The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-15

thicket into which he could dive and in
doing so remained concealed for some
time from a pursuer. The gen darmes
that Colonel PicQuart met joined the
pursuit, but fleet running and knowl-
edge of the locality enabled the would
be murderer to escape.
NJ Labor is young, fair. handsome
and full of lusty life and high spirits.
His talents as a speaker are not of the
highest order, but no other member of
the Paris bar knows better how to use
law to defeat its object. He can drive
a motor car through the code. Until
he pleaded for ZOla, his luck was unin-
terrupted. He then had an attack Of
typhoid fever which greatly weakened
him and forced him to neglect business.
The ZOla affair was a great advertise
ment, but it brought him no direct
profit and created for him endless enc
mics. He refused the handsome fee the
novelist offered, nor does he accept
pecuniary reward from Dreyfus.
Labor is proud of his wife's beauty.
She is equally proud of his good looks
and talents and loses no opportunity
to hear him plead. She is an Aus
tralian, received. as pianist, her
musical education in London, became a
player at concerts, made the acquaint-
ance of the defOrmed but highly gifted
Russian pianist, Pachmann, married
him, had two children, and then fell in
love with LabOri. The passion was
mutual She and Pachmann were di-
vorced and then she married Labori.
The children live with her and find
Mime. Labor has attended all the pub
lie sittings of the Rennes court martial
Her beauty is beyond dispute. She is a
striking blonde, and, though her path
has not been always strewn with roses,
she expresses the joy of life in splend-
id health and a satisfied heart.
What a bolt from the blue sky the
mornings event has been to her. She
seemed the happiest woman alive when
she set out in the morning. In less than
ten minutes, her life was blighted.
Labor, not long convalescent from ty-
phoid is in in g bad state to receive a
ball entering the thorax through the
back He IS now in a high fever and
there may be dangerous complications
later
I heard Of the attempted assassina-
tiOn entered a corridor leading to the
hall of justice in the Lycee. There I
saw Nine. Labor rushing from the Op-
pOsite direction, pale as death, with
surgeon in military uniform beside her
and a following of other persons All
had an air of intentness-T Their thoughts
certainly did not run on the Dreyfus
case. Then officers and police rushed
out of the guard room and ran in the
same direction.
What is the matter?' I asked.
Labor has been wounded by a pis-
tol shot and is now probably dead"
who wounded him?"
Probably a mad man. A country
woman heard him gleefuly shout as he
ran away, I have killed Dreyfus' .
Terrible as the news was, I felt
must not follow Nine LabOri, but must
gain my place in the court room, whicn
I found crowded, as the sitting was
about to commence.
The president of the association of le-
gal journals, NJ. Taunay, well known as
the organizer of the international Press
congress, jumped upon table and ex-
claimed: m. Labor has been fred at
and wounded"
The announcement caused a deep
hush Solemn silence reigned for per-
haps three or four minutes. Possibly it
was silence of stupOr for all seemed
stunned. At length the natOnalists
and Dreyfusites declared their horror
of the crime and their sympathy with
the victim.
We, on the Dreyfus side remembered
how lavish he was of his vitality. how
he never spared himself how he was
always in the breach when a violent as
sault was impending. how in the stress
and hurry of attending to Zola's affairs
last year he caught pleurisy, was be-
tween life and death and tended con-
tinuOusly and brought back, rescued
from the very grave by the devoted
and intelligent care of his lovely wife
We remember that we have all found
pleasure in seeing Nine. LabOri at
Rennes. With her blonde hair, regular
features, fine figure, motherly blue eyes
and graceful walk. with all that she
PrOsepirna. We had called her the
bona dea" or good Goddess" We all
felt that as the news arrived fOrtu-
nately not confirmed, that LabOris
state was hopeless, as if we had lost
brother of whom we were all justly
proud.
We Dreyfusftes also remembered how
pleasant was LabOriS blue eye whenever,
catching that of friend in court it light
erful hearE that drove the DIoou every ny
where with regular strong beats Ihe
fresh complexion declared a fine arterial
circulation.
He has always been unconventional,
largely because he is the son of simple,
useful folk The father is an Alsatian
and q station master at ChalOnS. he IS
IN the secret Of the steps 70 pc taken IN IN
regard 10 every transport Oh lsO' 'E2 MetS
France attacked from Germany. He and
his wife were staying at Labo11s 5 Paris
nome When the crime was c2nlInl' ted-
Nine LabOri telegraphed for them TO
come at once and they are now here The
sitting was adjourned for snort time TINS
morning to enable NJ. Demange 20 inquire
ceedfngs pending the inquiry the ladies
grew excited and communicated their ner-
caution against canes and parasols be-
ing used in a factiOnal fight, gen d'arnle
care This led to masculine protests and
much feminine cacl1le, but the gen d'arme
insisted.
The court then entered. Colonel Jouaust,
the president of the tribunal, alluding to
urday in the press tribune, threatened to
clear it if either approval or disapproVal
He then ordered the CONFORMATION of
NJ. Casimir-Perier and General MERCER.
These witnesses were more cat and dog
than before. Casimir-Perier seemed 50
like one of those fussy mongrels that one
sees on the box of a French peasants
market cart. The dog sits beside the driv-
er looking intently forward and ready to
pick quarrel with no matter whom He
seems to think he runs the whole concern.
Casimir-Perier spoke of himself only-Of
what he did and said when president. He
often snubbed MERCER verbally and by al
most turning his back upon him He had
little to say of the Dreyfus affair Gen
era1 Mercier paid him back in scratches
that almost drew blood
General Billot sat while making his own
deposition. He still believes Dreyfus
guilty: but gave no strong reason. He
said that ColOner Picquart systena tically,
as head of the intelligence department