The evening times., 1899-08-22
TUESDAY. AUGUST %, 1899.
The shifting Scene nt Rennes.


On The face OF things, yesterday was
GOOD day for the prisoner al Rennes. The
minor staff witnesses clearly demonstrat-
ed the thoHoughness of the preliminary
drill TO which their superiors had sub
iected them, but made the mistake of too
great a degree Of homogeneity in their
testimony. In most cases they accurately
remembered points and incidents which,
before the court OF cessation, they had
sworn they knew nothing about or had
forgotten. The cumulative effect o. their
evidence" which was plainly fabricated
and carefully rehearsed in advance, was,
on the whole, favorable TO the detence,
which also scored heavily on the manifest
prejudice OF Colonel Jouaust, president
of the court; displayed in suarling al Pic
quart, who demanded conformation " tn
the witness, Junck Joaaust was Ioandly
Missed by the audience for this exposure
OF his partisanship.
The sudden departure from Ems Of Col
onel Schneider. former Austrian military
&ttache in Paris. en- route to that
city 10 accuse General Mercer of for
gerry and subornation of forgery, is an
ether strong point in favor Of Dreyfus. 1t
rTill be remembered that every one of the
generals identified with the staff conspira-
cy has insisted upon the genuineness of
the Schneider document in the dossier in
spite of the alleged authors denial that he
ever wrote the paper, or could have writ
ten it without lying, since its allegations
regarding Dreyfus are wholly untrue 1t
has been the policy of Mercier. Boisdeffre.
Gonse. Roget and their companions in
infamy to stick TO the theory that
the forReries are the work of the
persons they appear 10 represent, and that.
in denying their authenticity Schneider
and aii others similarly circumstances are
merely liars. Thus. although Esterhazy.
has confessed 10 writing the borderesu. and
the high court OF justice has declared that
he did SO, on the evidence of the hand
writing. MCrcie. and his co-conspirators
keep on assuring the court of their com-
piete conviction that nobody but Drey fus
could have had any hand in the matter
The criminal action which Schneider will
begin against &ercieT viii be calculated 10
upset this disgTaceful plan OF campaign, and
cannot fail TO create strong sentiment OF
contempt for the epauletted miscreants who
have exposed their vile characters in adopt
ing il. They viii probably drop that line
OF criminal suggestion 10 the judges from
now on. Otherwise. there is Pannizardi
with the Italian Government at his back.
ready TO duplicate the action of Colonel
Schneider, and 10 make trouble for tha
general staff forgers of another document in
the precious dossier.
Reviewing the history of the day, We
think il Giscioses a ray OF hope for Cap
tain Dreyfus. II is not TO be presumed
that Jouaust and his associates woul
hesitate for moment TO stain themselves
with injustice CT even crime TO save the
honor" Of the army. They would defen
such a course TO their conscit noes. and at
the bar of the worlds opinion. without
the slightest sense of shame. But there
Is one depth to which no self respecting
Frenchman will drop. He will lot con-
sciously make himself an object of ridi-
cule. That is the sole chance TO- the de-
fence. If the liberty and perhaps the life
OF an innocent and honorable officer dill
not depend upon the outcome of the
hideous farce at Rennes all mankind
would be laughing at the antics of the
perjured generals, their hired minions,
end the preiudiced and dishonest court
AS it is, the sentiment in all civilized
countries is one of contemptuous amaze
ment and disgust
Jouaust and the other Judges have
reached the noiut whore they SEQ thev
must face not only this greater public
opinion, but International ridieule as well,
and unless the convenient murde- o. tle
prisoner should happen to relieve them OF
the necessity, or a revolution intervene
and put stop to the proceedings, it now
seems probable that they VIII be driven
TO verdict of acquittal.