The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-25
COUP D'ETAT WAS PLANNED.
DERoDLEDE TRIED TO OVERTHROW
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

Compromising S~eized-Partn
Quiet Once Moro-The Authorities Praised
Special Gable Dsspatch to The suN.
PARIS. Feb. 24.-There Is a happy contrast
between to-night's aspect OF the principal
boulevards and last nights uproar and vio-
lence. The city 10 even less animated than
usual. 1t may be the quiet OF exhaustion. but
It Is also indicative OF the artificial nature of
the disturbances OF the past few days, which,
as repeatedly insisted upon In these dispatches.
never bore any evidence OF spontaneous re-
s~istance to republican authority. The strin-
gent measures finally adopted have suficed TO
COW the real fomenters OF disorder. and in the
absence OF leadership the attempts TO in
cite insurrectlon have been abandoned.
1t may be that the Government was
inclined to exaRgerate the seriousness OF the
plot against the republic. which. 1t is alleged.
has been discovered, and 1t is more than prob
able that the authorities have not yet sue
ceeded in getting possession OF tho true secret
OF the carefully pursued campaign against ex-
listing institutions. which may be only tenn
porarily checked by the arrest OF Deroulede
and Habert. tall events. tranquility has been
restored for the time being. and public opinion
has had a chance to array itself against the
agitators and the enemies Of the republican
Government. There Is every indication that
the situation will be cleared by yesterdays
crisis.
The most important development Of the day
WIS the decision to prosecute Deputies Derou-
lede and Habert. Government agents. includ-
ing M. Cochefert. Chief OF the Secret Service.
searched the headquarters OF the League OF
Patriots and NJ. D6roulede's apartments to-day
| and seized three trunks filled with gravely
compromising documents, which Afforded
abundant evidence of an intention to attempt
| a coup d'etat. The Government officials refuse
to disclose the details. but tho evidence at
hand was sufficient to determine the Cabinet
to order the prosecution OF Deroulede and
others before the High Court Of the Senate.
| which alone has jurisdiction. Accordingly. at
the opening of the session Of the hamb OF
Deputies a letter was sent to President Des-
| chanel by the Procureur-Genera asking the
permission of Parliament to prosecute NM.
Deroulede and Habert.
When the letter was read NJ. C~astelin. Repub-
lican Revisionlst, moved that under the law
| exempting members from arrest during the
| session OF the Chamber both Deputies should
be released. NJ. Deschanel ignored the motion.
| and the next moment announced that he had
received a second letter from the Procureur-
General OF a much more serious character. and
containing the gravest charges against the i'm
plicated Deputies. They were now. he said,
accused OF the high crime of deliberately seek
ing to turn the army against its duty and
against the constituted authorities. The ques-
ton OF authorizing the prosecution OF the
| Deputies was at once referred, without debate.
to the divisions or bureauX Of the Chamber.
and the sitting was suspended while a vote
was taken in the divisions.
There are eleven divisions OF the Chamber.
all Of which voted by a large majority in favor
Of the appointment of the necessary commit
tee to examine the application Of the Pro-
cureur-General The selection in each case
| fell upon a member favorable to prosecution.
NJ. for instance. was Overwhelming
ly defeated in his division by NJ. Coutant. The
| committee thus constituted met Immediately
and decided to recommend the prosecution Of
| the two deputies. The Chamber adopted by
an almost unanimous show OF hands the com
mittee's recommendation.
NJ. Millevoye. who had Just been released
from arrest. entered the Chamber at this point
and. mounting the tribune. declared l in behalf
OF Deroulede. that the latter desired. above all
things. to be prosecuted. NJ. Castelin's motion
was then voted down. 4SS to 100.
1t seems. according to the letter OF the Pro-
cureur- General to President Deschanel, that
Deroulede openly admitted to Commissary
Cochefert that he went to the Place de la
Nation for the purpose Of urging the troops to
Join him in an insurrectionary movement
having for its object the overthrow OF the par
'IuDllS ullA tA' VI a
so-called "RGpuplique PlGbiscitaire." Fur
thermore. Gen. Roget. when confronted with
NJ. Deroul6de, declared that the Deputy had at
tempted to induce him to march his troops to
the ElysGe. NJ. Habert identified himself with
all of Deroulede's acts and words. The penalty.
II Deroulede and Habert are convicted. will
be from one month to three years imprison-
ment.
More than 400 arrests we're made yesterday
- l--a -.-IN - Nl~-A n-,.-N- $40 NJ
de Cuvervillc. son Of Admiral de Cuverville.
chief OF staff of the Ministry of Marine: Count
dc Choiseul. VI. Talleyrand d'Harcourt and 100
other young aristocrats. In every case their
requests for release on bail have been refused.
NJ. Cochefert, Chief OF the Secret Service. was
seen by a SUN correspondent this morning.
but he declared that the affair was too serious
to allow him to give an opinion.
The accounts in the morning newspapers Of
the circumstances preaching the arrest Of
DGroulede and Habert vary considerably.
There is no doubt. however. that Deroulede
openly urged Gen. Roget to march his troops
to the Elys6e and appealed to the soldiers to
save France" There can therefore be no
difficulty in convicting this chief OF the League
OF Patriots OF the use OF seditious language.
NJ. DGroul6de has written from prison to
Prime Minister Dupuy affirming that he was
arrested for addressing the troops In the yard
OF the Reuily barracks after having in the
street attempted to Undue e them to follow him.
He declares that any other version OF his ar
rest is untrue.
DGroulede's evident object In writing the let
ter Is to insure publicity for his attempted
coup. and TO prevent the impression that he
was arrested for trespass or anything equally
small.
NJ. DGroulede's own friends to-day condemn
him. Even the Pat'ie. NJ. Millevoye's journal.
says that the sight Of the flag carried by the
troops yesterday turned Deroulede's head and
led him into a foolish error. His act. the
Ihtrie says. was a crime OF passion. and he
should be treated tho same as a jealous woman
who throws vitriol. NJ. Millevoye denies that
DGroulede conspired against the republic. but
this was written before 1t was known that
documentary evidence against him had been
found at the headquarters Of the League or
Patriots.
This afternoon the Government decided
again to issue a decree suppressinR the League