The record-union., 1899-09-09
LOOKS BAD
FOR DREYFUS.
tcOntinued from First Page,

In this letter the writer urged his
brother to find the culprits, while care
fully protecting the interests OF the
country.
rs not that the cry of an innocent
MANI" asked NJ. Demange. yet though
General de Boisdeffre received the let
ter, he did not forward it to Matmeu
Dreyfus. Five Ministers of War, said
NJ Demange, pronounced Dreyfus
guilty, while admitting it was impos-
sible to produce proofs. General de
Boisdeffre. General Gonse and General
Roget also affirmed their belief in his
guilt But, happily, they stated rea-
sons and instead of proofs only ac-
cumulated presumptions."
After pointing out that the Generals
only studied the case at the very mo-
ment when public alteration had re-
duced the whole question to a conflict
between Dreyfus and the army, thus
making it impossible that the Generals
should not be prejudiced, and probabil-
tiles and presumptions seemed to be
proofs, NJ. Demange said: Il must
acknowledge, however, the honesty and
honorable conduct of the Generals who
could not have acted otherwise than
they have done"
Counsel then paid an eloquent tri-
butte to the honesty of purpose" man
ifested by the Generals.
Dealing next with the confessions,
counsel read the report of Captain LIE
Brun- Renault of the Republican Guard,
who had the prisoner in custody pre-
vious to his degradation, and main
tanned that the exact words of Drey-
;ol, nlHv Tn-
fected ideas Colonel Du Patty de Clam
had previously expressed to the pris-
oner, adding that "all that Du Patty de
Clam maintained to the contrary, it
was certain that imagination had play
ed a much greater part than reason in
the acts of Du Patty de Clam"
1t was also significant that the re-
port drawn up by Du Patty de Clam on
the day following his interview with
Dreyfus had disappeared. Du Patty de
Clam, counsel pointed out, had evident
ly forgotten other facts.
NJ Demange said he was surprised
at the attitude Of General Gonse
toward the alleged confession, and
added that Captain lie BrunR Renault,
who was sent to the Elysee Palace ex-
pressly to repeat the confessions, did
not mention them. 1t was likewise in
explicable that General Saussier and
General Mercier took no steps to YER
ify the so-called confessions, which
were lost sight of until NJ. Cavaignac
sprung them on the Chamber of Dep
uties as proof of the guilt of Dreyfus.
The Court of Cessation had justly de-
cided that they were not confessions.
Proceeding to discuss the secret dos
sier, NJ Demange examined the docu-
rnents one after another. He said that
all interpretations of the document
commencing doubts proof were
hypothetical but they applied much
more easily to Esterhazy than to
Dreyfus. 1t was so with other docu-
ments. There was nothing TO indi-
cate that Dreyfus was concerned any
more than anyone else. The leakage
ascribed to Dreyfus could only refer
to the plans of fortresses, and this
leakage continued until 1898. No
credence could be attached to some OF
the documents while others could not be
ascribed to the prisoner.
The sixth document was letter
written by Count Won Munster Lenen-
burg, the German ambassador to
France from Germany, to Colonel
Schwarzkoppen, the military attache of
Germany at Paris, containing the
words, "as regards Dreyfus, we are
easy
NJ. Demange pointed out that the
Deryfus case was the universal talk
of Germany at the time, and the first
German official might have been un-
easy, but have evidently reassured
themselves.
Counsel was indignant that because
Count Won Munster-Ledenburg had not
expressly declared Dreyfus was inno-
cent, the prosecution had deduced
from his words an avowal of his guilt.
In regard to the letters of November
I'd and November 11th, sent by Major
Panizzardi to his chief, it has been al
legged that they proved that Drey-
fus had relations with Schwarz-
koppen, whereas IN reality, Major
Panizzardi merely denied that Dreyfus
had any relations with Italy. 1t was
impossible to doubt the authenticity of
these facts. 1t was incredible that
Colonel Schwarzkoppen and Major
Panizzardi deceived their Governments.
The omission Of Esterhazy's name
from these letters was intentional
Concluding his examinations Of the
secret dossier, NJ. Demange remarked
that he felt compelled TO refer to these
documents emanating from foreigners,
as General Mercier relied upon them
to support the guilt of Dreyfus. The
statements of the military attaches
that they had no relations with Drey-
fus had been confirmed by the state
ment of the Minister in the Reichstag,
xxybo could NOT baVa fhaaY1 dpcpiNrpd hv
his attache at Paris.
II have finished" said NJ. Demange,
my examination of the secret dossier
All France knows the worthlessness OF
Its contents. Yet it is owing to it that
the country has been distracted for
months and it has been thought that
there We're documents and proofs in
it which might bring France to blows
with a neighboring power. You are
now acquainted with it. The secret
dossier has been exploded. You will
pardon me the loss of time l have inn
posed upon you. 1 win now take VI
the circumstantial evidence"
A brief adjournment of the court was
here announces
Counsel was warmly applauded as he
took his seat.
On the resumption of the session, NJ
Demange discussed the circumstantial
evidence adduced in 1894 He said the
perturbation of Dreyfus at the dicta-
tion scene had nothing to do with pro-
ducing the idea of guilt in the minds
of those present. Colonel Du Patty de
Clam, NJ. Rochefort and NJ Cribelir
2 We're all convinced beforehand of his
guilt, as result of his evidence which