The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-24
ON THE RACK.
n. LabOri, Counsel For Dreyfus,
Gives the Generals
A Warm Time During His EX-
animation Today.
COL. MAUREL LASHED
With Questions Which Make
Him Turn Pale.
Gen. Mercier Gets Mad, and
Refuses to Answer.
Minds of First Court Made Up
In Advance.


Rennes, Aug. z4-When the fourth
session of the third week of the second
trial by court martial of Capt Alfred
Dreyfus charged with treason opened
at the Lycee here at $40 a. m today
Col. Jouaust. president of the court or
dered that the evidence given by NJ.
Penot, a friend of the late Cold. Sand
herr, chief of the intelligence depart
ment be read by the clerk of the court.
1t was to the effect that Col. Sandherr
said the Dreyfus family offered him
! 100000 francs on condition that he
would clear Dreyfus-
NJ. Demange for the defense disposed
of this allegation by reading the actual
note on the subject written by sand
herr, thereby proving that the colonel s
remarks had been distorted, Dreyfus
brothers having only said:
We are convinced of the innocence
of our brother and Will spend our en-
tire fortune to discover the truth
The testimony of the first witness to-
day M I4ineolle a former official
of the government was also in favor of
Dreyfus as it was in direct contradic-
ton of what NJ. Dubrieul depOsed yes
terday regarding the alleged intimacy
of Dreyfus with the German attache at
the house of NJ BodsOn, a mutual
friend.
NIAUREL ON THE RACK.
The-president of the court then call
ed the next witness, Col. Maurel, who
was president of the Dreyfus court
martial in 1894. Complete silence fell
upon the court as the infantry sergeant
who was acting usher conducted Mau-
rel to the witness bar. The colonel was
attired in a black coat and wore the
red ribbon of the Legion of Honor at
his buttonhoIe. His hair is gray and he
has a ragged, iron gray mustache- His
face showed anxiety. A NJ Labor
lashed him with pointed questions, the
colonel hesitated and then answered in
a short chOppy manner, and when NJ.
LabOri finally disposed of him the wit
ness left the platform With the pale
face and scared look of a man who has
awakened from a nightmare Counsel
had drawn from the colonel a confess
sion that the secret dOSSier was COM
municated to the judges of the court
! martial of 1894 by Col Du Patty de
Clam. This avOWal produced a sensa-
tion in court and MaurePs declaration
that he only read one of the documents
did not affect the main fact while the
! reading of the document had no effect
upon him, as his mind was already
made up, was nullihed by his subse-
quent declaration that this one dOcu-
ment sufficed to convince him.
MERCER REFUSES TO REPLY.
NJ Labori then put a series of search
ing questions to Gen. MERCER with ref
I erence to the communication of the Sc
creu dossier for the court martial and
his attitude in 1894 and an interesting
scene ensued. The general refused to
reply to all the questions and there
were sharp passages at arms between
| counsel and Col JOuaust who upheld
| Gen Mercier. while the dialogue be-
/ tween the general and NJ. LabOri be-
| came acrimonious.
Counsel became very heated and
/ showed it in his voice and gestures.
| The general however troubled his mind
might be, seldom departed from the
caIlous demeanOr characteristic of him.
The lawyer made strong point on the
| part EsterhaZy played
MRrcieT said he did not know Ester
hazy and only saw him once at the
| Zola tri; l.
THAT is very interesting" exclaimed
NJ LabOri. But surely Gen. Mercier
was present at the Esterhazy triaI?''
The general replied that he was not
there and that he knew nothing about
the evidence in the Esterhazy Prosecu-
s.What?' cried NJ Labori, Gen. Mer-
cier who was the chief accuser of
Dreyfus did not even follow the pro-
ceedings in the Esterhazy trial?''
A loud murmur of surprise and indig-
nant comment came from the audience
but Col Jouaust Immediately suppress
ed it
to his assertion that 35,OOO.0O0 francs
were sent by the defenders of Dreyfus
and asked the general to say how he
knew this, who spent 1t and other
awkward questions, which the general
was unable to answer
A question as to how the bOrdereau
arrived at the offices OF the general
staff. its date. etc, was then introduced
which led to a strange scene for court
HANDS GO UP.
Gen. Roget on mounting the plat
form to give explanations was followed
by Gen. De Boisdeffre. NJ Gribelin, Ma
jor Lauth and other military witnesses.
all holding up their hands to signify
that they desired to speak, while at the
some time NJ. Labori was firing ques-
tions. The result was a perfect babel
until the president of the court could
stand it no longer and when the gov
ernment commissary. Major Carriere
also interpeliated a few remarks, Col.
Jouaust turned to him and asked him
to be quiet. remarking that the judges
could not hear half a dozen people at
the same time
During the course of the morning, NJ.
Labor questioned General MERCER with
reference to q document in the secret
dossier, which it is affirmed existed
prior to 1894. and yet was not produced
at the first court martial of the pris-
Oner.
The general confessed that he did not
know of its existence, and the same
statement was elected from General
Gonse. who declared that Colonel sand
herr was responsible for its nOn-pro-
ductiOn.
These replies were tantamount to a
confession that Colonel Sandherr and
Lieutenant Colonel Henry played with
the minister of war, and even that Gen
eral Gonse, assistant chief of the head
quarters staff. the chief of the intelf-
gence department, keeping from the
two latter just what he pleased
Then NJ Labori proceeded TO take up