The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-09
ZOLA'S NECK IN DANGER
DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE NOVELIST
THAT PROMISED A LYNCHING
Ex-President OF the Republic on the
Stand, but Very Little Brought
Out During the Course OF His Ex-
animation - Paris in n TumuIt
Over the Developments.

furnished two sensations one the ap-
pearance on the stand of the once presi-
dent of the republic, and the other a
demonstration against the defendant,
Wflch for a time promised a lynching.
lola was surrounded by the crowd
when he emerged from the court room
and was with difficulty rescued by the
police.
But little was brought out during the
examination of the former magistrate
of the country, as he declined TO an
swer most of the questions put TO him.
The trial opened today with scenes
very similar to those of yesterday.
There were cheers for Zola mingled
with boots and Kisses.
The presiding judge, NJ. Delegorgue,
read letter from Maj. Count Ester
hazy, in which the latter refused to
testify. Thereupon, NJ. La Borie, coun-
Sci for NJ. ZOla, insisted that Ester
hazy be brought into court by force.
The court admitted the claims of the
defense and decided that Gen. Mercief,
the former minister of war, and Mai
Patty de Clam should be resummoned.
The court also decided that the other
witnesses alleged TO be i'll should be
visited by a doctor and that if found
able to appear, they should be resum-
moned.
Nine. Dreyfus was the first witness.
NJ. La Borie asked her whether she
could say under what circumstances
she was informed by Maj. Patty de
Clam, in 1894, of her husbands arrest?
The judge declined to put the ques-
tion.
NJ. Zola here arose and cried: II de-
sire the same treatment as the as
sassin or the thief They have always
the right to defend themselves, but I
am deprived Of this. 1 am Knocked and
inSulted in the streets, and the obscene
press drags me in the mud. You SET,
gentlemen of the jury, the position
am IN. I wish to have my witnesses
heard, but 1 am prevented"
But do you not know the laW?' the
Judge asked ZOla.
NO, don't know, and I do not want
to know" was Zola's reply. The scene
caused great excitement among the
spectators.
NJ. La Borie demanded that the ques-
tions be put to the witness. The judge
answered:
Il will enter your protest If you so
which are foreign to the indictment,
in order to arrive at a revision of the
Dreyfus case, which has already been
determined"
In an Uproar.
Thereupon NJ La Borie exclaimed:
''In the presence Of obstruction placed
IN our way"
Cries of NO." yes" and quite
right"
Il have the honor to ask what
means we should employ?"
That does not concern me-" an
swered the judge, whereat there was
laughter.
NJ. La Borie then proposed to submit
list of questions, leaving the court to
indicate which of them might be put,
and the session was suspended in or
der to allow the questions to be drawn
up.
During the interval the noise in the
court room was deafening. Every one
discussed the case at the top of his or
her voice with such intensity of eX-
citement that the faces of the disput-
ants were distorted.
In the meanwhile Nine Dreyfus re-
tired to the witnesses room, where she
was seized with a violent fit of hys-
terics.
On the resumption of the session of
the court, NJ. La Borie presented a
statement claiming the right to ask
Nine. Dreyfus certain questions in the
interest of justice.
The advocate general, NJ. Van Cassel,
argued that the court could not re-
adjudicate facts already decided, and
turning to NJ. Zola, he exclaimed:
You say you do not know the law,
and do not want to know 1t. Well, we
do know the law and will have it re-
spected, with the aid of jury in
which we have the most complete con-
f1dence.'
NJ La Borie responded with great
warmth, protesting against the OBJ
struction of which his client was the
victim.
Finally Zola said he would submit to
the law and to justice. adding: II do
not revolt against the law. as my
7
gentlemen, is that you should end your
hypocritical schemes"
This remark was greeted with shouts
of bravo, bravo" and murmurs Of
dissent The court then decided
against the defense, saying that no
question not contained in the indict-
ment would be allowed.
For the Defense.
NJ. le Blois, a lawyer and a witness
for the defendant, testified of the in
trigues against Col. Picquart, when the
latter was transferred to Tunis.
NJ. Scheurer- Kestner, who was next
examined, said he learned last July
that Col. PicQuart had discovered that
the bOrdereau had not been written by
Dreyfus, and he submitted Maj. Ester
hays handwriting to NJ. Bertillon,
who agreed that it was in the same
hand as the bordereau. Witness sug-
gested to Gen. GonZ that fresh eX-
pert examination be made but the gen.
eraI dissuaded him from SO doing.
= At this stage of the proceedings, NJ
Scheurer-Kestner was about to give
the gist of the correspondence between
Gen. Gonz and Col. Picquart, showing
that Gen. Gonz favored reopening
the Dreyfus case. but the presiding
judge ruled that the evidence was in
admissible.
NJ. Laborie then intervened, saying:
81 ask that these letters be read in
court. NJ. Zola was aware of the exist
ence of these letters. 1t is time that
light was thrown into the case"
The judge, however. reiterated that
the letters were inadmissibIe. as pre-
vious notice had not been given.
NJ. Scheurer- -Kestner then sketched
the contents of the letters in which
had been discovered which would be
eagerly seized upon by the Dreyfu-
SLAMS. who would create great scan
dali
NJ. Scheurer- -Kestner further said that
he never mentioned the name of
Esterhazy, except to the government.
But, some time later, Matthew Dreyfus
(brother of Alfred Dreyfus) came to
him and declared that he also had dis
covered that EsterhaZy was the author
of the bordereau, whereupon the wit
ness told Matthew Dreyfus to write to
the minister Of war, which he did. de-
nouncing EsterhaZy.
There was much stir in court when
1t was announced that NJ. Casimfr-Pe-