Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-31
SOMETHING GOING ON
The Air Of Rennes Full
Of Rurn0rS,
POSSIBLE COUP De THEATRE
Complexion Of Trial May Be Altered al
Any Moment.
MERcIER's ATTITUDE MYsTIFYIyG
Division of Opinion Among the Gem
ernIS-Some of Them FnlterinG I'm
Matter of the Bordercau-Yester-
days Evidence PrO-Dreyfus.

tiil5 evening - llicu WIN IullOl5 Oh
conspiracies and predictions of coups de
theatre but nothing precise can be as
certained. General Merciers attitude du-
ring the last few days has mystified his
| followers in the case. He is extremely
clever. and the general feeling is that
he IS preparing something. the existence
of which will be revealed IN a few days.
1t is now accepted as beyond question
that there is a serious division of opinion
on the part Of the generals. While the
case was running smoothly against Drey-
fus they al pulled together, but since
the tide Of evidence began to turn
in his favor, as was notably the case
during the testimony of Captain Frey
staottcr and Colonel Cordier which
proved much more damaging TO the gene
raj staff than the latter anticipated. GER
tain dividing lines have become manifest
between the various cliques.
General Roget, Major Lauth, Captain
| Cuignet, and NJ. Grioelin. the principal
keeper Of the archives Of the War Office,
form one coterie; General MERCER and
General Gonse form another, and Gene
| raj Bnlot and General de Bosdefre 4
| third.
BOISDEFFRE THE SCAPEGOAT?
According to one report. the first two
corteries intend 10 throw over General
de Boisdeffre, whom they feel to be falt-
ering. and declare that he is responsible
for all the errors and illegalities If the
court-martial of 1891, thus making him
the scapegoat
According 10 another report, General
Roget. who was not implicated I'm 1894,
and who even fought against Dreyfus
because he inherited from his predeces-
sors the responsibility for 50 doing, and
placed oyerconfdence in tho accounts of
the matter furnished him By the general
staff, will cut himself loose from Generals
MERCER. Gonse, and De Boisdeifre.
This is a plausible hypothesis, since
! Roget has assumed throughout the role
Of defender of the army. thus making
| himself popular with the army and with
| a large section of the nation, and he
probably would not lose by separating
| himself from the wrong-dOers Of 1894 ana
! declaring that his opinion has been
| changed by the evidence given during the
present trial.
TO GIVE Up BORDEREAU POINT.
Yet another story is that the generals
are going TO give way on the authorship
Of the bordereau, I'm view OF the strong
expert evidence, and Will admit that rs
terhazy wrote it, alleging. however, that
Dreyfus furnished the Information. not
directly 10 Esterhazy, but 10 a third per-
son. who acted as intermediary, without
Dreyfus's knowing Esterhazy.
In this connection it was asserted this
evening that Madame Rastian, who was
lhOusekeeper for Colonel Schwarzkoppen,
the German military attache, in 1891, and
who is understood to have acted as a
French spy, has been seen in Rennes and
will be summoned as a witness concern
ing Schwarzkoppen's espionage system.
All these rumors may be without foun-
dation, but in any event they are u
symptom 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 mo-
ment.
A DREYFUS DAY.
In the matter of evidence. to-day was
quite a Dreyfus day, only the deposition
of the last witness. General Deloye, be-
ing unfayorable. The testimony Of "
! Picot a member 0. the institute is little
accused materially. If at all. because his
introduction of Colonel Schneider tho
Austrian military attache, as a cham
piOI Of Dreyfus's, was rather calculated
! 10 arouse resentment, and adversely 10
| influence the judges. especially as II was
| followed by General Rogets tactful pro-
| test against Colonel Schneiders uncom-
plimentary illusions TO French officers.
Tomorrow proceedings behind closed
| doors. will deal with the question whether
| Captain Dreyfus was in a position to di-
| vulge the information regarding the ar
| tiery, which was promised in the borde-
! reau.
TO-DAY'S SESSION IMPORTANT.
The session will be very important. and
is bound 10 have tremendous influence
upon the judges, one way or the other
| because they are all artillery officers and
| will be able 10 appreciate such evidence
better than the cryptographic intricacies
! that have been laid before them by the
! handwriting experts.
The Dreyfusards express confidence
that their artillery witnesses-Major
Hartman and Major Ducros-will effec-
lively satisfy the judges that Dreyfus
was ignorant of the matters mentioned in
the bordereau. as an artillery officer
would not have been guilty Of stating the
errors which ii contained.
INTEREST CONTINUES.
The courtroom continues crowded, and
quite number of ladies now succeed in
obtaining admission. Town loafers are
making a regular business Of forming a
| line outside the entrance 10 the public
park and COURTROOM as early at or 3
! o'clock in the morning and selling places
! at from to francs go g. 10 81, ac-
| cording TO position. The G. nary public
arriving at or o'clock IL me morning
| must purchase these places, oecause only
a limited number can secure even stand
| ing room.
The local papers publish the doubtful
statement that Charles de Freycinet, on
leaving the courtroom yesterday after.
his deposition. remarked 20 friend: Il
am leaving an atmosphere Of acquttal."
THE WORK OF ESTERHAZY.
The first witness to-day, NJ. Paul
Never. member OF the Institute and di-
rector Of the School Of Ancient Manu-
| scripts. described his experience with the
| Dreyfus case, which led 10 his conVic-
| ton that the bordereau was not only
In Esterhazy's handwriting, but was ac-
tually written by Esterhazy Il con-
WINGED myself" said NJ Meyer ''by
rnagnifying-glas that the bordereau was
| written i'm a free hand and without hesi-
| tation-whereas. n H. precisely hesitation
I'm the formation OF the stroke which re-
veals the use OF a method OF tracing.
| I can affirm that IL is in the writing. and
| in the very hand OF Esterhazy. This Is
| perfectly clear 10 me- (Commotion.)
Professor Auguste Molinier, OF the
| School Of Ancient Manuscripts, gave nnii-
| lar evidence. lie said that each fresh