The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-29
4 TURN TOWARD DREYtUS.
yrDGEs' A1IITUDE GIVES NEW HOPE
or MS ICQUITThL.

Force n Conyiction-If Made, 1t May
Provo Their Undoing-Italy May Expose
the Real Traitors-JudEe Appointed to
Take Du Patty de CLAIMS Deposition.
special cote D,rpatch 10 THE suN
Ryy>Es, Aug. pa remarkable change in
,hemoral as well as the physical atmosphere OF
Leunes has taken place in the past twenty
,,ur hours The torrid heat has been sup
TAINTED 10y fresh breezes and cooling showers.
,ut moro salutary and more welcome is the
refreshing reaction in the situation. which has
revived hope and onldence in the imm ediate
tr,u,uph Of justice in the great cause
here rending. 1t is no startling development
which has wrought this significant change.
Tu.day's proceedings in the courtroom were
iururtant, but nothing transpired which the
world did not know before. or. rather. the evil
dcucr had no bearing on the question that 10
strictly before Dreyius's Judges. 1t consisted
solely Of expert testimony upon the hand
writing OF the hordercau.
To-day witnessed the destruction OF the
cLimarlca structure reared in the name OF
science by crack Drained fanatic who. no
doubt, really believes that he has proved
lyp,thoses which common sense knows to be
false. NJ Berton is being driven mad with
rage and grief by the exposure OF his strange
tIiocy The great world at large. which. it is
SAID hurr.es through its breakfast every morn
ing to follow the development OF this drama
nj Kcrnes. cares nothing for this. 1t know
long ago that Dreyfus. whatever else he may
have done. dill not write the bordereau. but 1t is
Incoming evident that it is this old issue which
almost alone will again decide the fate OF the
prisoner The first indication OF this Is the at
titud. ut the Judges. They not only fol-
lowed the evidence of the worthessness and
fa,sy Of Bertiions bad parody Of science with
the closest and most sympathetic interest. but
they ulletl the witnesses with the keenest Ques-
tons which frankly betrayed their apprecia-
tion Of the truth of the situation. The same is
true Of their treatment Of the two experts who
frankly withdrew their opinion. held in 1894.
thar Dreyfns was tho writer of the bordereau.
and acknowledged their present conviction
that it was Esterhazy's work.
There are other reasons also. which it Ia I'M
necessary to specify. that suggest the end to-
ward which the case Ia now tending. 1t should
be remembered that the general staff has been
unable 10 produce scrap of evidence going to
show TINT the information specified in
the hordereau was ever delivered to a
foreign power Nv Dreyfus or anybody
else. The Judges have therefore.
course open. which will enable them
70 acquit the prisoner without. in
their opinion condemninE their superiors
oithe general staff Of conspiracy or the OF
Illegal measures against Dreyfus In 1894.
They can base their verdict avowedly upon
the expert testimony. which compels them to
acuuit
Gems. MERCER and Roget. and others of the
band who are seeking the condemnation OF
the prisoner. now plainly see the drift Of
events. 1t is reported tonight that they are
in desperate circumstances and that they
will have recourse to desperate means
to attain their end. Information in
which the correspondent Of THE SUN is in
clined to place some credence is to tho effect
that they will now abandon their contention
that Drey:us was the author Of the bordereau.
and following the lead Of ex-Minister OF War
Cavaignac. will still insist that the prisoner
was traitor in partnership with Esterhazy
and WE'LL Your correspondent mentioned the
possibility of this move several days ago as
something almost incredible. 1t would seem
to be- nothing less than the complete collapse
Of the Prosecutions case.
On III" other hand, suppose that to- morrowa
witness Of prominence should declare that
nrcyfus. Esterha2y and Veil were CO. traitors.
SUPPOSE two days later tho Judge who was to-
Gav appointed on application OF Major CarriGre.
the Government prosecutor. to take the testi-
monv Of Du Patty Ge Clam should in bringing
IN his deposition. inform the Judges that it
was Il dcatI-hcd revelation to the court. and
= Should declare that the three traitors were
Nrcy'us. Estcrha2y and WE'LL There would
he on" inevitable effect. The present court
martha. would no longer be able to partially
c'adc responsibility 10y deciding the case
the l"r,errau alone They would be compelled
to meet the fun issue They would have to
condemn the whole General Staff or condemn
l'ey,us. I!ny" these seven men the tremend-
Gus moral courage requisite for an honest ver-
diet In such circumstances?
What shall be said of the ficndish ingenuity
'th' stuNendous audacity which are Great
Irc this situation? 1.-THE judges should yield
~ such Geyiiish. but almost overwhem-
iIf, influence from the heads OF their
profession in tho face Of such evidence
# til" prisoners innocence as has been
lr3Hcnd during the past two or
th-"" days. it would be almost
'""Egh to preciritate anarchy in France. I'M
partial observers. however. maintain their
faith in the honesty Of the seven men sitting
Judges at this court-martial. but the above de-
scrirtIDn Of n possible situation does not exag-
eIatr the terrible dilemma in which they may
b. placed
D""ytus and his defenders expect to be COM
PEELED 10 meet exactly such a situation as has
been mentioned. and it is possible that weapon
VIII b" forthcoming strong enough to destroy
c"nrletoly the plot and the plotters. 1t Is pos
hIe that the tables will be turned at the
last moment by the production OF the
original documents OF treason. with their
source indicated beyond question. from
the War Once Mt Rome. 1t is possible
that some OF these documents will prove
10 u" Of dates showing that they could not have
emana'ed from the prisonerat the bar That
j. possible. hut it is not well to prophecy any
thing in this case. Such thunderclap Of
truth might well come at the present moment.
and far more effectively from the Italian than
the German sky. but as said at the beginning
Of this despatch. truth is gaining strength.
hope and courage.
such desperate tactics as indicated may
hr.ng confusion and violence for the moment.
bl the downfall OF the conspirators Is at hand