Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-09-01
NEWS OF THE NORID By TELEGRAPH AND sa
reading Of all tho letters was adjourn
ed until Tomorrow. q IS il

reading Of all tho letters was adjourn-
ed until Tomorrow. 49, i} N ~
NEVER HEARD OF CONFESSION.
Major Forslnetti, who was Governor
of the aCherche Midi prison during tho
time Dreyfu5 was imprisoned there ana
" ho testified In behalf OF Dreyfus, de-
clarlng he hau never heard of the con-
feSsion DIeyfus is said to have made,
was the next witness called. He re-
Eeated his testimony before the Court
ot Cessation, adding that no frequent-
ly met Captain ,Lebrun- Renault and
Captain Dattel, and that neither of
them ever alluded to the alleged CON-
fesSion. The witness declared that he
once taxed Captain Lebrun- Renault,
before General Gonse and other Wit
neS5es. with saying he had spoken to
the witness (Major ForslnettD of the
confession, and that Captain Lebrun-
Renault did not reply.
'Whereupon," Major Forsinettl sald
II seized his arm and cried: If the
words reported as yours are true, you
are an INFAMOUS liar"
Major Forsinetti then declared that
on visiting General Gle Boisdeffre to ex-
press fears about the health of the
prisoner, the General asked him his
opinion of Dreyfus. and the Major re-
piled:
MY General, had you not put that
question would have kept my counsel.
But, since you ask my opinion, l de-
clare 1 believe he is innocent"
The witness then recounted Col. Du
Patty de CLAIMS theatrical devices to
surprise Dreyfus. to which Forsinetti
declared to be " party, and the Major
also said that on one occasion, when
Dreyfus was In a crisis OF despair, he
(the witness) remained with the pris-
oner, consoling him, until o'clock In
the morning.
THOUGHT oF'sUICIDE.
Col Jouaust asked Major Forsinetti
IL Drcyfus ever had ideas of suicide,
and the Witness replied that Dreyfus
had asked him for IL weapon, and that
also, after his condemnation was read
TO him, he was with difficulty prevent
cd from dashing his head against the
wall.
After the visit of Du Patty dc Clam
to Dreyfus. continued Major Forsnetti,
the prisoner wrote to the Minister of
War Il letter which concluded With the
words: H
when L am gone let them seek ,he
culprit." g j
At the conclusion of Major Forsinet-
tbs evidence Dreyfus, OH Col Jouaust's
informa tion, and after reference to this
last Interview with Patty de Clam. said,
looking With gratitude at the Major:
DREYFUS MOVED.
"There is u matter which Major For
snettt. has just recalled which has
greatly moved me and which wish to
recall, for wish to say to whom l owe
the fact that have done my duty to
whom owe having done 1t years af-
ter my condemnation.
II had determined to kill myself. Il
bad made up my mind not TO undergo
the frightful torture of IL soldier from
whom they wished to tear the insignia
of honor. We'll. then, let me say this:
That l went to that torture. l can
say here that 1t was thanks TO Madame
Dreyfus who showed me my duty and
told me that il l was innocent j ought
to go to it for the sake of her and our
children. If | am here, 1t is to her 1
owe II. my Colonel"
CROWD DEEPLY STIRRED.
Here Major Forzinettl said: 1T is
quite true. In his last interview with
his wife Dreyfus said: For her and
for my children I will undergo the tor
tpre of Tomorrow"
The declaration Of Dreyfus that his
life was due to his wife deeply stirred
all his hearers. He spoke in a broken
voice with emphatic gestures, swaying
to and fro with emotion, and when he
had finished he sat down abruptly, ev-
identity TO conceal his discomposed fea-
lures from the gaze of the spectators in
court, who, wheH he Is seated, are only
able 10 see the back of his seat Tears
We're glistening in his eyes and he
was clearly suppressing an outburst of
sobbilg.
APPROXIMATIONS.
The session concluded with the con-
formations of Captain Lebrun- Renault
and General De Boisdeffre, the former
explaining that he did not speak to
Major Forzinetti of the Dreyfus confess
sion because he had received instruc-
tions TO Keep silent. General De Bois-
deffre denied that Major Forzinetti had
expressed to him his conviction that
DreYfM6 WAS innncent l,ha 80.