kestner had ever spoken to M. Teys-
'onniere of Major Esterhazy, because
1t the time referred to he had never
heard Major Esterhazy's name.
M. Trarieux, the former minister of
ustice, was recalled, and he accused
he general staff of conniving with NJ.
in order to paralyze the
lction of Colonel Picquart.
M. Labore reproached General Pei
ieux with telling the jury that they
night shortly have war, and added:
We do not fear war with such soldiers
s we have, but if they are led by cer-
ain officers"
Here the presiding judge stopped M.
.aborie, and General Pellieux, resum-
lg his evidence, criticized the reports
f the amateur experts in handwrt-
lg," whereupon M. Meyer, director OF
he French record office, who was in
Ourt, rose and retorted that profess
iOnal experts were no better than
He said that If General
ellieux would bring the negative of
1e photograph of the bordereaux he
he witness) would deliver an opinion
\ the subject.
General Pelieux replied that 1t was
npossible to do so. owing to the case
aving been tried behind closed doors.
e could only say that the experts at
lie court martial declared that Major
sterhazy did not write the bordereau,
NJ. COuard, handwriting expert in
lie Esterhazy case, here intervened,
I'd said M. Meyer knew no more about I
pert reports in handwriting "than a
Md in the street"
NJ. Moriaud, a stenographer affirmed
at the bordereau was in Major Ester c
lzy's handwriting, and he wanted to
this with the use of the !
ackboard. The presiding Judge, how '
er, refused to allow him to do so.