Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-23
Adjourned for the day.
IT WAS LABoRI,s DAY
Review and Comment on the Pr,
ceedings at Rennes.

Review and Comment ON the Pro-
ceedings at Rennes.
Rennes, Aug. 23.-Tuesday was Maitre
Labori's day at the Lyce, where Capt.
Alfred Dreyfus is standing trial on
| charges of treason. Labori was the
central figure of the scene. As the
Dreyfus drama unrolled before a
crowded court in the morning his tall
yiking-li like form, draped in long
black gown bordered with ermine, sit
ting in front of the footlights, was the
magnet which from the moment the
curtain was rung up until 1t fell at
noon drew from all eyes not merely
glances of curiosity, but the steady
gaze of admiration. His mere presence
brought brightness into the court room
and fresh light Into the proceedings.
Labori did what people had expected.
He galvanized the dormant defense into
an active. living thing. M. Demange is
lconciliatory. He has always seemed to
fear to tread on the military corn. La
bori is a gladiator and always speaks
to touch his foe to the quick. Let
there be the slightest opening in his
opponents defense and he thrusts
home.
When NJ. Demange found nothing to
ask witness, NJ. Labori's quick eye
had discovered weak spots and he came
| forward with searching questions. He
opened the day with an eloquent speech
and the audience could have listened
for an hour to his rich melodious yoice,
modulated tones and then impassioned
loutbursts, accompanied by energetic
and speaking gestures.
| Gen. Roget, Gen. Billot. Gen. Me-cier
and Gen. de Boisdeffre, with the other
military witnesses gave one another
anxious glances and put their heads to-
gether to exchange obviously disagreed
| BILE Impressions as Labori piled the
smaller military fry, who occupied the
| witness stand, successfully with dis
lconcerting questions.
| Labor cornered Mercier on the
Schneider letter. which the latter had
used in evidence and which Col. Schnei-
der had repudiated as forgery. The
general was surprised when Labori
suddenly demanded that Mercier be re-
/ called. Evidently he hoped the tribunal
would support him In refusing to ex-
plain how he got copy of letter
which was of a later date than his in
cumbency at the ministry of war.
/ But Labori was not to be denied. He
| insisted that Mercier should give some
| explanation. Then, after hesitating,
Mercier declared he would assume all
| the responsibility attached to his pos
/ session of the document. This. as La
| bori intended it should be. was dem
onstration of communication by the
general staff of part at least of the Sc
cret dossier to an ordinary soldier. such
| as Mercier became immediately on
| leaving the ministry of war. When La
bori had attained his object and forced
| a confession of grave violation of law
on the part of Gen. Mercier he gave a
smile of grim satisfaction and then add
| ed significantly.
II shall have other questions to put to
Gen. Mercier."
The scene was highly dramatic and
made profound impression upon all
| the spectators.
| Gen. Mercier must now be spending a
very miserable time, for as the result
of this admission, and with the addi-
/ tional charge of communicating secret
| documents to the court-martial of 1894,
| lie is liable to arrest at any moment
| Indeed. some people think it not impos-
sible that he will be lying in the mill
tary prison adjoining the cell of Capt.
| Dreyfus before the week is out.
| Another series of questions put by
NJ. Labori, concerned Lajoux. spy
formerly in the service of the French
war office. but packed off to South
America, according to various military
witnesses, because he proved swim
dler. Labori asked how 1t was, IL that
were SO, that Lajoux was still receiving
monthly payments.
! Commandant Rollin, completely u