The record-union., 1899-09-09
Dreyfus listened to M. Demange with

mange'S plea in his behalf he care
fully concealed them.
At IL o'clock M Demange was still
speaking, and he announced that he
would need another two hours and a
half to finish his plea, so the court
adjourned until Z 80 o'clock to-mor-
row. The fact that NJ. Labori is to
speak, and that maybe the Government
representative, Major Carriere, will re-
ply, makes it practically certain that
the verdict will not be given before
Monday
The general impression was formed
that the speech of M. Demange must
have had a certain effect on the Judges.
1t was strong effort argumentatively.
There was a rurnor after the ad
journment of the court that M Labori
| had decided not to speak, the idea be-
ing that his abstention from so doing,
| in view of the irritating effect his every
utterance has on the Court, would be
rather an advantage than otherwise to
| DreyfuS
NJ. Labori was asked if there was any
| truth in the report, and he replied with
shrug of his shoulders, apparently
conveying the impression that the mat
|
| 1t was generally noticed to-day that
when M. Labori entered the court this
morning he spoke to M. Demange in a
| deprecating tone, and sharp discus
! sion ensued, almost bordering on a dis
| pute. The same thing occurred during
| the usual brief suspension of the Sit
| ting. The two lawyers, apparently,
were at loggerheads about the best
method of conducting the case, which,
| it was said, boded no good for Drey-
| fus
| Great interest has been aroused here
! by the arrival of Max Regis, the former
Mayor of Algiers, and a notorious Jew
| batter. He was attended by couple
| of AlgerianS in native costume, and a
crowd of people followed him about.
| He stopped to take some refreshment
at the principal cafe, and the place was
| Immediately invaded by gaping
! crowd. NJ. Regis was present in the
| courtyard of the Lycee, and discussed
| the situation with the leading anti
| Dreyfusards. His presence is not a
/ good omen for the peace of the town.
| The local papers to-day publish an
| open letter from NJ. Regis to the Pre-
mier, M. Waldeck- Rousseau, declaring
| that he, NJ. Regis, intends to preserve
| the greatest calm, but adding that if
any attempt is made to arrest him, he
will resist.
A detailed report of the proceedings
follows:
| Amid intense silence and holding the
| keenest attention of the audience, NJ
! Demange shortly after the opening of
the proceedings of the Dreyfus court
martial to-day, rose to make the speech
| for the defense, his opening remark
seemed to meet with approval.
However solemn the occasion may
| be-, he declared, Il must at the outset
| protest with all my soul against the
! allegation which one of the witnesses
| did not shrink from uttering. This wit
ness did not hesitate to declare that
whoever advocated the revision of this
case-that is to say, whoever believed
| in the innocence of Dreyfus-was work
IS against the army and against the
| country. | here declare that he does
not know me, and that he does not
know Maitre Labori Neither NJ. La
| bori nor myself would be here, if these
| statements were true. Let me tell YOU
simply this:
The day on which, amid the shock of
! furious political passions, / saw let
| loose over the country this tempest of
madness, when I saw everything l had
| learned to revere and love since child
/ mood 1mperilled, l, a Frenchanm the
/ son OF a soldier, endured every torture
| When L turn my eyes towards DEVILS
/ Island, where was buried alive one
who from the bottom of my heart / be-
lieved to be a martyr, began to won
| der If divine justice had not abandoned
| him. Since then 1 have recovered. I
have hearkened to the voice of my con-
| science and pursued an undertaking
| course free from anger and passion.
not needing hatred or prejudice. I
| have done my duty. You will do yours.
which is to mete out justice
| When the case of the revision began
| Dreyfus was a convict and serious pre-
sumptions of his innocence We're neces-
sary before the case could be taken I'D
| by the Court of Cessation To-day it is
for the Public Prosecutor to prove his
guilt Let no one blame us. therefore.
| if we have not proved the innocence of
our client. The task was not incum-
bent upon us. 1t is for the Government
Commissioner to show that he is guilty
| him"
NJ. Demange then protested against
the suggestion that it had been at
tempted to put Esterhazy on trial. ex-
planning that all the defense desired
was that the innocence of Dreyfus
should appear dazzling and complete.
and that the court-martial should pro-
claim it,
Counsel was satisfied that the Judges
OF 1894 We're honest like the present
Judges But If the former had seen
| Esterhazy's handwriting, they would
have pronounced different verdict.
Counsel then entered into details.
| dealing with the information collect
ed regarding the prisoner in 1894 He
said: THE only real information is
/ that found in the cries from his soul
Even before his conviction his first cry
was I will not take my life, because I
am innocent "
NJ. Demange dilated upon the pris-
oner's increasing protestations of in
nocence and his touching letters to
| his family, exclaiming: I'm them you
see his soul, which speaks Alone in
his tomb he communes with himself.
de cherished the hope of seeing his
| innocence acknowledged"
Among the letters of Dreyfus read
| by M. Demange was one in which.
after asserting his innocence and de-
| claring he always served the tri-color
with devotion and honor, the prisoner
| complained that he was treated on
| Devlfs Island like an ordinary convict