The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-01

broken dialogue. as General Gonse had
witness-"D reyfus spoke to me but
did not reply
NJ. Demanee--" How could the witness
detect confessions IN q sentence containing
the words II am innocent, I'm three years
my innocsncs will be known.
Captain Lebr in-Renault-"It is not
for me to reconcile the Inconsistencies
of a sentence In which the material fact
shat documents had been communicated
was. admitted. IL IS not for me to give
an explanation. IL is for Dreyfus and
the defense to explain heard this SEN
tenUe. l was only . kind of monograph
and l repeated it without comment +"
(Exoitement,l
Replying fnfther to Dsmanee, the wit
ness. refused to say whether or ct he re-
Rarded the words Of Dreyfus as a comics :
sion.
~ have no impression whatever" he
said. "Dreyfus said great deal to me.
retained this sentence and repeated It
when Fskod. IL l did not mention ib In
my report It WIS because had the task
of conducting Dreyfus from the prison to
the place of degradation and Il was not
my duty to make Drsyfus talk" (Excits-
ment.)
M DemanRe-"H could General
Gonss and General Mercier, on hearing
your story, believe they had TO deal with
confession and how could they send
IaItiin Lebrun -Renault-"I have no
idea
NJ. Demange reminded the witness that
before the court of cessation he consider
ed the sentence OF the prisoner which he
had thought TO be q kind Of explanation
or excuse.
Captain Lebrun. Renault-''Why, mon
sieur lie president, that Is personal ques-
ton. have no opinion to express on
that point l am no judge Of things. l
repeat simply what DTeyfus told me.
Certain persons may CONSIDER his remarks
as embodying confessions. Others as be-
Ing an explanation. That is their busi-
ness (Commotion.1
NJ. Labori-'' Captain Lebrun-R enault
WINS not content with entering on his
report OF January 5 that duty COM
meneed' at such hour ana ended at such
an hour, but he especially added nothing
to report when, as matter OF fact, he
alleges an inuident of this Importance
oocurredY'
Is Gaptaip Isebrun- Renault-"I had noth-
ing to report. NV duty was to take Drey-
fus from the prison and guard him.
had nothing to say In regard 60 that
duty"
Nj. Labori-"why did the witness keep
the leaf of his pooketbook on which he
made note OF the confessions for yearsf
The witness seems to say that 1t was
mere chance. l am surprised that the
witness destroyed IL just the day after 1t
was mentioned in the chamber of depu-
ties"
70 this Captain LeSrun- Renauit replied
that at that time he considered that the
document he possessed was authenticated
by the copy made of It by M Cavaignac
the day before it was destroyed.
NJ Labori-'The court Will draw It's
own conclusions"
Then, turning to the Witness III. Labori
asked: e"Who wBs the official who made
abusive remarks about you at the
Captain I.ebrun- Renault-"I have no
idea,
At this time NJ. Labor said he was
much surprised that the witness had not
referred TO this abuse before the court Of
cessation.
Asked If he had any thing to say, ORGY
fus declared that when he was at the
military school on the day Of his degrada-
tion Captain Lebrun-R enault did not
leave him.
''It Ia possible, continued the prison.
er. that Captain Dattel entered the
guard room. But SO far as l can assert
after five years interval, no other officer
but Lehrun-Renault entered the room In
with was"
When asked If he had any observations
to make, Dreyfus replied "Yes, my
Colonel; there were two rooms in the
military school. 1 was IN the further one
and Captain Lebrun-Renanlt never left
BILE Captain Dattel, whom did not know
or other officers, entered the adjoining
room. But can almost swear, for, after
five years l can only affirm matters upon
which / am absolutely positive, that
another officer did not enter the inner
ROOM"
Colonel Jouaust to Captain Lebrun-
Renault-"Did Captain Dattel enter the
room you occupied with the aocu seda"
Captain observation-disclosures
Dattel spent five minutes in one of the
rooms. Both of them are very small"
Drsyfus-''I do no believe Captain Dat
tel or any other officer entered the inner
room. l do not remember that any one
but Rensult was present.
'.As regard the word, will not repeat
the conversation of Captain Lebrun-
Renault- nor the words he used. / will
confine myself to repeating to the court
whaJI said and the explanations l had
the honor to give. My words were as
follows: Il am innocent and will cry
it aloud to the whole people. The minis
ter well knows it. ! have already ex-
planned to the court what l meant. IL
was the reply had given to Colonel Du
Patty de Clam when he visited me in
prison in the course OF which protested
that was innocent. / completed that
declaration by letter / wrote to the
minister re.declaring that was inno-
cent
Col. Du Patty de Clam asked me wheth
sr had not given unimportant doou-
ments in order TO get more important
ones in exchange for them. replied,
"No, that / wanted the matter cleared
up. and concluded with saying that be-
fore two or three years my innocence
would acknowledged.
'"Ihe court will understand that in the
state of nervous agitation in which
naturally found myself, did not fully
express what was on my mind.
ALLOW me-" continued Dreyfus. "to
express the emotion and surprise feel
today, after five years when l see wit
ness who, hearing such words. beginning
with protest of innocence reported
them to his chiefs without asking the
most concerned person for an examina.
tion of them. These are proceedings In
tie face of which all honest people can
0ny express Indignation (Great SEN
saEion.) Capt. Anthoine (not Antoine) },
who was present at the degradation Of
Dreyfus, was tho next witness. He testi-
fled that ON leaving the parade ground he
met Capt. Battel, who informed him. that
Dreyfus had made remarks in his nras-