The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-15
Demlange, Associate Of LabOri Is UNEQUAL to the
Severe Task of CrOSS-examining.
Mercier Escaped His Promised Ordeal and the Day Was
Decidedly Against the Prisoner.

relative to mobilization
NJ. Casimir-Perier resumed his testi-
mOny and said he did not reply to GER
3, tain of General Mercier's insinuations.
Scorns Mercier's Insinuations.
4 do not wish to answer them" said
the former president The circum-
stances are too sad and too tragic for
me 70 try to envenom the discussion |
am master of myself and of my con-
science would only state that Cen
! eral MERCER has made every effort to
mix me as deeply as possible in this
affair. Butt l have remained alOof. I
affirm. during the progress of the inves-
/ tgatiOn.''
| The former president then complained
| OF the incorrect behavior of his subor-
dinate toward the chief of the state.
As an instance" said NJ. Casimir-
| Perier. General MERCER undertook to
shorten the term of service of $4,000
men without consulting the chief of
state. thus lacking in the respect he
owed to the chief of state
NJ. Casimir-Perier next protested
against the assertions made by General
MERCER in regard to the role adopted
by the chief of state in this affair,
whereupon the general interjected that
ne mad spoken of the attitude assumed
by NJ Casimir-P erier because he had
sworn TO tell the whole truth
MS Demange asked General Mercier
If he had explained to the cabinet how
he reconciled the relations of cause and
effect. and the patriotic emotion
aroused by the treason which the com
munication of the secret documents to
the courtmartial. The general repeat-
ed his statement of Saturday as his nv
pothesis of the situation
Germany Played No Part.
NJ Demanse asked NJ. Casimir- Perier
II on the 9Th an understanding had not
been reached between France and
Germany on the subject of Dreyfus.
NJ. Casimir-Perier replied that before o
ms interview with the minister on the
9th the question of Dreyfus had neve<
many.
NJ Demange asked General Mercier
Why he had no tincluded in the dossier
or 1894 the doubtful translation Of the
etleSram of agent b to his govern
mont under the date of Nov ,
In reply. General MERCER said not one
of the .translations of the etlegram was
communicated to the judges because
there still existed doubts in his mind.
NJ. Demange remarked that the text
was communicated to Sandherr as Of
fetal, and therefore doubts were impos-
sible
NJ Demange then asked that VI. Pa
leoiogue of the foreign Office be recalled
III order to state that only a single YER
sion of the telegram, was given him. as
he understood General Mercier's uncer-
tainty was aroused by the receipt of a
semi-official draft of the telegram.
At this point Major Carriere. the
representative of the government. asked
that II be clearly shown that two YER
sions of the telegram We're given, one
official and one semi-OfficitI
NJ. Dem2nge said thar in commune
eating the official text Nov. Sandherr
emphasized its official character.
Suppression of Document.
Counsel next asked General MERCER
why the explanations of the secret dos
sier were not included in the dOssier
relating TO the revision The general
replied that he considered thes expla-
nations were given for his personal use
and that was why ne destroyed the
documents. At his N. de Mango ex-
pressed a sense OF astOnishment and
asked General MERCER if he did not
have reasons for suppTessing the docu-
ment. The witness repudiated the sug-
gestiOn.
Dreyfus at this point rose from his
seat and asked leave to explain in re-
gard to the assertion that he had traced
in card the itinerary journey of GER
tain OF the general staff. The itinerary
and journey, he stated, were purely
fictitious.
NJ Casimir-Perier then said he de-
sired to reiterate that he had never
promised anything to Dreyfus. adding
that it was with NJ. Waldeck-Rous-
seau alone that he had spoken in regard
TO the condemned man. Therefore NJ.
Casimir-P erier reiterated his protests
at the letters of Dreyfus referring TO
negotiations.
Promise of Public Trial.
This caused NJ. Demange to explain
how Dreyfus came to say that Casimir-
Perier had promised him public trial.
After Demange had asked NJ Wal
dec-Rousseau to intervene with NJ.
Casimir-Perier. (then president of
France) to obtain publicity. NJ Wal
deck-RouSSeau reported that the preSi-
dent appeared favorable to the SugSes-
ton and counsel therefore thought he
might communicate the fact to Drey-
fus. NJ. Demange added that it must
be remembered that Dreyfus wrote the
letter four years after the occurrence.
and his recOliectiOnS naturally lacked
precision. NJ. Demange expressed re-
greet at the fact that the letter had been
published and apologized to NJ CAST
who thanked counsel for his
expression of regret and explanation.
General Billet former minister of war,
was the next witness. He was in uni
his evidence in conversational man.
ner. He said he would be II years of
age tomorrow Like everybody else he
added he had some knowledge of the
Dreyfus affair before taking the war
portfolio. While feeling deeply on the
subject he remained aloof from the
matter until he returned 10 the cabi-
net.
In the early days of his administra-
ton, the witness continued NJ. Scheu-
Ga former vice president of
the senate) asked him whether he
ought not 10 investigate the Dreyfus
affair. NJ. Scheurer- Kestner. the gen.
eral pointed out. had made similar rep
TO NJ. de Freycinet and got
the same reply from both. that neither
of them were very conversant with the
affair.
Convinced of Dreyfus' Innocence.
General Billet dwell at length upon
the action taken by NJ. Scheurer-Kest-
ner to whom he recommended pru-
ience NJ. Scheurer- Kestner finally
to General Billet his
conviction Of the innocence of Dreyfus,
but the general found the evidence in