Evening star., 1899-09-09

| that only a belief? Is not 1t rather GER
| tainty? Well, gentlemen. have shown yo'
Dreyfus could not have written that Or
the contrary. Esterhazy's regiment was al
the maneuvers regarding which informa
ton was supplied. Was Esterhazy there
/ do not know. But what is certain is thai
Dreyfus, if he was the author of the Dor.
dereau. could not have written at the enc
of August 1 am going to the maneuvers
since he knew the probationerS We're moi
going. / think l have shown that when al
the points of the accusation are examined
they vanish. So much for the technca
value of the bordereau.
Il have argued foot by foot with my hon.
orable friends the other side and
have shown the fa!lacy of the mental pro-
ces; whereby they reached the point that
they were able to affirm on their soul and
conscience that Dreyfus was guilty.
might therefore say with pride that 1 have
demolished the case of the prosecution. But
| am not entitled to do So | merely say
To the court: Be careful You must be
certain. and before you can say Dreyfus
Is guilty you must. on your souls and con-
sciences. be able to declare that there is
no doubt that no one but he had the docu-
ments enumerated in the bordereau. But
you do not know what the documents are.
That is my last word on this portion of the
case / have now to deal with the material
evidence
After the usual brief adjournment of the
court. NJ. Demange resumed his speech for
the defense. He dssected the handwriting
evidence and reminded the court of the
groans with which NJ. Scheurer- Kestner
was greeted when he displayed the hand
writing of EsterhaZy in the tribune of the
senate.
rs that all you have?' disdainfully ask
ed the senators. Today the prosecution has
no more.
Did Not Understand BertillOn.
NJ. Demange said he did not understand
NJ. Bertlon's conclusions.
He produced in court a monumental
work. said the lawyer. But 1 am con-
vinced. and hope to prove, that NJ. Ber-
the justice of saying that when the project
Of police applied to NJ. Bertillon he appeal
ed to a man of genius. who, by the crea-
ton of the anthropometric department,
conferred upon society am inestimable bene-
lit. Still. l can also say, you have fallen
into error which may be fatal to an inno-
cent man
Proceeding, NJ. Demange demolished NJ.
Bertilon's theories. dealing at great length
with the different contentious, admitting
that some of them might content certain
scientific minds. But, he added, it must
not be forgotten that genius had danger
Gus neighbor. 1t did not do to have too
much genius, and NJ BertillonS work was
The declarations of NJ. Bertillon himself
showed that the experts had not proved the
guilt of Dreyfus. If the handwriting of the
bordereau was disguised. how could Drey-
fus' exclamation This handwriting has a
frightful resemblance to mine De eX-
planned.
Counsel said he was convinced the bor-
dereau was written in his natural hand
by E,sterhaZy. The paper on which 1t was
written also condemned Esterhazy.
After reverting briefly to the charges IN
connection with the robin she'll NJ. De-
mango protested against General Mercier's
refusal TO discuss motives. as being merely
psychological question, while 1t was in
reality a question of common sense. There
was an entire lack of motive in the case
of Dreyfus, while there was every motive
upon the part of EsterhaZy. Dreyfus was
rich and happy: he had two children who
were his pride and joy. and wife of whose
devoted courage all We're aware-every-
thing a man could desire. Why should he
have risked all that?
Conviction of IN Honest Heart.
Believe me- added NJ. Demange. my
conviction comes from an honest heart. |
am convinced that the judges with the
doubt which will remain in their minds,
will find it impossible to declare their pris-
Oner guilty, for they will rather turn their
eyes to the men hiding on the other SIDE
of the channel ask you once more
whether the noble, dignfiei bearing of the
prisoner since 1891 is not that of an honest
loyal soldier?'
After This. NJ. Demange with his voice
broken with emotion. tears streaming down
his face. and hands trembling, concluded
his brilliant flight of oratory.
All. gentlemen, said he, II must now
close. in order TO restore YOU to your we'll
earned rer0se, for l have now been ad-
dressing You for two days. But there is
one th.ng which detainS me. When ! have
finished The last word of the defense will
have been said and you will go to your
private room to consider your verdict.
once there, what are you going to ask
yourselves? If DreyfuS is innocent? That
is NOT the point. But is he guilty? Ask
yourself. Are We going to say he sent
these documents, when we do not even
know what they contain? And when you
say TO yourselves after having heard that
the defense is powerless to throw COM
plete light on the matter but, speaking
from sincere. honest conviction, We Go
not know what he sent; another may have
given these documents, but he-no no
There were things he could not have given
) When you say to yourselves, further
that this writing is not his, when you say
20 yourselves there IS over there on the
other side of the channel a man of whom
we have TO say. 1t is he
Doubt Means AeeuittaI
r"Wili there not be, gentlemen a doubt r
your minds? That doubt will be sufficient
for me. That doubt will mean his acquittal
1t will not permit honest. logical con.
S'itliItS u SdS tiiIo man IS guilty. very
well; gentlemen. l ask only one thing, ant
that is that at this moment you cast one
more backward glance. Remember What
the prisoner was on Devils Island Reneln
Der how, for five years, this man. in spite
of the most horrible sufferings, notwith
standing the most cruel torture, was never
for single moment alone, a guard wit.
him night ana day; never allowed TO eX
change a syllable with a fellow reature
| am not speaking of the torture of his pe.
ing placed IN irons. l am speaking Of the