Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-09-05
GENERALS ARE NORS1ED|
Spend a Most Uncomfortable Day in
the Dreyfus Court-Martial
Trial at Rennes.
CASE OF THE DEFENSE STRENGTHENED.

Scene Between Gen. Gonse and Col.
Picquart - NJ. Labori Succeeds In
Getting Former to Admit Tnmper-
ing with the Latter's Corresponds
ence-Gen, Roget Becomes Excited.
Rennes, Sept. 4.-There was large
attendance and a big number OF gen
erals at the Lycee Saturday morning
at the opening of the last session OF the
fourth week of the second trial by
court-martial of Capt. Alfred Dreyfus,
charged with treason The interest
centered in the testimony of Maj. Hart
mann, of the artillery, which was inter
rupted by the adjournment OF the
court Friday. The major, who has done
great service for the defense, resumed
his important deposition regarding ar
tillery matters and the bringing out
of points and phraseology in the Dor
dereau indicating that the writer could
not be Dreyfus. The witness wished
to enter into the question OF the ropin
shell. But on Gen. Deloye objecting to
a statement on the subject in open
court Mai. Hartmann asked to be al
lowed to give it behind closed doors,
saying it would only take him few
minutes to call attention to the point
he had in mind. The president OF the
court, Col Jouaust, decided to hear
this part of the witness testimony IN
camera at the end of the session or at
the beginning of Mondays session.
In response to questions from Maitre
Labori and M. Demange, counsel Tor
the defense, Maj Hartmann said any
officer attending the Chalons camp
could have obtained sufficient informa-
ton to write notes on the covering OF
troops and Madagascar matters
Could Have Leaked Out.
M. Labori then recalled Gen. Mer-
cier's attack on Capt. Freystaetter on
the latter declaration that the secret
dossier communicated to the court OF
1894 contained document concerning
a shell for which Gen. MERCER called
the captain liar. Maj. Hartmann at
irmed that it was quite possible that
particulars about certain,shell should
have leaked out in 1894.
An Interesting CONFORMATION.
An interesting conformation between
Gen. Deloye and Maj. Hartmann fol-
lowed, the general declaring he did not
believe the major was keeping strictly
to the truth. Deloye then proceeded to
point to what he said were inaccuracies
in Mai. Hartmann's testimony. He in
sisted that Dreyfus in the course of con-
versations with artillery officers, could
have secured information on the sub
iects mentioned in the bordereau, to
which the major retorted that if any
artillery officer had been questioned by
Dreyfus he would already have come
forward to say SO, as a matter of strict
duty.
Gen. Deloye, questioned by NJ. Labor
and M. Demange, said the inventor of
the robin shell told him Dreyfus never
asked him for particulars about his
shell except on a minor point. The gen.
eral added that he came as technical
witness to show Dreyfus could be gull
ty, adding that it was not his business
to say whether he believed him innocent
or guilty. He could only say that Drey-
fus' contention that it was impossible
for him to know certain matters re-
ferred to in the bordereau was untrue.
Grows Excited.
M, Labor asked Gen. Deloye if he
knew whether the documents which
could have been betrayed by a traitor,
especially by the writer of the bor-
dereau, were important, whereupon the
general turned to counsel and excited
~ cried:
''Don't ask me, don't ask me-
These EXPLANATIONS created a sensa-
ton in court, which was doubled when
Gen. Deloye added that there was sutfi-
cient in the bordereau to establish that
the traitor knew the Importance of the
documents he was giving up. The wit
ness added:
''When l read the bordereau was dis
mayed"
Displayed Ignornnce.
Maj. Hartmann, in reply to Gen. De-
loye, reiterated that the author of the
bordereau was ignorant of artillery
matters, for ''if he meant the 1920 by
drauiic brake he gave particulars of
what was long known, while if he meant
the 1870 short he employed a wrong
expression"
Gen. MERCER here mounted the stage
and remarked that the writer of the
bordereau might very well employ the
term hydraulic brake, because that was
the term used by the Germans for such
brakes.
This ended the deposition of Mai.
Hartmann, who certainly was a very
valuable witness for the defense, al
though the effect of his testimony was
somewhat weakened by Gen. Deloye's
theatrical statement in reply to NJ
Labori.
From Grammatical Point of View.
The next witness, NJ. Havet, mem
Der of the institute, took up the Dor
dereau from a grammatical point of
view. declaring it to be his conviction,
after studying closely the styles OF
Dreyfus and Esterhazy, that the latter
wrote it. The witness entered into an
interesting analysis of the phraseology
of the bordereau, pointing out that Ger.
tain phrases in it were met with il
Esterhazy's letters, but never in those
Of Dreyfus. He then traced the infu
ence exercised on Esterhazy by hi,
linguistic requirements, notably trace.
of German construction.
Cheekmated.
The government commissary, Mai
Carriere, asked M. Havet if he had beer
present at sessions of the court befor
he had testified. M. Hayet said yes,
at which the major, with great severity