The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-31
CONSPIRACY
OF GENERALS
BREAKING UP.
Rumors of Combinations and Pre-.
distions OF Coups Filling
the Air OF Rennes.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Gives Rise to Reports Of a Three
Cornered Division Of the
Military Clique.


Rennes this evening Is filed with Fu-
mors Of conspiracleS and predictions Of
coups de theatre, but nothing precise
can be ascertained. General Mercier's
attitude during the last few days has
mystlHed his followers in the case. He
is extremely clever, and the general
feeling Is that he Is preparing some-
thing, the existence Of which Will be
revealed in a few days.
It Is now accepted as beyond question
that there Is serious division Of opln-
lon on the part Of the generals. While
the case was running smoothly against
Captain Dreyfus they all pulled to-
gether, but since the tide OF evidence
began to turn III his favor, as was no.
tably the case during the testimony OF
Captain Freystaetter and Colonel Cor
der, which proved more damaging to
the general stan than the latter antlel-
pated, certain dividing lines have be-
come manifest between the various
cllques. General Roget, Major Lauth,
Captain Culgnet and n. GrIbelIn, the
principal keeper Of the archives Of the
war office, form one cotetie; General
Riercier and General Gonse form an
other and General Billot and General
De Bolsdeffre third.
Tho scapesoat.
According to one report, the first two
coteries intend to throw over General
De Boisdeftre. whom they feel to be fall
teting. and declare that he Is respohsl-
BILE for all the errors and illegallties Of
the court martial of 1894, thus making
him the Scapegoas.
According to another report, General
Roget, who was not Implicated in 1894,
and who has even fought against DFey-
fus because he inherited from his pred
ecessors the responsibility for so doing,
ana placed over confidence in the ac-
counts Of the matter furnished him by
the general stan, will cut himself loose
from Generals Mercier, Gonse and De
I4Sisauifrsy- ---s7-
This Is a plausible theory. since Ro-
get has assumed Throughout the role
OF the defender Of the army. thus maxi
ing himself popular with the army and
a large section of the nation, and he
probably would not lose by separating
himself from the wrong-doers of 1894,
and declaring that his opinion had
been changed by the evidence given
during the present trial.
Another Story,
Yet another story is that the generals
are going to give way On the authorship
Of the bordereau, in view Of the strong
expert evidence and will admit that Es-
terhasy wrote 1t, alleging, however,
that Dreyfus furnished the 1nfOrma-
tlon, not direct to Esterhazy, but to a
third person who acted as intermediary
without Dreyfus knowing Esterhazy.
In this connection It was asserted this
afternoon that Madame Rastian, who
was housekeeper for Colonel schwarS-
koppen. the German military attache,
in 1894, and who Is understood to have
acted as a witness concerning schwarz-
koppen's espionage system.
All these rumors may be without
foundation, but in any event they are
sympathetic OF the feeling in Rennes
that something is going on under the
surface, and that the complexion Of the
trial may be altered by some coup at
any moment.
Another Dreyfns Day.
In the matter Of evidence to-day was
quite Dreyfus day. only the depo-
sltIon Of the last witness, General De-
logo, being unfavorabIe. The testi-
mony Of NJ. Picot, member OF the
institute, is little likely, however, to
serve the cause Of the accused nateri-
ally, II at all, because his introduction
OF Colonel Schneider, the Austrian mill
itary attache as a champion OF Drey-
fus, was rather calculated to arouse re-
sentiment, and adversely to influence
the judges. especially as It was follow
ed by General Roget's tactful protest
against Colonel schnelders uhcompli-
mentnry illusions to French officers.
To-morrow's proceedings, behind
closed doors, will deal with the question
whether Captain Dreyfus was In a pO-
sltion to d'vulge the Information re-
gardlng the artillery. which was prom
ised In the bordercau. The session
will be very important and is bound to
have n tremendous influence upon the
Judges one way or the other, because
they nre all artillery officers, and will
be able to appreciate such evidence
better than nthccryptographl intrlcaoies
that have been laid before them By the
handwriting experts,
Drcyrnsarls Confident.
The Dreyfusards express confidence
that their artillery witnesses Major
Hartman and Major Ducros. Will eftcc-
lively sntIsfy the Judges that Dreyfus
was ignorant OF the matters mentioned
in the bordereau. or, us m artillery
officer, would not have been guilty OF
stating the errors which II contained.
The court room continues crowded. and
quite number Of Indies now succeed
in obtaining admission. Town ionfcrs
are making regular business OF
forming a queue outside the entrance
to the public park and court room MS
early as two or three o'clock In the
morning. and selling places at from
three to 1--WE francs, according to post