Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-02-10
The lola TRIAL
Has a Repetition Of Excitement
Of the Opening Day.
IumuIt So Great at One Time that
the Court Is Cleared.
Severa, Of the Witnesses Refuse TO Testify or
0ivu!ge State Secrets

Paris. Feb. 9.-There was repeti-
ton of the scene witnessed, yesterday,
when the trial of NJ. Emile Zola and
NJ. Pereaux, was continued, today.
ecu. Boisdeffere was called but he re
fused to testify
Il. Delgregue. the presiding judge.
consented that Madame Dreyfus should
he allowed to testify. on the condition
that the evidence was restricted to thu
ESterhazy case.
n. LabOric, counsel for NJ. lola, pro-
tested against the limitation of the eVi-
dcnce Of Nine. Dreyfus and scathingly
denounced the scenes in court. the
biased reports in the newspapers and
the attacks on his client as being I'M
worthy of France.
Gen. Boisdeffere, replying to NJ.
I.aborie admitted that the minister
of war. before he had testified at the
IIstcrhazy trial had received from Ma
jor Esterhazy a certain document
which concerned the Dreyfus case. but
the witness refused to give any further
particulars. on the ground of profess
sional secrecy.
NJ Laborie protested that in a court
of justice professional secrecy could
not exist. whereupon Gen. Boisdeffere
rctorted professional secrecy cannot
be separated from state secrecy"
The general admitted that Col. Pic
quart had been transferred to Tunis
owing to his being favorable to Drey
fus, and the witness added that he,
personally. was convinced of the guilt
of Dreyfus, while other facts. before
and after the courtmartial, which had
come to his knowledge made this con-
viction unshakable. This statement
made a sensation in court.
Gen. Gonse followed and a the out
set of the examination, had a violent
verbal alteration with NJ. Laborie, in
which the general public joined. The
tumult reached such pitch that the
presiding judge ordered the court to
be cleared which the municipal guards
promptly did.
The court resumed its session fly t
minutes later, and Gen. Gonse eX-
planned that, he had not meant all he
said. Thereupon the incident was al
lowed to drop.
Gen. Gonse then spoke of the nvesti-
cations of Col Picquart, whom the
witness encouraged but the general
added that he told the colonel to aViod
arrestlng Major EsterhaZy, which the
colonel wished to do.
Gen. Merier, the former minister of
war, who was next examined, declared
he believed the Bordereau and other
documents distracted from the war
office had been communicated to the
newspapers by the Dreyfus family.
NJ Laborie Immediately asked that
Nine. Dreyfus be allowed to confront
Gen. MERCER and deny his statements.
but the presiding judge refused to al
low her to do so.
Counsel for NJ lola then pressed
Gen. MERCER to say if it was true that
q secret document had been communi-
Gated to the Dreyfus courtmartial be-
hind the backs of Dreyfus and his
counsel. The general refused to reply.
At the conclusion of his examination,
Gen. MERCER was Vociferously chaered
with cries of "Nive L'Armee' and
"Nive France.
N. TrarieuX, who was minister of
justice. at the time of the Dreyfus
courtmartial. was the next witness. but
his evidence did not convey anything
startling and the court adjourned.
The crowd outside the court cheerCd
Generals MERCER, Boisdetfore and
Gonse while NJ. Xola was left almost
unnoticed.