The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-23
LABORl WAS HIMSELF AGAIN.
Continued from First Page3

80, ii1I VI. Labor asked if the witness as
| SSuHIed responsibility for the report of
~ oo' NV which was attributed TO a
l S,e.7l Hl'ltary attaChe. The government
coialnlssary, Maj. Carrere protested
ooa.'iSl thls question, saying it referred to
AFFAIRS OF state and should not be an
| S"eted except behind closed doors NJ
| Adpoil pointed out that he had NOT named
| ANYBODY, and Lieut. Col. RolliD RENTED
s.i'' ne h3d no knowledge regarding the
"dnsiaton of the docume mt in question.
AZ lals NJ. Labor called the attention of
the witness to the cautious nature OF his
! iepIy ana ask him how the document came
| mo the possession of Gen. Mercier Gen
| AieIclSr thought the witness was not iusti-
! ueu IN answering it, but in reply TO fur
! IHtr queries, MERCER declared he took the
IuH responsibility for the translation sub
| i'lltea TO the court ThereupOn NJ. La
! norl limited that when the document was
| produced Gen MERCER was no longer min
lster OF war and asked what right. then.
! had ne to have in his possession a docu-
| Hlent which was state secret. Gen Mer-
cier did not reply
counsel then asked what right had Gen.
| Mercer TO retain possession of all the doc
| umehls IN The secret doss!er. Gen. MERCER
| was silent
NJ Labor said: 'T am asking for the
| oiheiai responsibility and l make note of
| the fact that il is refused. viii reserve
| the rignt TO take all the measures which
| tAink proper (SensationD Counsel add
| ed that he later would ask Col Jouaust TO
recall Gen MERCER and would put numer-
Gus questions to him to which however.
counsel added, he could foresee the gem
eral would refuse to reply. prolonged
! sensat ion)
| Dreyfus then made a statement regard
| ing a passage of Rollins evidence refer
fing to the searches made in his own
residence in 1894. "Everything," said the
| prisoner, was seized without execution. p"
! Col. Jouaust said: Some of the pages
We're missing of your notes taken at the
lectures given by the military college
| That has been the subject of remark >"
! Dreyfus replied: NO, my colonel, not IN
I 1894" (SensatOn)
| Ferret, former secretary of the min
| istry of war, then told of finding Drey-
| fus and a civilian in the war office OUT
Of Office hours, apparently prying about
for information. The witness was asked
| why he had not testified to this in 1894
! but he could give no good reason. Drey-
/ tus protested against this evidence term
| ing II a vile insinuation concocted by a
| former minister OF war" Great sensa-
| tionD
The prisoner said that il was most diff
cult Tor a civilian TO obtain entry to the
war office. The prosecution undertook 70
| refute this statement by citing instances.
| Dreyfus retorted that if these cases were
| true there had been gross negligence in
the office, for the rules were strict Maitre
Demange added that if civilians had such
easy access to the document rooms. 9TH
ers beside officers might have secured con-
traband Information.
LabOri Handles Berth.
Lieut.. Col. Berth, who was chief of
Dreyfus' bureau In 1894. followed. He gave
the prisoner d bad reputation for curiosi-
~ and negligence in his work, but insist
ed that he had mastered a large part of
the eastern mobilization problem. At the
conclusion of his deposition the witness
declared he never ordered Dreyfus to pro-
cure informa lion concerning the entire net
works of railroads. (which the prisoner
sought to acquire from Capt. Cuignet. -
Replying to questions on the subject of the
alleged untimely visit Of Dreyfus to his
office, the witness said that the plans were
kept in his office and that Dreyfus knew
the word necessary to open the press con-
tanning them.
Lieut.. Col. Berth protested his belief in
the guilt of Dreyfus, and though Maitre
Demange tried to trap him as 10 conVersa-
lions on the subject with NJ. Scheurer-
Kestner and others, he would not be
shaken He denied that the religious ques-
ton had arisen during Dreyfus' term at
ceived, not as a jew but as a comrade.
NJ. Labor asked the courts leave. with
the permission of Lieut. Col. Berth, 10
question The witness on delicate subject.
lie referred. continued counsel to a re-
mark made by Berth at a dinner at which
NJ. Labor was present, at the house of a
mutual friend, fortnight after he degra-
daiOn of Dreyfus. Il have absolute con-
hdence in the good faith of Lieut. Col.
Bertin,' added NJ. Labor, land l am con-
viuced that if his recollections are exact
enough he viii not hesitate TO reply"
Berth asked the lawyer to mention the
name of the mutual friend who gave the
dinner. NJ Labor whispered the name,
and the witness nodded assent.
M. Labor: DO you remember that you
were among the first to suggest to me
the belief in the innocence of Dreyfus?'
Bertin "No. no. il is impossible"
NJ. Labor: Does the witness remem-
Der that during the course of the dinner
he became excited in talking about Drey-
FUSE" The lieutenant colonel pointed out
that the terms of intimacy which pre-
vailed at the dinner must be taken into
account
Il do not forget" said NJ. Labor, but
am referring specially to the somewhat
remarkable remarks you made against
M. Demange. Did you not say to me-
when 1 spoke of Maitre Demange's belief
in the innocence of Dreyfus "Demange!
Don't mention him! He is counsel for
the German embassy" Cries of ooh.
OhrD
NJ. Bertin IF l remember I will re-
ply. I am here to tell the truth and will
tell all | know. l am here for the truth,
like you"
NJ. Labor: when 1 asked why YOU
said that. you said that NJ Demange had
already defended other spies, and that he
was an official defender" Lieut. Col.
Berth admitted the truth of NJ. Labori's
statements
NJ. Labor; You should be sure regard
ing your suspicion of NJ. Demange, be-
cause a barrister of his standing is nor
appointed officially unless there are i'm
portant reasons for it. My belief in he
innocence of Dreyfus." NJ Labor added
began that day. l give you my word of
honor that Lieut.. Col Berth admitted he
had a grudge against Maitre Demange.
saying il was because he defended DreyCus
badly by persisung in making Dreyfus
deny all the charges against him. Lieut.
Col. Berth evidently thought Maitre De-
mango ought TO have joined with the 9TH