Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-02

opening of the Dreyfus trial this morn
ing Col JouauSt aroused the interest
of the audience by remarking: "Maitre
Labor the other day asked that infor-
nation be obtained regarding the char
acter of certain witness. would
not have acceded if the witness had not
expressed a similar desire. Informa-
ton which has now reached me will be
read" The clerk of the court accord
ingly read a report regarding M. Du
Breuil. the Partisan friend of nj. de
Beaurepaire, who testified August %
10 the effect that Dreyfus met Ger
man attache at the house OF a mutual
friend named Bodson, and whose cross
examination reflected severely on his
reputation. The report was to the eff
feet that NJ Du Breuil never was a
horse dealer, as claimed by M Labor,
and that the character of the witness
was most respectable, he being held in
general esteem.
A groom named German then de-
posed to seeing Dreyfus at the German
army manoeuyres in Alsace. The gen
eral effect of the testimony of the
witness was rather unfavorable to the
prisoner. German declared he saddled
a horse for Dreyfus to follow the ma
noeuvres, and he said that MAJ lntre-
willie accompanied Dreyfus, adding that
the major told the witness the name of
his companion. Col. Jouaust question
ed Dreyfus, and although he did not
confound the prisoner in any way
Dreyfus made weak reply in declaring
that he could not remember whether
ne hired horses of Germans employer
or not.
The next two witnesses, however,
gave strong testimony in favor of Drey-
fus and sadly knocked Germans tes-
timony about. His employer, a man
named kaufman, got up and declar I'd
that all German had said was untrue
and Maj. Infreville followed and declar-
ed he never knew Dreyfus, so Ger
mains illusions to him were baseless.
Capt. LIE Monnier, who was proba-
toner on the headquarters staff at the
same time as Dreyfus, deposed that the
prisoner told him he was we'll ac-
quainted with a German position be-
cause he had followed the Alsatian
manoeuvres.
Dreyfus replied that Capt. LIE Mon
nier must have mixed up his remarks.
The prisoner added that he was ac-
ouainted with that part Of Alsace, be-
cause ne had spent his youth there, and
not because he was present at the
manoeuvres of the German army there.
A witness named Villon then told a
tale of show he overheard a CONVERSE
ton, in a Berlin cafe, between two
German officers, in which a remark was
made that mobilization plans were ex-
pected from Dreyfus. The cafe, how
ever, has disappeared and as there
are no means of verifying Villon's
story it certainly should not have much
effect on the judges.
Two or three witnesses, in support
of Dreyfus on artillery questions, were
next heard and Commissary Fischer
testified that he was charged to inves-
tigate the leakage of documents at the
gunnery school at Bourges and found
nothing to incriminate Dreyfus.
Lieut. Bernheim testified that he lent
Esterhazy documents dealing with ar
tillery and was unable to get them
back, and artillery Lieutenant Bru-
gere. who attended a gunnery course
at Chalons, testified that it was easy for
an outsider 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. Cavaignac. then minister of
war, violent letter of resignation, in
which he declared it was a dishonor
to serve in the French army.
This declaration caused a scene for
Lieut. Brugere. turning 10 Gen. Roget,
said: 81 protest against Gen. Roget's
words. l affirm that l never said any
such thing"
Gen. Roget then backed down, say
ing Well. that was the general sense
of the letter."
A roar of disgust came from the au-
dience at this apparent underhanded-
ness upon the part of the general and
Lieut.. Brugere again emphatieally de-
clared Gen. Roget was wrong.
Maitre Labor, leading counsel for the
defense, and Col. Jouaust agreed that
the letter should be obtained from the
ministry of war and read in court. The
lieutenant expressed satisfaction at this
step, while the general turned to his
seat with less buoyancy than he left it.
The next witness, Capt Carvalho. a
handsome young artillery officer. proved
an excellent reinforcement for Drey-
fus. He gave his evidence clearly, and
d sst.