Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-09-02
MYSTIC MERCER.
Followers BewiIdsred by AM-
tuds Of Last Few Days.
NOT PULLING TOGETHER.
Turn OF Tide in Dreyfus' Favor Has
Got His Antagonists by the Ears-
Predictions OF COnspiraCies and
COups lie Theatre In the Air
Roget Getting Ready to Flop
"An Atmosphere ofAcquittal."

Rcnnes Aug. 31.-In the matter Of evil
de,ce. Wednesday was quite q Drey-
fus day. After hearing NM. Molinier
and Giry. and Nj. Picot. a member Of
the institute. all Of whom testified ir
favor Of Dreyfus, General Deloye tes-
titled against the prisoner on the ar
tillery references in the bordereau.
The evidence Of NM. Meyer, Molinier
and Giry, all Of whom are handwriting
experts of the first rank, was q strong
point for Dreyfus They were most EN-
phatic in declaring that the bordereau
was written by Esterhazy, and created
better impression that NJ. Bertillon by
not introducing the fantastic diagrams
which the latter deemed necessary.
Todays proceedings, behind closed
doors. will deal with the question wheth-
er Captain Dreyfus was in a position
to divulge the information regarding
the artillery which was promised in the
bordcreau. The session will be very
important, and is bound to have a trc
mendous influence upon the Judges. one
way or another, because they are ali
artillery officers. and will be able to
appreciate such evidence better than the
oryptographic intricacies that have been
laid before them by the handwriting -X-
perts.
The Dreyfusards express confidence
that their artillery witnesses. Major
Hartman and Major Ducres, will eff
rectively satisfy the judges that Drey-
fus was ignorant Of the matters mem
In no hnr
illery officer. would not have been
guilty of stating the errors which it
contained.
The air of Rennes is filled with runners
of conspracies and predictions of coups
de theatre. but nothing precise can he
ascertained. General Mercier's attitude
during the last few days has mystified
his followers in the case. He is extreme
ly clever and the general feeling Is that
he is preparing something, the existence
Of which will be revealed in a few days.
1t is now accepted as beyond question
that there is a serious division of opin
Ion on the part of the generals. Will
the case was running smoothly against
Captain Dreyfus, they all pulled to-
gether. but since the tide of evidence
began to turn in his favor, as was
notably the case during the testimony
Of Captain Freystaetter and Colonel
Cordier, which proved much more dam
aging to the general staff than the latter
anticipated. certain dividing lines have
become manifest between the Various
cliques. General Roget, Major Lauth,
Captain Cuignet and Nj. G,ibelin, the
principal keeper of the archives of the
war office, form one coterie, General
Mercer and General Gonse form an
other. and General Billot and General
De Boisdeffre third. According to
one report 'he first two coteries intend
10 throw over General De Boisdeffre,
whom they feel to be faltering, and de-
slare that he Is responsible for all the
errors and Hlegalities of the court-mar-
tial of 1894, thus making him the scape-
goat. according to another report, Cen
aral Roget, who was not implicated in
1891, and who even fought against Drey-
eds because he inherited from his pre-
decessors the responsibility for so do
ing. and placed over-cOnfidence in thu
accounts of the matter furnished him
by the general staff. will cut himself
loose from Generals Mercier, Gonse ana
De Boisdeffre.
This is plausible hypothesis, since
Roget has assumed throughout the role
of defender of the army, thus making
himself popular with the army and with
a large section of the nation. and he
probably would not lose by separating
himself from the wrong-doers of 1894
and declaring that his opinion has been
changed by the evidence given during
the present trial.
Yet another story Is that the generals
are going to give way on the author
ship Of the bordercau. in view Of the
strong expert evidence, and will admit
that Esterhazy wrote it. alleging how
ever. that Dreyfus furnished the in
formation, not direct to Esterhazy. but
to third person. who acted as inter-
mediary, without Dreyfus knowing Es-
terhaZy.
In this connection it Is asserted that
Madam Rastian. who was housekeeper
for Colonel SchwartzkOppen, the Ger
man military attache in 1884, and who
Is understood to have acted as French
spy, has been seen in Rennes. and will
be summoned as a witness concerning
Schwartzkoppen's espionage system.
All these rumOrs may be without
foundation. but. in any event. they are
symptomatic of the feeling in Rennes
that something is going on under the
surface. and that the complexion of the
trial may be altered by some coup 1t any
moment
Paris, Aug. 31.-Garbiel MOnOd. in The
Figaro today. relates a conversation he
had with NJ. De Freycinet after the lat
ters deposition at Rennes. NJ. De
Freycinet said: 1T was rOt for ME to
dictate verdict to the judges, but all