The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-15
INTEREST DRAes.
Former French Ministry Testify, But
Audience is Distracted.

audience is DlSLracLcos
Rennes, Aug. 1.-THE shooting of NJ.
Labori, leading counsel for Capt. Alfred
Dreyfus, took all the life out of this
mornings session of the Dreyfus court
martial The murderer apparently
chose today for the attempt, because it
was known that M. Labor would cross
| examine Gen. MERCER, the former min
lister of war. The news caused an inn
mense sensation in the court room,
where the usual audience had assem-
bled awaiting the entrance of the
Judges. M. Laboris absence had just
been announced, when suddenly M.
Jaunay, syndio of the judiciary press,
rushed into the room and shouted: IN.
Labor has been shot"
All present gave gasp of horror and
surprise Then every man jumped to
his feet and volley of questions was
hurled at M. Jaunay, who, crying That
is all 1 know" rushed out of court
again, followed by a number of his
hearers. AS the proceedings were about
to begin, the remainder eXcitedly dis
cussed the crime and vigorously de-
nounced the authors. Col. Jouaust, pres
ident of the court, when the news
reached him, suspended the sitting of
the court martial until 7.15 o'clock.
When the court martial was resumed
Gen. MERCER was confronted with NJ.
Casimir-Perier, the former president of
France. The latter declared Mercier's
story, told on the witness stand Satur-
day, of the imminence of war between
Germany and France in 1894, was gross
ly exaggerated, and complained of the
action of the then minister of war
(Mercier) in moving 10000 troops to the
frontier without consulting him.
AS it was NJ. Labori's task to take
Gen. MERCER in hand, and NJ Demange,
associate counsel, was quite unpre-
pared for the task, the few questions
the latter put were practically of little
effect, and Gen. Mercier escaped. More
over, M. Demange was deeply affected
by the attempt to assassinate his col
league and was quite unable to do him
self justice
Maitre Demange left the court in
stantly when he heard of the shooting
and hurried to M. Labori's side Col.
Jouaust suspended the sitting Of the
court martial until tbs o'clock.
M. Demange soon announced that
though N. Laboris wound was not so
serious as at first supposed it would be
impossible for the latter to participate
in the proceedings. The blow had fall
len so heavily upon every one prevent,
however, that the proceedings had be-
come perfunctory and were being fol-
lowed listlessly. The attitude of M.
Casimir-Perier was quite subdued
compared with his heated Indignation
of Saturday.
| When Gen. Mercier was recalled, in
reply to the president of the court, he
reiterated his belief that Mai Count
EsterhaZy, in spite of the latter's own
| declaration, was not the author of the
| bordereau, which, the witness claimed.
was written on tracing paper and was
| frNrIr7 =
| asked M. Casimir- Perier to explain the
circumstances of the confession Drey-
fus is alleged to have made to Capt.
Lebrun- Renaut. M. Casimir- Perier
persisted in his statement of Saturday,
that he had never received any conf
dences of this character from Capt. Lee
| brun- Renault
The letter asserted that Capt. Lee
brun- Renault, when questioned by NJ
| Dupuy, replied that Gen. MERCER had
sent him to the president to receive a
| dressing down for his indiscreet disclo-
sure to Figaro. Gen. MERCER here in
terposed, saying: capt. Lebrun-Re-
nault spoke to me in regard to the con-
| fessions in the presence of Gen. Gonse,
who will testify thereto. 1t was then
that l ordered him to go to the presi-
dent of the republic
| Regarding Gen. Mereier's declara-
| lions on Saturday last on the witness
stand, NJ. Casimir- Perier said: Gen.
MERCER had no right whatever to inter-
vene in diplomatic conversation /
would have prevented such interfer-
ance. It was / alone who conferred
| with the minister, and I declare that
the impression derived from that con-
versation was one of complete calm,
| otherwise the INCIDENT would not have
been closed by the framing of a note.
We had no telegram from Berlin
that evening regarding a note the min
lister had referred to Berlin. If there
| had been any news in regard to the
matter on the evening of the 9Th. we
should not have waited until the Sth
| to publish the note. There was not a
! dispatch addressed to friendly power
relative to the incident The incident
has been magnifed. Besides, in the
event of diplomatic complications, the
president would have communicated
with the minister Of foreign affairs
\ Gen. Mercier replied that he went to
the Elysee palace as minister of war
He recalled that Gen. De Boisdeffre
could testify III regard to the orders re-
oeived. M. Demange seized upon this
i declaration and insisted that Gen. Mer-
cier repeat the statement that he had
given orders to Gen. De Boisdeffre on
the 9Th relative to mobilization.
M. Casimir- Perier, resuming his tes-
timony, said he did not desire to reply
to certain of Gen. Mercier's insinua-
| lions. They do not wish to answer
them" said the former president. 'rhe
circumstances are too sad and toe
tragic for me to desire to envenom the
discussion am master of myself and
| OF my conscience. I would only state
that Gen. MERCER has made every eff
fort to mix me as deeply as possible
in this affair. But / have remained
aloof, | affirm, during the progress of
the investigation"
At this moment, M. Demange asked
M. Casimir Perier if, on the 9th, an l1n-
derstanding had not been reached he
tween France and Germany on the sub
| 1ect of Dreyfus. M. CasiFnir- Porter re-
piled that before his interview with the
minister on the 9Th, the question al
Dreyfus had never been raised between
them and Germany. M. Demange asked
Gen. MERCER why he had not Included
IN the dossier of 1894 the doubtful trans
lntion of the telegram of Agent ''I2,, n
his government, under date of Nov. Q
Gen. MERCER said not one of the trans
iations had been communicated to the
Judges, because there still existed
doubts in his mind.
\ Gen. Billot former minister Of war
was the next witness. He was in mi.
form, sat with crossed legs and gave
his evidence in conversational man
ner. He said he would be n wears
or age tomorrow. Like everybody else
he said, he had SOME knowledge or Inc
Droyfus affair before taking the wal
portfolio. While feeling deeply on the
subject he remained a1oof from the
matter until he returned to the cabinet
In the early days of his ministry, the
witness continued, M. Scheurer- X esfne,
Ga former vice president of the Senate
asked him whether he ought not to In.
vestlgate the Dreyfus affair M. Scheur.
r-kestner, the general pointed out. had
made similar representations to M. Dr.