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

were turned upon DreyIus- his ITeSH COM
ple1ion astonished all. The figure remains
clean built. He entered with measured
step. His mode of saIuting the court was
3erky and very composed. but his fingers
betrayed nervousness. His voice is not
good, but it was out of practice for i've
years.
Judge Not Friendly.
The first incident was the declaration of
the president colonel that he had unlimited
power TO call witnesses. He then ordered
those of NJ. Quesnay de Beaurepaire to
be cited. The Indictment is that of 1894.
Dreyfus answered all questions. The
Judge was fair, but evidently not friendly.
He showed himself, however, sensible and
sober minded and impressed everyone IA
vorably.
The accused is unfortunate in not being
able, apart from his sufferings as told by
others, 10 command sympathy. His coun-
renance only expressed wish to hide his
feelings. 1t is a reticent face, but not a
bad one. One would like it to be more
frank. The voice is not pleasing, and the
diction is less so. Dreyfus seems without
dramatic feeling and lacks ease in all
things. However, he passed to-day through
a cruel ordeal 1t was trying, after the
experience of the last five years, to find
himself in the full blaze of publicity and
stared at and scrutinized by 700 observers
What Exile Did for Dreyfus.
In the course of conversation with
Maitre Demange, L remarked that Dreyfus
seemed TO be unresponsive and incapable of
emitting a flow of feeling. Think he
answered, what or you would be IL for
hve years out Of humanity's reach, con-
stantly under the eye of surly jailor and
not only under his eye. but within the aim
of his revolver. He was bound to silence
unless when given leave to speak. He was
beset with enemies, was treated as the
Tilest of mortals, was put in irons, though
docile and submissive.
He almost learned to cover. He found
he was losing the lingual faculty, and had
10 speak TO himself 10 keep it up. l knew
him before he was sent to DEVILS Island
He was then hearty, responsive and really
good company with those he liked. His
voice was singularly tuneful and express
sive, but he lost 1t, I remember, from
the effect of anguish and anger. The pas
sions greatly influence the voice.
'Dreyfus is now the ghost of his former
self. All spirit was broken by the tyran-
nical treatment, the vapor bath, the nox-
fous insects and the isolation from all in
telligent human beings. He is still proud,
but he is cowed. That hollow voice is such
evidence to me of long and indescribable
suffering. His lachrymal glands are worn
out. In short, he is wreck.
Il wish his pride would suffer him to COL
lapse. If it did. he would draw tears from
the most stony-hearted. He seemed to me
miraculous as he bore himself, through all
these long hours, the center to which all
eyes converged. Dreyfus. I repeat, was a
charming man five years ago. He was
thought fascinating by the other sex. Only
q lovable man could have been loved as he
has been by his wife"
EMILY CRAWFORD.
Rennes Very Tranquil.
RENNEs. Aug. THE proceedings of
the court-martial before which Captain
Dreyfus Is on trial opened at 7:1o o'clock
this morning. Captain Dreyfus entered the
courtroom with a firm step, though his
features were pallid He is partly bald,
and what hair he has is gray and close
cropped
He answered the formal questions of the
judge as to his name, age, etc, in a clear,
determined voice. He sat facing the
judges, with his hands resting on his knees,
an impressive figure.
The trial opened, so far as Rennes is con-
cerned, in an atmosphere of perfect tran
quillity. The population is apparently in
different. Only small crowd, at the most
fifty persons, had gathered outside the
entrance to the Lycee by o'clock A ma
jority of these were journalists. The pre-
feet of police and chief of the secret police
Viguier. arrived just before 6 and began
the superintendent of police measures. At
this time only half a dozen gendarmes
were visible. They were stationed at the
portal of the Lycee and invested the garden
in front of the Lycee. which is separated
from the sidewalk of the Avenue de la
Care by high iron railing, which no one
was allowed to pass until Dreyfus lad
been transferred from the military prison
10 the room within the Lycee building
where he was to await the moment when
he should be summoned to enter the court
room.
Strong Force of Gendarmes.
Strong detachments OF gendarmes on foot
and mounted began to arrive at 6 o'clock
and took up their positions in the side
streets around the Lycee. At 6:l5 the pre-
feet of police gave the order to close the
Avenue de Ia Care for 800 yards in front
of the Lycee and also all the by streets
leading to the avenue The gendarmes
were Immediately drawn up along the ave-
nue. and the space in front of the Lycee
was cleared of all spectators. A detachment
of infantry was drawn across the avenue
in two double lines leaving between them
a passage for Captain Dreyfus across the
avenue from the military prison to the en-
trance of the Lycee.
The crowd, which by that time had IN
creased TO few hundred, was kept by
the gendarmes at a distance of l5o yards on
either side OF this passage. Captain Drey-
--fus emerged from the military prison under
escort of lieutenant and four gendarmes.
He crossed the railroad quickly and disap-
peared within the Lycee, the soldiers hid
ing him from view.
The principal personages in the trial ar
' rived between $50 and o'clock The gen.
erals passed with hardly a cheer from the
spectators General Mercier alone being
greeted with a few cries of "Vive IArmee -
and "Vive Mercier' as he drove up in a
CLOSED carriage. Lieutenant Colonel Pic.
quart arrived on foot at $50. wearing a
silk hat and black frock coat with the red
ribbon of the Legion of Honor in the but.
tonhole. No demonstration was made up.
on his arrival, but he appeared to be in q
most cheerful mood, smiling and chatting
with friends, and if he may be judged by
his bearing. he is sanguine of favorable
issue of the trial.
Prominent Witnesses Absent.
On the court proceeding to the roll cal
of witnesses, the most notable absentees
being Esterhazy, Du Paty de Clam and
Mile Pays. Dreyfus half turned his head
toward the seats of the witnesses, espe-
cially when the clerk of the court called
Esterhazy. But, when no response was re.
attitude, looking straight in front of him
called on both sides.