Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-08-11
The Retrial of Dreyfus.

The retrial of Capt. Dreyfus on the
charge of having betrayed French military
secrets to a foreign Power, presumably
Germany, is proceeding at Rennes. The
first day was devoted to the arraignment
of the prisoner, and his examination with
respect to the charges brought against him.
Tuesday the hearing was conducted with
closed doors, so that confidential evidence
bearing on the case might not be divulged
to the public. 1t will be recalled that at
the first trial of Dreyfus he " as convicted
ostensibly because of the notorious border
eau alleged to be in his handwriting en-
boding the candestine information. Since
then Major Esterhazy has confessed that
he was the author of the bordereau, and it
is asserted that the German government
has in its possession proofs of his treason,
and that Emperor William, if necessity
calls for it, may take the unprecedented
step of revealing Esterhazy's guilt. 1t will
be recalled further that the enemies of
Dreyfus, fearful that they had not made
out case against him, submitted to the
courtmartial privately and without the
cognizance of the prisoner or his counsel,
other documents tending to connect Drey-
fus with the crime of treason.
The manner in which the retrial is be-
ing carried on appears singular to an Amer
lean. The defendant is not only called
upon to plead to the indictment, but to
submit to rigorous questioning as the first
witness, and his examiner is not the prose-
cutting attorney but the presiding officer of
the court. In the v ords of correspond
ent the judge was fair, but evidently not
frieadly. Dreyfus fervidly proclaimed his
innocence, and denied that he had at any
time made any sort of confession TO Capt
Lebrun Renault in charge of whom he
was on the day of his degradation. From
the tenor of Col. Jouaust's interrogatories
1t is inferred that the prosecution will tax
Dreyfus with having disclosed secrets con-
cerning the construction of army guns
difficulties in mobilization, ineffectiveness
of batteries, the Madagascar campaign,
the firing manual, and military maneu-
vres. He was also interrogated concern
ing alleged relations with German officers
and Austrian spies, and with respect to
visits across the border.
1t is possible that some suspicion attach
ed to the movements of Dreyfus while he
was in good standing with the army and
connected with the bureau of the general
staff. The disclosures of Esterhazy and
Henry show conclusively that Dreyfus was
made a scapegoat, and that evidence
against him was unblushingly fabricated,
At the time of his conviction he was ap-
parently without friend in the army. 1t
was not until Col. Picquart discovered Ma
jor Esterhazy's forgeries that public opin-
ion in France permitted itself to doubt
that, however irregular his trial, Dreyfus
had been engaged in reasonable practices.
Somuch perjury and corruption have
been uncovered in connection with the
Dreyfus case, SO many officers have been
found ready to bear false witness, that ii
is a subject for conjecture whether or not
the malevolent enemies of the prisoner oi
DEVILS Island have exhausted their store
of falsehood. - SA,--., 81. ri <