The record-union., 1899-09-01


and have been indiscreet. Certain ar,
ticles have appeared in the news
papers,
Il replied that perhaps journalists
We're among the persons had seen, but
A said / had not spoken directly to jour-
nalists. No mention was made of the
confession, and l left after having re-
ceiVed a lecture from the President.
m. Dupuy took me into another
room and drew up a semi official note
to the effect that 1 had no relations
with the press"
One of the Judges asked the witness
if he did not remember hearing Dreyfus
say that the documents delivered were
only copies, to which Captain Lebrun-
Renault replied: II do not recollect.
do not remember that phrase. But he
may have said it. I talked with Drey-
fus for a quarter of an hour. The SEN
tence 1 have quoted was that which |
jotted down in my note book
A Judge-What did General Mercier
tell you when you mentioned the con-
fesSion to him?
Captain Lebrun- Renault-He asked
what Dreyfus had said, and then told
me to go to the Elysee and describe the
confession. But / was given no time
to mention it then.
The Judge-Did you go there for that
purpose?
Renault-I went there for that pur-
pose.
The Judge - It is a great pity you
said nothing on the subject.
Renault-I had no time to speak of IL.
The President, moreover, seemed much
more concerned about a remark by
Dreyfus, concerning the writing of the
bordereau, which had been published in
a newspaper.
A Judge = Did the President know
what you came to the Elysee for?
Renault-The President was notified
that I was coming. For my part L was
somewhat intimidated, which is easily
explained I heard myself described as
a traitor "Canaille'' and cur" That
was not encouraging.
NJ Demange asked the witness if 1T
was really a conversation with Dreyfus,
or if the prisoners remarks consisted
of a broken dialogue, as General Gonse
had said:
Lebrun- -Renault = Dreyfus spoke to
me, but I did not reply.
NJ. Demange asked how the witness
could detect confessions in the sentence
containing the words, 81 am inno~
cent In three years my innocence Will
be acknowledged"
Lebrun- -Renault-It is not for me to
reconcile the inconsistence of a sentence
in which the material fact that docu-
ments had been communicated was ad
mitted. 1t is not for me to give an ex-
planation. 1t is for DreyfuS and the
defense to explain. 1 heard this sem
tenee. I was only a kind of phono-
graph and l repeated it without COM
mentary (Excitement)
Replying further to NJ. Demange, the
witness refused to say whether or not
he regarded the words of Dreyfus as
confession.
II have no impression whatever" he
said "Dreyfus said a great deal to me-
l retained this sentence and 1 repeated
it when asked. If I did not mention it
in my report, it was because 1 had the
task of conducting Dreyfus from the
prison to the place of degradation, and
it was not my duty to make Dreyfus
talk. (Excitement)
NJ. Demange-How is it that General
Gonse and General Mercier, on hear
ing your story, believed they had to
deal with a confession, and why did
they send you to the Elysee?
Lebrun- -Renault-I have no idea.
NJ. Demange reminded the witness
that before the Court of Cessation he
considered the sentence of the prisoner
which he had quoted to be kind of ex-
planation or excuse.
Lebrun- -Renault-Why, Monsieur le
Presidente, that is a pointed, question.
I have no opinion to express on that
point. l am no judge of things I re-
peat simply what Dreyfus told me. Ger
tain persons may consider his remarks
as embodying confessions; others as be-
ing an explanation-that is their busi-
ness. (Commotion.)
NJ Labori-Captain Lebrun- Renault
was not content with entering upon his
report of January 9TH that duty COM
menced' at such an hour and ended
at such an hour, but especially added
nothing to report" when as a matter
of fact he alleges that an incident of
this Importance occurred.
Captain Lebrun- -Renault-I had moth
ing to report. My duty was to take
Dreyfus from the prison and guard
him. I had nothing TO say in regard to
that duty.
NJ. Labori-Why did the witness keep
the leaf of his pocketbook with the note
of the confessions for years? The wit
ness seems to say that it was mere
chance. l am surprised that the wit
ness destroyed it just the day after it
was mentioned in the Chamber of
Deputies.
To this Captain Lebrun- -Renault re-
piled that at that time he considered
that the document he possessed was
by the copy made of it
by NJ. Cavaignac the day before it was
destroyed
NJ Labori-The court will draw it's
own conclusions.
Then turning to the witness, NJ La
bori asked: who was the official who
made abusive remarks about you at
the Elysee?"
Captain Lebrun-Renault-I have no
idea.
At this NJ. Labori said he was much
surprised that witness had not referred
to this abuse before the Court of Cas-
sation.
Asked if he had anything to say,
Dreyfus declared that when he was at
the military school on the day of his
degradation Captain Lebrun- Renault
did not leave him.
1T is possible" continued the pris-
oner, that Captain d'Attel entered the