Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-25
BODIES I'LL FOR DREYFUS
Members of Courtmartial Show
Their Hostility.
LABORI LAsHED MERCER HARD.
He Would Have Given 1t to Him
Stronger, but Jouaust and Some of the
Generals Came TO His Rescue-Never-
theless Accomplished Much.

| uChSC SlNCA Oy IL. C41Ot, q 4liCAei VI tA3
late Colonel Sandherr, chief of the intel
hgence department., be read by the clerl
of the court. 1t was to the effect tina
Colonel Sandherr said the Dreyfus
family offered him 10000 francs OIL
condition that he would clear Dreyfus
Maitre Demange, for the defense, dis
posed of this allegation by reading the
actual note on the subject written by
Sandherr, thereby proving that the
colonel's remarks had been distorted
Dreyfus' brothers having only said:
"We are convinced of the innocence
of our brother, and will spend our ell
tire fortune to discover the truth.
The testimony of the first witness OF
the day, II. Linolle, former official OF
the government, was also in favor OF
Dreyfus, as it was in direct contradic-
ton of what NJ. Du Breuil deposed the
day before regarding the alleged init
macy of Dreyfus with the German at
tache at the house of NJ. Bodson, a mu-
tual friend.
The president of the court then called
the next witness, Colonel Maurel, who
was president of the Dreyfus court
martial Ill 1894.
AS Al. Labor lashed him with pointed
questions the colonel hesitated and then
answered in short, choppy manner,
and, when NJ. Labor finally disposed of
HIM, the witness left the platform with
the pale face and scared look of man
who has awakened from a nightmare
Counsel had drawn from the colonel a
confession that the secret dossier was
fn ,n inI- Of t,o
courtmartial of 1894 by Colonel Du Patty
sation i'll court.
Colonel Maurel admitted reading one
of the secret documents to the court
which had not been seen by the de-
fense. He protested that only one docu-
ment was looked at, alleging that this
sufficed to enable him to form convic-
ton that could not be shaken.
This protest made matters worse. be-
cause, us NJ. Llbori pointed out, if he
perused one 1t was his bounden duty to
peruse all. Colonel Jouaust upheld Colo
mel Maurel in his refusal to indicate the
nature of the document he read, but NJ
Labori announced that he would sum-
mon Captain Freystatter, another men,
Der of the tribunal of 1894, and get his
version of what then passed behind the
backs of the counsel for the defense
Ali this, however, was only prelipl-
mary to a fierce battle that ensued be
tween M. Labori and General Mercier,
the latter receiving reinforcements from
General Roget, General GonSe and Gen
eral De Boisdeffre, as well as valuable
assistance from Colonel Jouaust himself.
Much excitement was produced.
NJ. Labor took General Mercier over
the whole ground of his previous depo-
sitioh.
Whenever General Mercier was cor
nered he declined to answer and Colonel
Jouaust invariably supported him. NJ.
Labori protested most energetically.
NJ. Labori's crOss-eXamination was
successful SO far as it went, but Colonel
Jouaust prevented MIN pressing his ad-
vantage to the utmost, In fact, Jou-
aust's hostile attitude toward the coun-
sci for tine defense then and during the
cross-examination of the witness, NJ. De
Grandmaison, evoked the severest criGi-
cism on the part of the public preseut
and bodies i'll for Dreyfus. Not only
Colonel Jouaust, but the other Judges
displayed considerable impatience DUR
ing Labori's scathing cross s-examina-
ton.
The lawyer made strong point on
the part Esterhazy played. Mercier said
he did not know EsterhaZy and only
saw him once, at the Zola trial.
"That is very interesting" exclaimed
al. Labori. "But, surely General Mer-
cier was present at the Esterhazy
trial?''
The general replied that he was not
there and that he knew nothing about
the evidence in the Esterhazy prosecu.
ton.
"Whatn' cried M. Labor, General
Mercier, who was the chief accuser of
Dreyfus, did not even follow the pro-
ceedings i'll the Esterhazy trial?''
A loud murmur of surprise and indig-
nant comment came from the audience,
but Colonel Jouaust Immediately SUD-
pressed it.
Counsel then brought General Mer-
cier to mis- assertion that 100000
francs were used by the defenders of
Dreyfus and asked the general to say
how he knew this, who spent it and
other awkward questions which the gen.
eral was unable to answer
NJ. Labori questioned General Mercier
with reference to document i'll the
secret dossier. which it is affirmed ex-
listed prior to 1894, and yet was not pro-
duced at the first courtmartial of the
prisoner.
The general confessed that he did not
know of its existence, and the same
statement was elected from General
Gonse, who declared that Colonel Sand
herr WIS responsible for its non. produc-
ton.
These replies We're tantamount to
confession that Colonel Sandherr and
Lieutenant Colonel Henry played with
the minister of war, and even that Gen
eral Gonse, assistant chief of the head
quarters staff, the chief of the intelli-
gencc department, keeping from the
two latter just what he pleased.
NJ. Labor proceeded to take up the
Panizzardi dispatch and to bring out
the contradictory translations of it and
the faiseness Of the final version.
The impertinent behavior of General
Roget was strikingly illustrated when
be Interrupted NJ. Labori's examination
Of General Chamoin, which had re-
suited i'll Labori's scoring heavily
against Mercier with the exclamation:
"This examination is waste of time"
The examination of Chamoin showed
Mercier IN very bad light, as it brought
ont that he had privately communicated
to Chamoin, gu the first day of these
cret sessions, IA report on the Paniz-
zardi dispatch for insertion in the secret
dossier. General Chamoiu admitted
that he did wrong in accepting the re-
port, but pleaded Ignorance in judicial
matters.
';he report consisted of three pages.
of which the second and third, Chamoin
declared. contained fantastic and, in
fact, false representations.
M. Labori brought General Mercler