The times., 1898-02-08
zOLA FACES HIS ACCUSERS
On Trial for Libel in the Court
Of AssiZes.
Government VIII Not Allow the
DreyfuS Incident to Enter Into
.he Proceedings.

Paris, Feb. THE trial Of the nov
! elist Zola on charges of defamation Of
character and libel began in the court
of assizes to-day. The courtroom was
| packed to its fullest extent, many rep
resentatives of foreign embassies being
present.
Zola, upon his arrival in the cham
| ber, met with an uproarious demon
stration of enmity among the crowds.
though there were counter cries of
| ''Vive Zola" Henry Rochefort, The ed
| itor of LIntransigeante, met with SINH
| lar demonstrations Of disfavor when he
appeared in the courtroom.
The trial began with very little delay
Procurator Van Cassell in his open
ing statement, announced that the
prosecution would be limited to speci-
fed passages in NJ. Zola's letter pub
lished in the Aurore. The trial, he
said, must not touch the case Of Drey-
fus. The present case, he declared
was confined entirely 10 the calumny
which Zola had uttered against the
judges in the first court-martial OF
Dreyus.
NJ. Labor. counsel or n. zola
| charged the ministers with a desire to
withhold light from the public, and de-
clared that Dreyfus was innocent.
Proof OF his innocence he added. would
be demonstrated despite the contention
OF all advocates to the contrary.
NJ. Labori protested against the alb
sence of witnesses, and in the course
of his remarks intimated that he might
be compelled thereby TO demand the ad-
journment Of the trial TO the next ses-
sion OF the assizes.
The judge read a number of addi-
tional excuses offered by witnesses for
their non attendance One WAS from
Madame Boulancy, who pleaded III
health as an excuse for her absence.
When the list of witnesses was read
NJ Labor renounced his claim to call
the members Of the two court martiaIs
ES-President Casimir- Perier wrote
eXcuSing his non-appeaTance, claiming
the presidential privilege.
Major Patty de Clam, who had been
summoned as q witness, refused to tes-
tify, pleading professional secrecy.
NJ. Labori protested against the alb
sence of witnesses, especially Major de
Clam, owing to his acquaintance with
the Veiled lady whose name has been
The court refused to agree with NJ.
Labori's arguments.
The decision of the court in the mat
ter of protests was deferred until to-
morrow. The court finally rose at 5
O'Clock.
The days session surTiced to make it
perfectly clear that Zola will have no
genuine opportunity to defend him
self by proving the truth of his ale
~ t., llN- a1a
French government, in it's dire dill
emma, would never dare treat him
with severity, if condemned, as he
probably will be.
Every effort is being made to mini
miZe the Importance of the case ana
ball1 the trial. The secret desire of the
French authorities undoubtedly is to
get rid of the case by inflicting a sub
stantial fine.
The most ag2ravating feature of to-
days proceedings is the manner in
which the Paris press is treating the
case. The reports spread before the
public tonight comprise on the whole,
the most outrageous prostitution of the
profession of journalism which the
present day has witnessed. They
abound with distortion of facts. sup
preston of truth, appeals to public pas
sion, and prejudice to an extent almost
beyond beller. This thing in itself con-
stitutes one of the most alarming
symptoms of this strange French crisis.
And, finally, these liberty-loving
Parisians, to the number of a thousand
or more, when the defendant, rather
pale but dignified, and calm, walked
out at the close of the session, crowd
ed threateningly around him, and raised
a storm of Kisses and snarling shouts:
"Conspuez, conspuez Zola."
In an interview this evening M. Zola
declared that the days proceedings had
resulted far better than he had VEN
tured to hope. He thought that the
proceedings had already produced some
effect on the public mind. He was GER
tain that if he We're once allowed to lay
the whole case before the jury he
would be honestly treated. The only
thing he had to dread was the suppress
sion of evidence but so far he had been
treated with fairness. He added that
outside feeling in favor of q full inquiry
was growing rapidly. He received dur
ing the sitting of the court five hun
dred congratulatory kilograms.