Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-08
PLEADS FOR ACQU|I|AL
Demange. Of Dreyfus Counsel, Ad.
dresses Rennes Court Martial in
Prisoners Behalf.
Makes an Effective Plea For the
Accused--All the Evidence
Weighed.
---
Qano,%od mL =. :,
Reported That Labori May Not
Speak For Dreyfus- -specula.
tion on Verdict.

Rennes, Sept. s.-The court room was
packed at the opening this morning,
many having remained all night in or
der to obtain good seats. Even standing
room at the back brought Is to 20
francs. Demange occupied the entire
session with plea in behalf of the pris-
oner and will take two hours and half
tomorrow. 1t was very effective
throughout and highly dramatic at
times. Labori declined to affirm or de-
ny the truth of the report that he had
decided not to speak for the defense, on
the ground that from the apparent
prejudice of the court against him his
appearance might be prejudicial to his
clients interests. There seems to be a
sharp difference of opinion between him
and Demange.
Demange began his address by pro-
testing against the allegation of one
OF the witnesses that whoever believed
in the innocence of Dreyfus was against
the army and country. He declared that
neither himself nor Labori would be
there If that We're true. Demange said
he was Frenchman, the son of a
French soldier, revered and loved his
country from childhood and endured
tortures when he saw tempest of
madness sweep over it. When he knew
fhara "a inn
man whom he believed from the bot
tom of his heart to be martyr he be-
gan to wonder if divine justice had
abandoned him. He became convinced
it had not, and he was here pursuing
an undertaking course. free from anger
or passion, doing his duty as the judges
would do theirs, to the end that justice
might be done.
Demange said he wished to clearly
define the prisoners petition:
When the case of revision was be-
gun Dreyfus was convict and serious
presumptions of his innocence were
necessary before the case could be
taken UP by the court of cessation. To-
day 1t is for the public prosecutor to
prove his guilt. Let no one blame us,
therefore, If we have not proved the in
nocence Of our client. The task is not
incumbent upon US. 1t is for the gov
ernment commission to show he is
guilty"
Demange protested against the sug-
gestion that there had been an attempt
n MI E>.ta
that all the defense desired was that
the innocence of Dreyfus should ap-
pear and the court martial proclaim it.
Counsel was satisfied that the judges of
1894 We're honest, like the present
judges. But if the former had seen Es-
pronounced a different verdict De-
mango then dwelt upon the constant
declarations of his innocence by the
prisoner. from first to last, and read a
of letters to members of his
family. written from Devils Island in
substantiation of his position.
Five ministers of war" said De-
mango, pronounced Dreyfus guilty,
while admitting it was impossible to
produce proofs. Boisdeffre, Gonse anc
Roget also affirmed belief in his guilt.
but instead of proofs only accumulated
Counsel acknowledged the honesty
and honorable conduct Of the generals.
but asserted that conditions were such
that they We're necessarily prejudiced
Dealing with the confession to Patty du
Clam, Demange said the prisoners all
eged words grew out of ideas Du Clam
had previously expressed to the prison
ar and that the imagina ton played
arge part in his report. 1t was signiff-
can't that this report had disappeared
Du Clam had evidently forgotten his re-
marks to Dreyfus. as he had forgotten
other facts. Demange said he was sur
orised at the attitude of Gonse towards
the alleged confessions. He marveled
1t the fact that Capt. Lebrun- Renault,
who sent to the Elysee palace expressly
% repeat the confessions, did not men
lion them. Likewise was it inexplica-
Die that Saussier and Mercier took no
steps to verify the so-called confessions.
the secret dossier, Demange
examined the documents one after the
,ther. He said all interpretations Of the
document commencing doubts proof
we're hypothetical; but they applied
much more easily to Esterhazy than to
Oreyfus. 1t was so with the other doc
lments. There was nothing to indicate
hat Dreyfus was concerned any more
han any one else. The leakage as
ribbed to Dreyfus could only refer to
,lans of fortresses and this leakage
continued until 1897. The document
the words. "Cette canaille De
D." only indicated that poor devil could
lot ascribed to the man whom another
etter described as friend in the sec
md bureau. No credence could be at
ached to some of the documents, while
he others did not apply at all to the
prisoner.
The sixth document was letter writ
en- by Count Won Munster Ledenburg.
ambassador to France from
Germany, to Col. Schwartzkoppen. a
military attache of Germany at Paris.
containing the words: AS regards
)reyfus we are easy. DemanRe
'ointed out that The Dreyfus case was