The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-09

covered. have hearkened to the voice
OF my conscience and l have pursued
an Underwriting course, free from anger
OF passion, not needing hatred or pre-
JUDGE. l have done my duty. You will
90 yours, which is to mete out Justice"
NJ. Demange said he wished to clearly
define the prisoners position, saying:
When the case of the revision began
Dreytus was convict and serious pre-
sumptions of his innocence were nsces-
sary before the case could be taken llp
by the court of cessation. Today. il Is
for the public prosecutor to prove his
guilt. Let no one blame US, therefore
If we have not proved the innocence of
our client. The task was not incum-
bent upon us. 1t Is for the government
commissioner to show that he is guilty
| of the abominable crime imputed 70
him"
| The counsel then entered into details
dealing with the information collected
regarding the prisoner in 1894. He said:
me only real information is that
found in the cries from his soul. Even
peIore MS conviction, what was his first
cry? 1 will not take my life, because
l am innocent NJ. Demange dflated
upon the prisoners increasing protesta-
lions OF innocence and his touching let
tiers to his family. exclaiming: I'm
them you see his soul, which speaks.
Alone IN his tomb he communes with
himself. He cherishes the hope of see
ing his innocence acknowledged"
Among the letters of Dreyfus read by
M Demange was one, in which, after
| asserting his innocence and declaring
he always served the tri-color flag with
devotion and honor, the prisoner COM
| planned that he was treated on Deyil's
Island like an ordinary convict. 1t con-
cludes: Il wish to live" THAT is a
soldiers SOUL" exclaimed M. Demange,
and 1t is that man you call a traitor.
That is the man who, in your presence,
restraints his sobs and his emotions
An, gentlemen, l would rather defend
guilty men who are clever dissemblers
than an innocent man who is too sim
cere."
Other letters of the prisoner were
read, all breathing the game desire to
live to see his honor restored, though
the writer was broken down in health
and spirit. One letter, written in 1897
appeals to Gen. De Boisdeffre to lend
his generous aid in securing for the
writer restoration of his liberty, of
which he has been robbed. Writing 20
his brother the prisoner said: while
one or more scoundrels are walking
free, 1t would be happy release for me
to die. But it would be a disgrace to
Lucille and my children" The letter
Win III 6lIl6 HIS OTOLleT TO
find the culprits, while carefully pro-
tecting the interests Of the country.
rs not that the cry of an innocent
,man?" asked M. Demange. ''Yet, though
Gen. De Boisdeffre received the letter,
he did not forward it to Matthew Drey-
fus. Five ministers of war pronounced
Dreyfus guilty, while admitting it was
impossible to produce proofs. Gen. De
Boisdeffre, Gen. Gonse and Gen. Roget
q ad hnf,. TO T. L.
But, happily, they stated reasons, and
instead of proofs only accumulated pre-
sumptions."
After pointing out that the generals
only studied the case at the very mo-
menC when public alteration had re-
duced the whole question to a conflict
between Dreyfus and the army, thus
making it impossible that the generals
should not be prejudiced, and proba-
bilities and presumptions seemed to
them to be proofs, counsel paid an elo-
quent tribute to the honesty of pur-
pose" manifested by the generals.
NJ. Demange said he was surprised at
the attitude of Gen. Gonse towards the
alleged confessions, and maryeled. at
the fact that Capt. Lebrun- Renaud.
who was sent to the Elysee Palaca ex-
pressly to repeat the confessions, did
not mention them. 1t was likewise in
expliCable that Gen. Saussier and Cen
MERCER took no steps to verify the So
called confessions, which were lost
sight of until NJ. Cavignac sprung them
upon the chamber of deputies as proofs
of the guilt of Dreyfus The court of
cessation had justly decided that they
were not confessions.
Proceeding to discuss the secret. dos
sier, NJ Demange examined the docu-
ments one after the other. He said that
all interpretations Of the documents
beginning Doubts proof" were hypo-
thetical, but they applied much more
easily to Esterhazy than to Dreyfus 1t
was so with the other documents. There
was nothing to indicate Dreyfus was
concerned any more than any one else.
The leakage ascribed to p~eyfus could
only refer to the plans of fortresses and
this leakage continued until 1897 The
document contained the words "Cetts
canaille de D." only indicated a poor
devil and could not be ascribed to q
man whom another letter described az
friend In the second bureau. No cred
ence could be attached TO some of tho
documents, while others could not in
any sense be applied to the prisoner.
NJ. Demange pointed out that tho
Dreyfus case was the universal topic
of Germany at the time, and at first
the German officials might have been
uneasy, but had evidently reassureA
themselves Counsel was indignant
that because Count Won Munster-Ledp
enburg had not expressly declared
Dreyfus was innocent therefore the
prosecution had deduced from his