Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-08-31
THE DREYFUS TRIAL.
Neither Side Pleased Wiz tie Out
come Of tuesdays Proceedings.
The TESTIMONY OF COL. CORDIER.
Military Officers Demand to BE Heard
Gen. MERCER Not Going to Throw Up
the sponge--M. de Freycinet
on the Witness Stand.

Rennes, Aug. 30..-Neither side was
pleased with the outcome of yester-
days proceeding before the court-mar-
tial that is trying Capt. Dreyfus. The
Dreyfusards expected that Col. Cordier,
who was deputy chief of the intelli-
gence department under the late Lieut..
Col. Henry, would testify that the bor-
dereau was received directly by the
late Col. Sandherr. Had the expecta-
ton been realized, the testimony would
have been strong point in favor Of
the accused, because it would have
been a reply to the anti-Dreyfusards
who have all along contended that
Henry received the bordereau and for
warded it to Sandhcrr, a thing he
would not have done had the bordereau
been, as the Dreyfusards assert, writ
ten by his accomplice, Esterhazy, for,
in that event, Henry would have recog-
nized the handwriting when he re-
ceived the bordereau from the German
embassy and would have suppressed it,
instead Of forwarding it to Sandherr.
Col. Cordier, however, testified that
he was absent from the intelligence de-
partment when the borbereau arrived,
but that he believed that it was re-
ceived by Henry. Naturally this state
ment elated the anti-Dreyfusards, but
they had no good reason to congratu-
late themselves upon the remainder Of
Cordier's testimony, as it was wholly
in favor Of Dreyfus.
On the other hand the procession of
generals and officers of the general
staff who demanded an opportunity to
confront Col. Cordier was good piece
of tactics from the point of view Of the
anti-Dreyfusards, because all the
points they contested was not Of the
first Importance, yet their very appear
ance on the stage and the contradic-
tions of some Of Cordier's statements
left disagreeable impre ssion.
The appearance Of Gen. MERCER to
question Col. Cordier came as sur
prise to many in the audience, who had
supposed that after last Saturdays
scene, when MERCER was confronted
with Capt, Freystaetter, he would re-
main quiet. But MERCER is game to
the death. His action yesterday is in
terpreted as intended to show that he
is not going to throw up the sponge.
The part he played in 1894 lays him
open to arrest, and this is a constant
topic of discussion in the cafes and at
other meeting places in Rennes. There
appears, however, to be good reason
why the government will not take any
such serious step until the trial is over
Col. Jouaust, president of the court
martial, could adjourn the trial indef-
initely If MERCER, who is an important
witness, were arrested. If the trial
were adjourned for more than As hours
it would lapse, and the proceedings
would have to be gone over again from
the beginning.
Yesterdays attendance was the
largest since the opening of the trial.
Everybody was on the qui vive to hear
the testimony of Charles de Freycinet,
senator, former premier, former minis
ter of foreign affairs and former minis
ter of war This adroit politician, the
"white mouse" of French politics, sat
upon the fence as well as he could.
His expression of fear that the Drey-
fus agitation would injure the disci-
plne of the army greatly annoyed the
Dreyfusards, as calculated to influence
the judges against the accused. But
he followed it with a eulogy of the
pioneer of the Dreyfus campaign. M.
Scheurer-Kestner, former vice presi-
dent of the senate, whose character he
said he held in the highest esteem.
M. Labor then secured another con-
,ession favorable TO Dreyfus by getting
NJ. de- Freycinet to admit that he could |
,ot recall single fact going to prove
hat money had been sent into France
from abroad to promote campaign in |
'avor of Dreyfus. The general feeling, |
however, is that his appearance on the
witness stand had notmaterially helped
The accused.
PLAN E0R AN ATYIANrE