Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-08
VERDICT MONDAY
Captain DreyfuS Will Soon
Know His Fate.
THE COURTS DECISION
Has Already Been Made But No Ink
ling of What it is Has Leaked Out
--How Many to Bring in a Verdict
For Conviction,

Rennes. Sept. S.-Yesterday came the
beginning of the end of the Dreyfus trial.
with the speech of the government COM
missary, Major Carriere. the case entered
| upon the final stage of pleadings and the
verdict will be delivered on Monday
! There is even talk tonight of the trial
ending tomorrow by holding an extra at
ternoon session for NJ. Labori's speech
and the elaboration of the judges. This
however. is considered unlikely as tlls.
government is anxious to have the judg-
1nent withheld over Sunday in order to
avert demonstrations which would prob
ably result in bloodshed on a day when
the Worknen are free. The government is
not only fearful regarding Rennes. but is
particularly concerned regarding Paris
and other large towns where passions
have been heated and the verdict, which
ever way it is given, is practically GER
ain to give rise to trouble. 1t is under
stood that the government has intimatel
its desire to the president of the court
martial. Colonel Jouaust. and there is no
reason to believe that he will not fall in
with their views.
Colonel J0uauSt. today took the moss
important decision yet taken, and took it
upon his own responsibility. although he
is undoubtedly only the tI%Iouthpiece of
the whole body of Judges. His decision
TO exclude the testimony of Colonel
SchwarZkoppsn and Major Panizzardi
was most significant. as it meant that
the court had already reached a conclu-
sion and that the pleadings of counse
We're merely a waste of time and might
be dispensed with if they We're not a ne
cessity.
The court has made up it's mind, but
which way? This is the view point and
forlns the sole topic of discussion. Both
sides are equally confident that the court
Will decide in accordance with their
views. The D~reyfusards declare that the
Judges can not condemn Captain Dreyfus
after rejecting the decisive evidence
which Colonel Schwarzkoppen and Major
Fanizzardi would have given in his fayor.I
The anti-Dreyfusards, on the other
explain today's ruling on the
ground that the judges recognize that
the evidence of the two military attaches
would be worthless. because they would
be morally bound to save their agent at
any cost. A sample of this reason was
given by an i-Dreyfusard journalist,
who, when praising Colonel ]Jouaust's de-
cision. exclaimed: What weight could
be attached to the testimony of Schwartz
koppen and P~anizzardio The receiver of
stolen goods must shield the thief as
much as possible"
The scene in the court room when
Colonel Jouaust renders his decision will
be robbed of its most sensational feature
OWING to the absence of the central figure.
captain Dreyfus will be taken to an
adjacent room when the judges retire to
consider their verdict. A m before
they are to ~re-enter, a bell will be rung
and as they take their places behind the
long table on the stage the infantry
guard will present arms and remain at
present arms while Colonel Jouaust.
standing on the center of the platform.
reads the verdict. Dreyfus will not bp
brought back to the court room and will
not be present at the public meeting of
the judges, but when the court room has
been cleared by the gen d'armes, which
VIII De lone as soon as Colonel Joualst
concludes, the reading clerk of the court
will proceed to the room where Dreyfus
Will be waiting and read to him the YER
dlct IN the presence of a couple Of gend-
armes.
The public will thus be robbed of the
spectacle of his emotions, which are
bound to be most profound, whether fine
decree sends him to the arms of his fam
lily or back to the penal settlement.
The verdict may be condemnation, an
VI aI4ulltdl u. IL form or 9c-
quittal that will be equal to the Scotch
verdict, MOT proven The last will be
the case if the Judges should pronounce
against him by a vote of four to three.
That is, he would be freed, even though
the judges in his favor should be in the
minority. The result naturally would be
very unsatisfactory as he would carry
the stigma the rest Of his days.
Captain Dreyfus thus has five chances
a nninCf h o,s Ill.,
unity, six to one, five to TWO four to three
or three to four will set him at liberty,
While unanimity, six to one or five to two
will convict him. If convicted. the judg-
ment will be carried to the military court
of appeals, which will be a formal mat
ter. The special court will only auash
the indictment and order a retrial If it
should be established that the present
u martial has erred in a matter OF
procedure. This is in the highest degree
improbable. The court of cessation will
also have the right to order a retrial if it
should decide that the court martial has
deyiated from it's instructions, This is
the only loophole for Dreyfus, and his
friends will undoubtedly fight this point
tooth and nail. Dreyfus' departure from
Renne will be developed into the same
mystery as was his arrival.
When Major Carrierre had concluded,
Colonel Jouaust ordered the adjournment
of the court. Dreyfus rose quickly and
apparently not detected. As the prisoner
was passing his counsel's seat NJ. Labor
stopped him and whispered, Courage"
Dreyfus smiled and nodded and, as he