The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-29
THE DREYFUs CASE.
Yesterdays Court Decisions Devoid of
Sensation.

Yesterdays Court Decisions Devoid of
Sensation.
PARIS, Oct. 2S.-To-days proceedings at
| the Court of Cessation were devoid of SEN
| sation. The only emotion caused ensued
| upon the reading Of pathetic letters from
| Dreyfus. A significant point was the reve-
| lation of the fact that General De Boisdef-
| fire gave orders, after the Dreyfus case
| was supposed closed, for the dossier con-
| tanning the bordereau, to be burned, and
expressed surprise afterwards TO find that
his orders had not been executed. Thus far
the War Office has not been represented in
the present proceedings, and there is still
but little hope of the secret dossier being
produced, especially if--as, however, looks
somewhat doubtful--M. Dupuy succeeds in
forming Cabinet. He was premier during
the Dreyfus trial. and his appointments de-
light the i-Dreyfusites, who see in it the
indication that President Faure has a
greater sympathy for the army than for the
discovery of the truth 1t is asserted that
the father-in-law of Dreyfus has received a
letter from the prisoner in his own hand
writing. Formerly only copies of his letters
were transmitted. and the new departure is
regarded as a favorable sign
| When the court opened to-day M. Bard,
the reporter, concluded his report of the
| Dreyfus case. the first part of which was
presented yesterday. He said this morning
that the court should make every investiga-
| ton necessary to enlighten them and place
the whole truth in evidence 1t was for the
| court to decide what remained to be done.
| The task was a delicate one. but that was
| 10 motive to avoid it. He concluded: you
have great duty to fulfill Do what your
conscience dictates"
| M. Mornard. counsel for Madame Drey-
| fus, urged that an investigation be ordered
concerning the divergency of the testimony
of the experts who examined the bordereau
in 1894 and 1897 and also to ascertain
whether secret documents were communi-
| Gated to the members of the court-martial.
| The public prosecutor, NJ Manau, followed
| M. Mornard Addressing the judges, he
| said: mo one can now take the Dreyfus
case out of your hands, nor can you reln-
quish it without dereliction of duty. Your
decision must constitute for everybody the
expression of truth and justice. Revise the
trial, then, gentlemen" NJ. Manau said, ''or
| at least prepare the road for its revision"
NJ Manau declared the court could not an
nul the sentence imposed on Dreyfus with
out retrial of the prisoner. He added:
You must fix the responsibility. If Drey-
i luS 10 llillOc6uL, LIE CulpTlI must not un-
punished"
| The public prosecutor, continuing pro-
| ceeded to argue on the same lines as NJ
Bard, the reporter of the case, urging a re-
vision of the trial and dwelling on the fali-
bility of the writing experts. He also urged
that Major Esterhazy should testify on the
subject of the bordereau, saying: ''IIe can
admit its authorship with impunity since
court-martial has acquitted him of being
| the author OF 1t. But what a service he has
rendered to the country in confessing that
| he is its author, and what service he will
render to unhappy Dreyfus'' NJ Manau
| concluded with denouncing "the Villainous
| attacks on the partisans of revision" and
made a strong plea that the court be not
influenced by outside pressure, but that it
decide in favor Of a revision of the case and
| the immediate provisional liberation of
Dreyfus.
| AT this stage of the proceedings NJ. Baro
read letter from General Gomez to the
president Of the Court of Cassation in
which the general said: Il have just heard
of memorandum introduced in court yes
terday in which Picquart accused me of
| dishonorabe action. have never previous
| ly heard of this memorandum, and wish to
deny most formally Picquart's allegations.
|
| that of a man imprisoned on the suspicion
| of forger---''
| The reading of the last statement called
| forth loud protests in court. The reporter
added that Colonel Picquarts memoran-
| dunn was publicly read, ii was only Justice
to read General Comes denial The presi-
| dent of the court ordered that the generals
letter be added to the documents in the case.
| and the court adjourned
Judge Day and Senator Gray, of the
| United States peace commission, visited the
| Court of Cessation to-day while M. Manau.
| the procurateur general, was reviewing the
| Dreyfus case. Provided with letter from
| General Horace Porter, the United States
ambassador, to the presiding judge, the two
Americans. with the second secretary of
the United States anbassy. proceeded to the
Department OF Justice, where after much
formality and to the surprise Oh General
Porter an order was secured from the pre-
siding judge to admit the commissioners.
Upon their entrance into the courtroom the
| fifteen judges constituting the court bowed
a dignified greeting without verbal well
| come. The visitors were shown TO seats on
the bench and witnessed the proceedings for
an hour with deep interest. Nine. Dreyfus
was present in the courtroom.