The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-01
THE TIAL IN DETAIL

THE TIAL IN DETAIL
When the public session of the Drey
fus courtmartial was resumed at 9:3
this morning there was a stir in tn
audience and considerable curiosity wa
manifested as the name of Capt, Lebrun
Renault, of the Republican Guard, tn
recipient of the so-called confession o
Dreyfus, was called, and the office
walked smartly to the witness box ant
He then stood at attention" awaiting
questions.
The president of the court, Colone
| Jouaust, said:
"On January s. 1895, the day of tht
prisoners degradation you Were in
trusted with the task of conducting him
from the Cherche Midi prison to the
Military school, where he remained
some time in your charge. Tell tbs
court what passed between you and hin
at that timer"
Degradation of Dreyfus.
Captain Lebrun- Renault-Oh Satur-
day. January g. 1895, was ordered with
my squadron to proceed to the Cherche
Midi prison and take charge of Drey-
| fus, who was to be degraded at nine
o'clock at one of the ourtyards of the
Military school. Starting at 715, I ar
rived at the place indicated at 7:45.
The office of the garrison adjutant was
pointed out to me as the place to keep
the prisoner until the hour of the degra-
dation parade
HE began to protest his innocence
and to say that with considerable means
at his disposal and a bright future in
store for him he could have no motive
in being guilty of treason He said;
Il am innocent. In three years my
innocence will be acknowledged. The
minister knows 1t we'll. He told Du
Patty de Clam to tell me so some days
ago in my cell. He knows that if /
communicated documents to Germany
they were of no importance and it was
to obtain more serious and more inn
portant ones"
The witness added that Captain Dat
tel was present when the statement was
made.
Continuing, Captain Lebrun- Renault
said as soon as four artillerymen, COM
manded by corporal, came to take the
prisoner to the courtyard for the cere-
mony of degradation, the witness left
the office and was Immediately sur
rounded by several officers, to whom he
repeated Dreyfus remarks.
He also repeated them at the captains
mess of the Republican Guard.
Referring to articles in the newspa-
pers in regard to the confession, Cap
tain Lebrun- Renault said;
General MERCER said to me:
Go to- the Elysee and repeat to the
president of the republic what you have
told me-
Renault Rebuked
while / was in the ante-room heard
some one make remarks about me In
very discourteous terms, M. Dupuy
ushered me before the president, who
said:
y" You have had relations with jour
nalists and have been indiscreet. Ger
tain articles have appeared in the news
papers
Il replied that perhaps Journalists
were among the persons had seen, but
I said had not spoken directly to jour
nalists. No mention was made of the
and / left, after having re-
ceved lecture from the president. M.
CupuS tuoh ne iIflb dHOtuel room dlid
drew up a semi-official note to the eff
feet that I had no relations with the
press
One of the judges asked the witness if
he did not remember hearing Dreyfus
say that the documents delivered were
only copies, to which Captain Lebrun-
Renault replied: II do not recollect it.
do not remember that phrase. But he |
may have said it. talked with Drey-
fus for quarter of an hour. The sem
tence l have quoted was that which I I
jotted in my notebook"
A judge-What did General MERCER
tell you when you mentioned the con-
fession to him?
Captain Lebrun- Renault-He asked
what Dreyfus had said and then told
ne to go to the Elysee and describe the
confession. But was given no time to
mention it then.
The judge-Did you go there for that
Captain Lebrun-Renault-I went
here for that purpose.
The judge-It is a great pity you said
lothing on the subject.
Captain Lebrun- Renault--I had no |
ime to speak of it. The president,
moreover, seemed much more concern
ID about remark by Dreyfus concern
ng the writing of the bordereau which
lad been published in newspaper.