The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-28

Judges Were Influenced
by Forgeries.
Sensational Scenes During the
Dreyfus Trial.

Rennes, August 26. =" Dead men tell no
tales" This Is the barrieade behind
which General Meroler and the general
staff have entrenehed themselves. But
there is one weak point In the defense
Col. Du Patty de Clam--and the military
clique know 1t and are striving TO the
utmost to keep him out OF M. J.hborIs
clutches. II they can prevent Du Patty
de Clam. who Ii now called the s'sick
man of the Dreyfus affair." from appear
Ing at the witness bar, they can effectual-
ly put the silence of the tomb between
truth and justice. M. Labor is fighting
tooth and nail to drag Du Patty de Clam
into court but Col. Jouaust persists In
refusing him the necessary assistance He
declines to send reputable doctors to off,
oially report on the state OF Du Patty de
CLAIMS health, which every Dreyfusard
firmly believes is only automatically
affected and that he will recover quickly
enough after the trial.
NJ. Labori hit tho nail on the head to-
day when, replying to General Mercier's
last remarks he exclaimed: always
the dead Sandherr dead Henry dead |
Du Patty de Clam Is not comingi'
Col. Jouaust Immediately cut him
short, saying he must not make observa-
tions and NJ. Labori staggered and fell
back into his seat with despairing
gesture.
Col. Jouaust was not so particular in
stopping the stream of irrelevant gossip
which followed from the lips OF the mill
tary witnesses who have defiied the court
during the past fortnight. While. how
Bver,sthe Dreyfusards belisv We Du Patty de
Clam is not seriously Ill they feel secret
dread, which Is expressed in the signi a.
can't remark. not infrequently heard:
"Sandherr Is dead, Henry committed
suicide and Du Patty de Clam will de-
The conformation today OF Col.
Maurel, Captain Freystaetter and General
Mercier, was an instructive exposure of
the fraud and dishonesty Of the general
staff, which the absence Of Du Patty de
Clam alone prevented from being COM
plete. The defense might demand TINT a
rogatory commission be sent to examine
Du Patty de Clam on his sick bed. But
M. Labori and Demange despair OF OBJ
tanning a satisfactory result therefrom.
They want to have Du Patty de Clam in
court and turn the screws of the rack
themselves.
THE WONDERFUL BERTILLLON.
No one among the public who entered
the court room this morning and again
found himself eDtangled in ID. Bertiilon's
cryptographic jugglery anticipated the
thrilling scenes to be enacted before the
court adjourned. NJ. Bertillon talked for
two hours. during which even Col.
Jouaust felt constrained more than once
TO bring him to the point. Then III.
Labor popped a few questions, which,
the president of the court martial con,
descending TO admit them, were answered
in an of handed manner by the witness
who thought Ut to show his contempt by
barely looking at NJ. Labori and to pro-
coed, at the same time, to pack up his
voluminous parcels and diagrams
Captain Dreyfus also spoke few words
repudiating Bertillon's direct denuncia
tions, and then a military witness was
put up to explain to the judges what Der
tillon really meant. He only managed t.
BIS equally obscure.
EVERY INCH A SOLDIER.
There was considerable interest when
NJ, Labori rose and asked that Captain
Freystaetter be called to the bar. The
little sergsant-usher returned. conducting
a tall. keen looking man, seeming every
inch soldier in his parade uniform OF q
captain of marine infantry, wearing five
decorations in a row across his breast, the
red ribbon rosette Of an officer of the
Legion of Honor, a cross and three med
ais won in foreign campaigns, including
Madagascar medal, from which country
he returned about year ago. Holding
his head high and with complete serenity
of demeanov, he walked into the court
room, passing in front of Generals Mer
cier, Roget, Gonse and De Boisdeffre witt
were sitting In the front row Of witnesse
and who gave him side-long, rancoroul
glances. which he did not see. as h
marched with his eyes fixed on tn
judges. toward the platform. Through
the whole OF his testimony, never ono
did his voice faiter. Never did 1t degener
ate into hoarse croaking as Col. Maursl'i
did when Captain Freystaetter. looking
him straight In the eyes and with as
founding calmness gave him the lie.
Captain Breystaets>r's opening state
msnt was discharge of grapeshot 70
the Mercier gang. He enumerated fou
documents that were secretly communi
Gated to the tribunal of 1894. The first
Captain Dreyfus enerSetioally denied
and no reliable evidence has been ad
duced in Its support Inc second wa
the '.Canaills de D." document, who
has been shown not to refer TO Dreyfu
at all. The third was the D'Ayignon lei
Ser, supporting the second which there