The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-09

| president Of the Dreyfuz court marital
| VINO imp0unded them without reading
them to the court. thus 1t was lrnpossE-
Die 10 give notification OF them all evI-
I dence
M. scheurer- -Kestner then sketchsa
4 Inc contents of the letters In which
/ colonel Picquart wrote that Lesh facts
mad been discovered which would Re
/ eagerly seized upon by the prav
/ russians which would create a great
/ scandal General Gonz replied that ii
/ was too late to stop the matter now.
/ colonel Picquart, in another letter.
! according TO the witness. urged that
/ ehe Mhole affair be exposed. there
/ would be 4 scandal
Continuing. the witness said: II went
/ 70 General Billot minister Of war; and
! teid nifn what ] knew. j offered tg
communicate General Gonz's letters.
/ nus ne refused. Then 1t was agreed
/ that the interview should not he ai
/ Vuiged- Nevertheless, the government
/ newspapers published an sccount Of
the interview
= had interviews with the premier
M Meiine) and told him everything /
/ knew
NJ. Scheurer- -Kestner further said
| mat ne never mentioned the name Of
/ Estefhazy except to the government
bat some time later. Matthew Dreyfus.
protheF Of Alfred Dreyfus, came to him
/ and declared that he also had disrov-
4 v
/ the borderau. whereupon the witness
| told Matthew Dreyfus to write to the
minister OF war, which he did. de-
| nouncing. Esterhazy.
NJ zola here asked Scheurer- -kestner
~ give the court details of his inter-
view with the minister Of war and the
witness did SO. recounting how he had
begged his old friend to take the in
itiatlFe in the matter. adding: II gave
him fortnight TO make up his mind.
1IITtn1 NhfHh inc. r
Pfussian" - 2
Yes" interiected NJ zola. ..as they
now treat me as an Italian
Ihere was much stir in court when
y Was announced that M. Casimir-Pe-
rler. the former president Of the
French republic, would be the next
witness.
When he was called the presiding
judge said; You swear To speak
without anlmus and fear. 70 speak the
truth and nothing but the truth
NJ. casimir-Perier at this point in
tefrupted the judge. saying: Pardon
me cannot swear 10 tell the truth.
because | cannot do 80 IL is my duty
not to tell it,
This statement caused a comnotian
among the audience The presiding
judge resumed: THE law conlpaIs
you, before even spedNing or refusing
10 testify To take the OATH
NJ Casimir- Perier then took the
oath.
Can you say" asked NJ. Laborfe. IF
when you We're president you knew be-
lore his arrest that Il staff officer was
suspected of treason and that charges
had been made against him2s
The presiding judge intervened say
ing. gu cannot ask that question
This Intervention aroused murmurs
in court
Counsel for Nj. zola then put another
question To NJ. Casmr-P Parfer. saving.
Did NJ. Casimir- Perier know that a
secret file of papers existed at the Of
flee of the war Minister
i was not aware OF a file of papers
concerning Major Esterhazy.r was the
reply.
Did YOU continued NJ Lahorie.
know that secret document was
handed 10 the court martial.
You cannot answer that question"
interrupted the presiding Judge. a
statement which caused renewed mur-
murings in court.
Il do not know any facts subsequent
10 my presidency" said NJ Casimir-
ferler can only speak as a private
citizen, which | am willing to do
You are setting a noble example.
replied NJ. Iaborie. which other Wit
nesses have not deemed tit To follow.
since 1t has been necessary 70 bring
them here by force" 6Applausel
Nj. Laborie here made a formal ap-
plication. in the interests of Justice
To be put. The judges, after debating
on the matter, refused to allow the
question NJ. Decastru. Il banker. was
then examined.
He declared he recognized the iden-
tity of the handwriting of Major Ester
hazy and that of the writer of the bor-
derau author. The witness revealed this
discovery TO Matthew Dreyfus and he
added he had since received d number
of threatening letters. The court then
arose amid great excitement and shouts
for and against NJ Zola. TN leaving
the witness box NJ. casimir- -Perier re-
ceived a great ovation.
There was a big crowd outside the
lower court and after the people were
leaving the building a man cried "yise
zola, Down with France" lie was
arrested.
A tremendous rush followed. M.
Zola, on emerging from the jury door.
was recognized and obliged To return
and seek refuge in the robing rooms
the doors Of which We're then locked
The crowd remained outside yelling,
''GonSpuez Zola. etc. led by d number
Of young barristers in their robes. who
roughly handled NJ Zola's sympafhiz-
ers until a detachment of republican
guards cleared the court yard. There
was an immense eianor and shouts ~
Down with Zoia,, Long live zolat'
and Death to Lola.' the last cry
the others. The novelist
had difficulty in keeping his feet amid
the struggling crowd.
In the meantime the police misun-
1erstanding their orders. closed the
gates and NJ. Zola thus found himself
inside the court yard. surrounded BY
bowling. threatening mob, The police
we're powerless and. for a moment. ii
ooked as though he would be lynehed.
With the friends who formed his body
guard.
His friends rallied around him and
eventually the gates We're reopened and
he police. having been reinforced es-
.orted NJ Zola TO the street, while the
majority of the mob was confined to
he court yard, shrieking threats
against the novelist. who eventually
entered a cab and drove quickly away.