Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-08
peared to be his duty to receive all evil

respective countries
A very pessmistic feeling was pro-
duced by Colonel Jouaust's decision
and it was predicted that it meant the
certain condemnation of DreyfuS. This
was the unanimous opinion of the An
ti-Dreyfusards and it was the impress
sion OF a majority of the Dreyfusards
whose last hope Is that Colonel
acknowledgment and Major Panizzardi
because the court had already made
up its mind to acquit the prisoner.
After NJ. Labor had submitted his APP
plication for the dispatch of a rogatory
commission to receive the depositions of
Colonel SchwartZkoppen and Major
Panizzardi. the chief of detectives, NJ
Cochefert, deposed favorably regarding
the attitude OF Dreyfus when Colonel Du
Patty de Clam dictated the bordereau to
him The witness said Dreyfus only APP
peared 70 be troubled afterwards, when
Du Patty de Clam questioned him.
NJ. Cochefert referred to the revolve.
found on a table near the desk at which
Dreyfus was then seated and he recount
ed how the prisoner on perceiving it said:
81 will not kill myself. ! will live to es
tablish my innocence"
The clerk of the court then read a letter
from Captain Humbert to the effec, that
Droytus had expressed a keen desire in
1894 to enter the statistic section Of the
office and saving that he had once
met Dreyfus carrying some voluminous
packages of maps and documents ana re.
marked that he was acting very impru.
IDENTIFY.
Dreyfus declared these statements to be
ineNact.
General MERCER afterwards came to the
bar and said that he felt the deposition
OF Captain FreyStaetter was bound 10
produce a considerable impression on the
minds Of the judges He spoke Of the at
tacks made on him since the captain had
testified, saying that the DreyfusarL
press had been calling him false wit.
ness etc.
The general declared that he gave an
order in 1924 that nothing should be doa4
with the various TRANSACTIONS OF the
Panizzardi dispatch. adding that he him.
self. was present when the packet Of SCI
cret papers for the c0urtmartial was made
up. ana 1t ala not contain the Panizzardi
dlspatc He had since questioned the
judges Of the cOurtmar;ial on the subject
pHA '-'i tiltii were 10 S~td.
that The dispa tches were not submitted 20
them. because their recollections were
now rather vague.
This statement Of General MERCER
evoked Il chorus Of disguised "Oh's'' from
the audience.
MERCER proceeded TO call attention
10 contradictions i'll Captain Frey
stactter's statements reading an old
letter from the captain to a friend in
which h. declared that his mind was
made up in 1894 before he saw the
secret dossier and another letter from
an officer who was with Freystaetter
in Madagascar when the writer assert
ed that Captain Freystaetter talked Of
the courtmartial of 1894 but never men
toned the PanizZardi dispatch.
After this General MERCER brought
up two bads points in Captain Frey
Staetter'S career. When in Madagas-
car he was guilty OF an act of disobedi-
ance 10 his chief and he also executed
- natives. ''
This assertion caused a certain i'm
preston in the audience and Colonel
Jouaust asked General Mercier to alb
stain from giving any further partcu-
lars.
The general added he firmly belieyed
Freystaetters was Il brave man but he
thought the two acts referred to show
I'd he could not be entirely trusted.
He asked the judges not to allow the
captains evidence to shake their conf
dence in his own dispositions. but to
lend him the same credence as though
the Freystaetter incident had never
occurred
After the decision Of the court refusing
to examine the attaches 10y commission
had been determined. reports relating to
the experts examination Of the paper OF
the borlercau were read.
Then NJ. Labori complained of the abb
sence or CcrnuSchi. who sent a letter to
colonel Jouaust saying he was indisposci
lnd confined TO the house. Counsel said
he wished To question this witness AMI
asked that certain letters be submitted 10
he court, showing that Cernuschi was
the subject Of mental arrangement ana
setting forth other facts untavorable to
him.
General Roget, Captain Cuignet. Colonel
Picquart General Mercier and Major
Hartman were then allowed to make
lew explanations of the evidence affecting
hem.
Major Carriere was then called upon to
deliver the final speech for the prosecu-
lion, which lasted only an hour and =
quarter ana which was generally charac.
terized as one of the weakest and mos:
ridiculous orations ever heard in a court
Of law.
His absurd arguments, Colored by his
srotesdue mannerisms evoked outbursts
Of derlsive laughter. He said he consil
cred it 10 be established that Dreyfus
wrote the bordereau. He thought the
phrase concerning the covering of troops
were Very significant and pointed gu.
that Dreyfus could have obtained the
firing manual with very little difficulty
Moreover, the major argued. Esterhazv
could not say in August that he was 20
.ns to the manoeuvres. while Dreyfus
could have thought SO up To Aug 2S
The government commissary affirmed
that he. himself. noticed the alteration in
Drcyfus' handwriting since 1884, in letters
which he had written from Devils island
The major referred to the completely
OF the prisoners character and pro-
eeeded to dilate upon the mpartiality