New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-02
ocryrptL SrvSEo At REEVES

The prosecution. or persecution, of Captain
Droyfns seems TO be running emptyinss as
thcv saw Down East Tho various generals
and other officers have done their best or
worst and so have the cryptographic experts
Now they have got down to a lower grade Of
testimony. The star witness yesterday was a
stable groom. who turned out 10 have been also
q thief and ialblrd He declared that he had
saddled one of his employers horses for Captain
Drevfis mt certain date and he knew il was
Captain Dreyfus for a certain army officer after
ward told him so Thus il was hoped 10 prove
that Captain Drcyfus did attend the army
maDo,uvres mentioned I'm the bordercau But
on further investigation II came out not only
that this precious witness had served q term
i'm ian for "embezzlement' hut that his horse
story was fatty denied 10y the stable keeper
who employed him. and that tho army officer
who he said had identified Captain Dreyfus
for him never knew Captain Dreyfus at all. and
therefore could not have Identified him. such
is the testimony on which IT IS sought 10 con
Wet man Of treason and send him to a living
death
But we were too fast moment ago IN say
Ing the generals had done all they could. An
other general made his appearance yesterday.
Introduced by General Roget This was gen
eraI sense" General Roget charged one of the
witnesses with having written a monStrous
thing I'm a letter % the Minister NJ War. The
witness warmly denied having done SO. There
upon General Roget backed down, admitted
that hc had not written II. but said that was
the general sense" Of the letter. So II ap-
pears men are to bee Judged hy these Jew
batting generals and their uudcrlings not ac-
corlng 10 wha, they say or DO. hui according
to the general sense" thereof. as interpreted
by some one else If Jean chats with friend
and jacques an eavesdropper considers the
general sense" Of the conversation hostile 20
tho Government. Jean IS 20 be arrested for
specifically plotting the overthrow Of the re-
public That appears 10 hc the system which
General Roget would establish.
Well. We are inclined 10 think that If such
system were put into force at Renues II would
react with deadly force against the generals
themselves Beyond doubt. the general sense
Of the proceedings thus far has been that cap
tain Drcyfus Is innocent and IS being ahom
naMy prosecuted by a corrupt cahaL The long
list N exposed forgeries and pcriurics commit
ted against Captain Drcyfus. the Infamous CON
LESSONS Of some Of The foremost Of his OPP
ponents. the serene and unimpcachable nteg
rty Of those who have spoken IN his behalf
an these and n thousand other things, making
MP the whole atmosphere Of the court unQue-
tonably produce upon the impartial mind an
impression that Captain Dreyfus is innocent
We do not say he IS innocent We do not be-
icvo IN judicial process on general sense.
But since the foremost OF the anti-Drcyfnsites
has made his appeal 10 general sense as the
basis Of testimony. it Is as we'll to see what
the wider application Of his rule would do
And IT Is by no means improbable that IN that
wider application general sense, or common
sense VIII accord with exact and triumphant
Justice