The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-08-14
CROWD EXCITED
Sensational Close of the Second
Open Session of the Drey-
fuS Trial.
General Mercier. After Berating
the Prisoner. is Denounced
as a Liar.
Crowd IIoots and Curses the
Former War Minister as
He Leaves Court.


Of the second open session Of the Drey.
fus courtmartial opened tame!y, and
the hopes of a sensation which had
brought a very large audience to the
hall of the Rennes lycee began to Tag
as the morning wore on and matters be-
gan to get tedious, as NJ. Casimir.Perier
and General Mercier reiterated what is
already known. But this was only the
calm before the storm and when the
storm broke. it carried every one with
1t into a whirlpool Of the widest ex-
element.
Dreyfus on entering the court saluted
the president with the same studied
mien as last Monday, and the president,
Colonel Jouaust returned the salute
and said:
''Sit down D-eyfus."
The chair for the prisoner was placed
further to the right of platform. In.
stead of facing the judges, Dreyfus sat
with his back to the table of his coun.
sci. thus looking across the platform,
straight at the rail at which the wit.
nesses stood.
On Dreyfus being shown. by Colonel
Jouaust, the document found in the
lining of his waistcoat by a p%enitentiary
officer, he admitted keeping it as q sou.
venir copy of the bordereau. He owned
to this calmly and without any trem.
bling of the voice. Then he listened
calmly to the reading of DR.. Ransom's
report by Major Carriere, the prose.
cutor, which occupied about 10 minutes.
NJ. De la Roche Vernet, one of the
secretaries Of the French embassy al
Berlin, was then called. He is a man
about IS years of age with q heavy
brown mustache and was smartly
dressed. He testified regarding the
translation of the Panizzardi dispatch.
stirring Scene at the Close.
A stirring scene closed the days ses.
sion of the D-eyfus trial. General
Mercier had spoken nearly four hours
in ruthless denunciation of Dreyfus,
who had listened unmoved until Mer-
cier concluded by saying that if he had
mo- been convinced OF the guilt of Drey-
fus, and if the ~latter's conviction had
not been fortified since 1894, he would
admit he had been mistaken. Dreyfus
jumped to his feet a. though the words
had galvanized him into life and shouted
in a voice which resounded through the
hall like a trumpet note:
you have lied, scoundrelv'
The audience burst into a wild cheer.
whereupon the ushers called for silence.
But, when Mercier replied that he
would admit Dreyfus was innocent if
there was any doubt, the prisoner
shouted again:
why don't you them
At this there was another outburst of
applause.
NJ. Cassimir Perier then rose and dra.
matically demanded to be confronted
with General MERCER, in order to deny
some of his statements.
Cursed BY the Crowd.
Colonel Jouaust ordered the court to
be adjourned until $40 a. m. for the
conformation, and as Mercier turned to
leave the court, the audience rose en-
masse and Kissed and cursed him, those
at the back Of the court standing on
chairs and benches in order to better
| hound him down.
The gendarmes placed themselves be.
tween the general and the audience.
who showed a strong disposition to NAL.
treat the former minister of war.
General MERCER hurried out of the
court room through a side door. amid
fierce denunciations from the audience.
On emerging into the street, the
crowd outside cheered him and cried
give l'Armee."
"Ah." cried a spectator of the scene
in court, IF they had heard the inhu.
man monster speak they would not
cheer him now"