Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-17
DREYFUSON THE RACK.
Hot Shot Poured Into Him by
General Roget.
ANGRY, But STOOD THE ORDEAL.
fccount OF the Terrible Tortures In
dicted Upon Him on the Isle Du Diable
Caused Dreyfus TO Weep Lebon Tried
tc ENcuse His EeartIiness.

RESNEs, France, Aug. 1.-THE Sec
ond trial by courtmartial of Captain
Alfred Dreyfus of the French artillery
charged with treason was continued,
Major Carrlere, the representative of
the government, having refused to agree
to the adjournment of the case until
Monday, applied for by NJ. Demange,
counsel for the prisoner, and by Captain
Dreyfus, owing TO the murderous at
tack upon Maitre Labori, leading coun-
sci for the defense.
EX-Minister of Justice Guerin, the
first witness, said that at the end of
October, after cabinet council, the
premier invited him to. his room where
General Mercier joined them, and ex-
planned that for some time past docu-
menUs had been missing from the head
quarters staff and that in consequence
of inquiries made, suspicion attached
to Dreyfus. General Mercier, the wit
ness continued, added that he was con-
yinced Dreyfus was the culprit. He
said he founded his conviction on three
facts: First, the bordereau, the au-
thor OF which was undiscoverable until
Colonel Fabre, on returning from the
1lGCl uC saw
the document, exclaimed:
"Why, it is Dreyfus' handwriting.
Secondly, the nature of the documents
enumerated in the bordereau in con-
junction with Dreyfus' employment in
different departments, proved conclu-
slvely, according to General Mercier,
tnat Dreyfus alone had cognizance of
all these papers, and he alone could
have disclosed them.
Thirdly, the dictation test and Drey
fus' perturbation ut the time.
General MERCER, NJ. Guerin then said,
in consequence OF these convictions the
cabinet, at special meeting Nov. /,
1894, authorized the prosecution of
Dreyfus.
nj. Guerin, at that time, had never
heard of the secret documents and none
was ever communicated to the cabinet.
He only learned OF the existence of the
alleged secret documents during the
Lola trial and only learned of the al
legged confession of Dreyfus to Captain
Lebrnn-Renauit from the newspapers.
General Mercier never mentioned the
confession to the cabinet.
NJ. Lebon, the former minister of the
colonies, IL big, redbearded man, then
testified i'll justification of his instruc
tions to Ureat Dreyfus vigorously, declar-
ing that the extreme stringency only
dated from the time thought an attempt
would be made to rescue the prisoner.
At this juneture some time was Occu-
pied i'll reading u long report from the
minister of the colonies to the minister
OF war, giving the various reports OF
the governor of French Guiana. Pass
ages describing the dread the prisoner
expressed to the doctors when he feared
he was losing his reason caused an i'm
mense impression. Tears were even
seen to glisten i'll the eyes of General
Biuot, the former minister of war.
Colonel Jouaust, turning to Dreyfus,
remarked:
"iave you anything to say in regard
to this deposition
Then the prisoner said:
'No. my colonel, AIN here to defend
my honor. do not wish to speak here
of the atrocious suffering, physical and
moral, which for five years l, a French
man and an innocent man, was sub
jected to on the Isle du Diable."
Nj. Demange here asked that the Off
cial report of the treatment of Dreyfus
OF the Isle du Diable. which was pub
hshed in the newspapers last week,
should be read. The clerk of the court
did so and, in a sympathetic tone, re-
counted the narrowing tale of Dreyfus'
mental and physical sufferings and in
human treatment on the island.
Deep-drawn breaths of Indignation
came from the hearers as the reading
proceeded.
Dreytus, at first, watched the faces of
the Judges with his usual composure;
but gradually. as the story proceeded
and incidents OF his awful existence
were brought up before him, his eyes
grew dim and tears glstened in his
eyes, and slowly trickled down his
cheeks.
Dreyfus could stand it no longer and.
for the first time during his trial gave
way to his emotions and silently wept.
The faces of the audience expr ssed
sympathy with the prisoners emotion
and even the captain of gendarmes
sitting beside Dreyfus turned and gave
him look of unconcealed compassion.
General Mercier, who. with Nj. Lebon,
was seated in the front row of the wit
nesses seats, listened to the reading of
the report unmoved, while Colonel Jou-
aust followed it with an air of bored
tolerance.
The widow of Lieutenant Colonel
Henry, the French officer who COM
mitted suicide i'll prison after confessing
to forging certain documents in the case,
was Il witness.
She ad mitted the frequent visits of
Esterhazy to her husband and said her
husband told her he had forged one
docum ent sin order to save the honor
of the country"
At one point she said:
''You know his sentiments, gentle
men He committed forgery on account
of Colonel Picquart's proceedings, and
il was i'll order to save the army, COM
promised by the dishonesty of its fel-
lows"
General Roget, is undress uniform,
followed. His evidence was veritable
diatribe against Dreyfus from beginning
to end.
General Roget spoke for about three
hours without adducing any new facts,
only reiterating in the most forcible
terms what has been handled about in
the anti-Drey press for about
year past.
He treated Dreyfus without mercy,
both i'll words and attitude In fact it
seemed ut times as though he would
provoke the prisoner into striking him.
The generals manner was most pas
sionate. - ~
Dreyfus managed to control himself
although fearfully aroused at times, and
when Roget would stare at him and
shake his finger, Dreyfus steadily re-
turned his gaze.
He eudeavored to show that Colonel
Picouart, had recourse to fraudulent
methods, with the intent of incriminat-
ing some one other than Dreyfus, and