The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-09

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now treat me as an Italian"
There was much stir in court when il
was announced that NJ Casimir- -Perier,
the former President of the French repub-
lie would be the next witness
When he was called the presiding Judge
said: You swear to speak without ami
mus and fear and to speak the truth and
nothing but the truth"
NJ. Casimir-Perier at this point interrupt-
ed the judge, saying: Pardon me, can
not swear to tell the truth, because 1 can
not do so. 1t is my duty not to tell it,
This statement caused a commotion
| among the audience. The presiding judge
resumed: The law compels you, before
even speaking or refusing to testify to take
the OATH
M. Casimir-Perier then took the oath.
Can you say" asked NJ Lahore, "if
when you were President you knew before
his arrest that a staff officer was suspect
| ed of treason and that charges had been
made against him?"
The presiding judge interviewed, saying:
You cannot ask that question:"
This Intervention aroused murmurs in
| the court.
Counsel for M. Zola then put another
| question to NJ. Casimr-Perier, saying:
Did NJ. Casimir-Perier know that a Sc
! cret file of papers were at the war min
| istry?"
| cerning Maj. Esterhazy," was the reply.
| Did you" continued NJ. Lahore know
that secret document was handed to the
| court martial?'
'You cannot ask that question" inter
| rupted the presiding judge, a statement
which caused renewed murmurs in court.
| Il do. not know any facts relative to
my presidency" said NJ. Casinir-Perier.
Il can only speak as a private citizen,
| which l am willing to do"
| You are setting a noble example" re-
| piled NJ. Lahore, which other witnesses
have not deemed fit to follow, since it has
been necessary to bring them here by
| force" (Applause).
NJ. Lahore here made a formal appli-
cation 'in the interests of justice that his
| previous question be allowed to be put
| The judges, after celebrating on the
matter, refused to allow the question.
The court rose amid great excitement
and shouts for and against NJ. Zola.
On leaving the witness box, NJ. Casimr-
'Perier received a great ovation.
There was big crowd outside the lower
| court, and as the people were leaving the
building a man Grid "Vive Zola," Down
with France" He was Immediately ar
| rested.
A tremendous rush followed. NJ. Zola,
on emerging from the jury door, was rec
ognized and obliged to return and seek
which were then locked.
The crowd remained outside yelling
"Conspuez Zola," etc, led by a number
of young barristers in their robes, who
roughly handled NJ. Zola's sympathizers
until detachment of Republican Guards
cleared the approaches to the court.
NJ. Zola then emerged pale and trem-
bling, and the moment he appeared on the
stairs leading to the court yard there was
an immense clamor and shouts of Down
with Zola,' Long Live Zola," and
Death to Zola,' the last cry drowning the
others.
The novelist had difficulty in keeping his
feet amid the surging crowd.
In the meanwhile the police, misunder-
standing their orders, closed the gates and
NJ Zola thus found himself outside the
rooms in the court yard surrounded by a
bowling, threatening mob. The police
were powerless and for a moment it look
ed as though he would be lynched with the
friends who formed his body guard.
His friends rallied around him and
eventually the gates were reopened and
the police having been reinforced, escorted
NJ Zola to the street, while the major
ty of the mob were confined in the court
yard, shrieking threats against the now
| elst, who eventually entered cab and
drove quickly away.
The women in the crowd were especially
violent A man who cheered for Zola was
sent on by mob who hustled him to the
ST. Michele bridge, where they tried to
throWT.him into the River Seine but were
prevented by the police.
The crowd remaining in the court yard
greeted NJ. Rochefort's exit with great
cheers of "Vive PArmee' and "Vive la
France" They were eventually dispersed.
London, Feb. 9, 6 a. m.-The Daily News
publishes this morning an interview which
David Christie Murray, the novelist and
playwright, has had with Nine. Dreyfus.
She said that after her husbands arrest,
Mai Patty du Clam visited her on seven
teen successive days, denouncing her hus-
band as a scoundrel and traitor, and alter
nately threatening and cajoling her in the
hope that she would confess her husband
guilty.
But she revealed nothing, because she
had nothing to reveal, and she now says il
was impossible that her husband could
have confessed himself guilty, inasmuch
as he was innocent.
Mr. Murray adds: "It is impossible to say
what would have happened if this beau
tiful woman had been permitted 10 give
the foregoing evidence in court, which she
would have done. if allowed"