The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-30
Agitators Make Most Defiant
Harangues at the Open
ing Of Their Trial.
THEY DISLIKE LOUBET
Men VINO Tried to Incite Soldiers
to INSTRUMENTATION Applauded
by the People.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PARIS, May 29.-While the Dreyfus
case was proceeding to-day in one part
of the Palace of Justice, the AssiZe
Court, on the other side of the build
ing, was occupied with the trial of NM.
Deroulede and Marcel Habert, who are
charged with melting soldiers to in
subordination on the day Of the cleo
ton Of President Loubet. Conspicuous
among the audience were NM. Roche
fort, Colonel Monteil, FRANCHISE Cope
and QueSnay de Beaurepaire, former
president of the civil section of the
Court of Cessation.
AS the defendants entered some of the
spectators cheered. The reading of the
indictment caused some murmurs.
Mhen M. Deroulede, who is a mem
Der of the Chamber of Deputies and
creator, in 1882, of the League of Pa
triots, was called upon to plead he be-
gan a diatribe against parliamentar-
ians and the Jews. During the course
of his remarks he declared his action
was maturely weighed and reminded
the court that he created BoulangiSm
in order to save France.
The audience in court cheered NM.
Deroulede and Habert and cried Here
is jury of acquittal' when the jury
men entered.
Murmurs were heard when the
charges against the prisoners were
read. The presiding Judge then asked
M. Deroulede how he, a former officer
of the army and the soldiers lyriSt ON.
Derouiede is the author of Chants du
Soldat" and "Nouveaux Chants du Sol
datO, could wish to turn the army
away from its duty. To this M. De-
roulede replied, amid laughter. with
comparing Premier Dupuy to the frog
in the fable, and said he (defendanD
wished to lead brigade to overthrow
the Parliament republic, adding that
his action was fully premeditated.
M. Deroulede, who spoke in a loud
voice, then gave an account of his life
and relations with Gambetta, with
whom, he said, he had communion of
ideas" Continuing, M. Deroulede said
that when NJ. Gambette disappeared he
(the defendanD was Disguised to see
eXtortion and bribery reign at the Pa
lais Bourbon, saying: I'VE then Gre
ated Boulangism. When that ended
two plaques descended upon France
Panama, a sign of parliamentary de-
composition, and Dreyfus. a sign of ma
tional decomposition, for which par
lament is responsible. l am not sur
priSed there was reaction which was
neither royaliSt nor imperialiSt, but
popular reaction, which was inevitable
The false constitution of 1875, the draft
ers of which wished to place the people
in the Kings bed, which explains why
the people sleep so soundly."
NJ Deroulede then arraigned the
constitution and the budget of defense.
saying it was increasing daily and that
France was approaching a deficit He
also attacked the budget of public
works, saying the number of civil ser
wants was increasing necessarily.
Deroulede then eulogized the work
of the French explorers Marchand.
Monteil and Binger and attacked Lou
bet. He finished his harangue by de-
handing a plebiscitary republic. assert
ing at the same time that he never in
tended to turn the soldiers from their
duty, but only wished to carry Gen
eral Roget with him.
NJ. Marcel Habert followed He ad-
mitted that he wished to cause revo-
luton, but denied having melted sol
diers to diSobedience. He said he only
thought to lead General Roget to the
Elysee Palace and that the men with
him (Habert) had been merely follow
ing officers.
Habert also harangued against par
liamentarism, saying the Chamber Of
Deputies was empty when useful uues-
ate was dilatory.
The presiding Judge stopped NJ De-
roulede when the latter referred to
President Loubet. declaring he must
not bring the name of the President of
the republic into the case.
To this NJ. Deroulede replied that he
was obliged to mention the President
because his election determined him to
take action. He proceeded to make an
other attack upon NJ. Loubet, but was
again called to order, and NJ. Derou-
lede retorted hotly that he wanted to
drive NJ. Loubet out of the Elysee Pal
ace, which, he said, he had only
reached, thanks to his mediocrity''
When Deroulede concluded he was
loudly acclaimed by the audience.
violent alteration ensued later be-
tween the Judge and counsel for the
defense on question of order. 1t was
settled by counsel apologizing.
Subsequently M. Delourede acknowl-
edged he was guilty of all the charges
except the allegation that he wanted to
lead the soldiers astray without a lead
err He shouted:
Il wanted a general at their head 1
found only a brigadier general I
would have preferred the commander
in chief. Unhappily I had no choice. !"
Evidence already known was then
presented and the court adjourned
amid the cries Of "Vive Deroulede"
within and without the hall
AS the court emptied the crowd made
a demonstration. Cries of "Vive PAR
mee,' "Abas lie Juifs'' and "A Mort les
Traitres" resounded. The police routed
the demonstrators and then dispersed a
band of members Of the League of Pa
triots.
crowd of anti-Semites attempted to
hold noisy meeting in the Place du
Chatelet and a slight collision with the
police resulted. There was another
demonstration in the Place Dauphine
where opposing bands, shouting "Vive
fArmee" and "A bas PArmee" came
into collision, a few persons being in
jured.