The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-01
FAVORABLE
TO DREYFUS-
Bulk of Today's Testimony Ad-
VantageOus to Accused.
Damaging Testimony Quickly
Net and Refuted.
REPORT ON DUBREUIL
Read In Court Shows Him to
Be a Nice Man.
Evidence Showing That Infor-
nation Could Easily Get Out.

Rennes, Sept. Immediately after
| the opening of the fifth session of the
| fourth week of the second trial by
| court martial of Capt Alfred Dreyfus.
| charged with treason, the president Of
I the court, Col. Jouaust aroused the in
[ terest Of the audience by remarking:
''Maitre Labor, the other day asked
I that information be obtained regarding
{ the character of a certain witness I
| would not have acceded If the witness
/ had not expressed a similar desire IN
formation which has now reached me
! viii be read"
The clerk Of the court accordingly
read a report regarding NJ Dubreuil,
the Partisan friend of NJ De Beaura-
paire who testified August % to the ef-
( feet that Dreyfus met a German at
3 tache at the house of a mutual friend
named BOdson and where the cross-ex-
animation reflected severely on his rep
utatiOn. The report was to the effect
( that NJ DubreuH never was horse
! dealer. as claimed by NJ Labor and
that the character of the witness was
most respectable, he being held IN gen
eraI esteem
A groom named Germain then depos-
ed to seeing Dreyfus at the German
army manOeuvers in -Alsace- Col JOu-
aust questioned DTeyfus on this point
UNFAVORABLE TO DREYFUS.
The general effect of the testimony
of the witness was rather unfavOraDIe
| to the prisoner. German declared he
SaddIed a horse for Dreyfus to follow
the manoeuver and he said that Major
! InfreVilIe accompanied Dreyfus, adding
( that the major told the witness the
name of his companion
Col Jouaust questioned Dreyfus and
although he did not cOnfOund the priS-
reply IN declaring that he could not re-
member whether he hired horses Of
Germain's employer or not
The next two witnesses, however gave
strong testimony in favor of Dreyfus
and sadly knocked Germain's testtmo-
ny about
His employer. a man named Kuht-
man got up and declared that all Ger
main had said was untrue and Major
InfrevilIe followed and declared he
never knew Dreyfus, so Germans al
lustons to him were baseless-
Capt LemuOnfer, who was a pro-
batiOner on the headquarters staff at
the same time as Dreyfus, deposed that
the prisoner told him he was well ac-
quainted with a certain German posi-
tiOn because he had followed the Asa
tian manOeuvers-
Dreyfus replied that Capt Lennon
Ter must have mixed Up his remarks
The prisoner added that he was ac-
Quainted with that part of AISace be-
cause he had spent his youth there and
not because he was present at the
nanOeuvers of the German army there
A WEAK STORY.
A witness named ViIIon then told q
tale Of how he overheard a couversa-
tfon in a Berlin safe between two Ger
man officers in which remark was
made that mobilization plans were ex-
peCLed from DreyTuS- The cafe. how
ever has since disappeared and as
there are no means OF verifying VII
Ions story it certainly should not have
much effect on the judges. Two or
three witnesses, in support of Dreyfus
on artillery QueStiOuSS. were next heard
and COmmissary Fischer testified that
he was charged to Investigate the Leak
age of documents at the gunnery school
at Bourges and found nothing to in
crimiuate DreyfuS.
Lieut. Rernheim testified that he
lent Esterhazy documents dealing with
artillery and was unable to get them
back and artillery Lieut. Brugere. who
attended a gunnery course at ChaICns
testified that it was easy for an out
slider to obtain particulars about the
guns. He said that he himself, had on
one occasion lent his firing manual TO
an infantry officer
Gen Roget asked to be confronted
with the witness and said the latter
wrote NJ Cavaiguac, then minister of
war a violent letter of resignation in
which he declared it was a dishOnOr to
serve in the French army
This declaration caused scene for
Lieut. Burgers turned to Gen Roget
ROGET BACKS DOWN.
7 protest against General Roget's
words affirm that never said any
such thing" General Roget then
backed down, saying:
Well that was the general sense of
the letter"
A roar of disgust came from the
audience at this apparent underhand-
edness upon the part Of the general,
and Lieutenant Brusere again enphat-
icaIIy declared General Roget was
wrong
NJ Labor, leading counsel for the
defense and Colonel JOuaust agreed
that the letter should be obtained from
the ministry of war and read in court
The lieutenant expressed satisfaction
to his seat with less bouyancy than he
left it The next witness. Captain
CarvaIhO, a handsome young artillery
officer. proved an excellent reinforce
ment for Dreyfus- He gave his evi-
dence clearly. and boldly and emphat-
icalIy declared that there were no spe-
cial precautions to keep the mechan-
ism of the ''120 short gun secret More
over. he added, from April. 1894, the ar
tilIery officers had description of the
hydro pneumatic brake given them
Here" said Captain CarvaIho is
an actual copy of the manual which
I hand over to the court martial
NJ Labor then had an animated dis
CIssiOn with Colonel JOuausC. who at
first refused cOuusePs request to read
a letter which the latter had received
yesterday evening signed .COrningue,
setting forth that the firing manual had
been copied by men referred to as A.
and .sBn
Colonel Pfcquart in reply to NJ La
boTis confirmed the statements made in