Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-08-13

ful, though not free from pose unless when
anger at the lies being told about him made
him quite natural. NJ. Casimir-Perier de-
clared that he would not leave the court
until the imputations against him were
cleared up.
His eyes were somewhat staring. but not
at all observant or expressive of his feel
ngs, unless of anger, but he looks like a
man who had grandfather who has filled
high situations and who stands uncommon
ly well with his banker. Refinement and
delcacy are wanting. He is not n high
born gentleman, but the son and grandson
of -eminently successful bourgeois of
whom he is proud. There is nothing COM
monplace insignificant about him, but
there Is nothing that suggests noble ma
ture.
However, he has fine, Straightforward
air and looks man proud and of inde-
pendent character, liable to take offense.
This pride reconciles itself with an abb
normally thin skin. NJ. Casimir-Perier
likes to stand well in the opinion of the
world.
His tone was little rude in answering
the formal questions as to his name, age
and profession. When the president of the
court said:
Tell what you know of the Dreyfus af
| fair NJ. Casimir-Perier seemed unable to
| speak. AS matter Of fact, the blood
| rushes to his head whenever he is deeply
moved, paralyzing for a short time the
| organs of speech.
General Mercier was allowed to sit while
giving his disposition, If long winded. fiat
| explanations and remarks can be called a
| deposition. He is quite of another type
| from M Casimir-Perier. His full dress
uniform failed to make him look sodierly.
| He has the carriage and countenance of a
! trickster.
| Esterhazy is like a brigand; Mercier like
a dishonest grocer who adulterates his
wares. His eyes are mere slits, surrounded
with puffy flesh They peer suspiciously
and reveal nothing that is going on behind
| them. The instinct of self-preservation
and the small, mean passions that minister
to it are alone expressed in his withered
countenance.
He spoke for hours in scarcely audible
voice. There was hardly anything in his
deposition beyond the one capital admis-
sion that he sent secret documents to Colo
mel Maruel with a not strict order. but an
| implied order, to show them to the other
judges of the 1894 court-martial. Apart
from this admission, his deposition, like
that of General Roget before the court of
| cessation, was full of innuendo, of "per-
| hapses and of ''it is not impossible or
'it may be" and such like verbal ambig-
uities.
Failing to demonstrate the guilt of Drey-
fus, General Mercier turned toward the
| prisoner at the conclusion of the dullest
| speech l ever heard, and, with Pecksniffl-
| can softness, he, appearing to beat time
on his knee as he spoke. said IF I had
| the slightest doubt of the justice of the
1894 sentence I would now say to the pris-
oner, Captain, have wronged you"
Dreyfus for the first time burst the
bounds of his strict self-control. The blood
rushed into his face and, starting to his
| feet, cried:
But that is what you ought to say"
This brought down the house, and the
bar, the press and the public applauded
| Dreyfus stood while the .'bravos" were
repeated. quivering with anger. Then the
cowed look returned and he sat down rap
| idly in the square military position he
thinks respectful to the court.
General Mercier's deposition was in such
contrast to the graphic, powerful story of
NJ CasimirPerier, which had throughout
the ring of truth. that the general was
hooted as he left the stand. He and NJ.
Casimir-Perier will be confronted on Mon
day. pity him. Think of sorry spawned
horse, only good for the knacker, set to
fight a lion.
!. Mondays proceedings will be sensational;
to-days were thrilling, sign that the tide
| is on the turn.
| There were other dispositions of great
| Importance, though they were not sensa-
tional. Their Importance lay in their COW
ering the anti-Dreyfusites with confusion
by mailing their lies to the counter. The
| evidence that DR.. Ransom, who is now in
| India, was said to be prepared with, was
stigmatized in a letter from him as "fu-
tile inventions He did not witness the
search made of the person of Dreyfus for
documents when the latter arrived at Isle
De Roi to be shipped for Cayenne, and he
never heard of the search or the finding
of concealed documents on him.
NJ. De la Roche-Vernet, a typical attache
of embassy, now serving at Berlin, has
been greatly boasted about by the anti
Dreyfusites as able to smash NJ. Paleo-
logue's testimony given on behalf of the
foreign office before the court of cessation
Well, De la Roche-Vernet was summoned
to Rennes as a witness for the defense
Everything he said confirmed NJ. Paleo-
logue and condemned General Mercier. His
evidence related to interpretations sent tc
the war office of Panizzardis cipher tele-
gram to the Italian government about the
arrest of Dreyfus.
NJ, De la Roche-Vernet and Paleologue
were to-day confronted, with the result OF
mutual confirmation.
Maitre Demange said few words from
time to time to prevent the witnesses from
wandering.
The officers who judge Dreyfus may have
for decency's sake, to acquit Him, but the!
will do so reluctantly and with hearts filled
with gall They are not to De converted by
the evidence, but it may, and, I believe
will, overbear them.
EMILY CRAWFORD.
u.xl n.orS,s Roen nm A Axnerican