The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-13
MERCER QUA|LS BEFORE
HIS VICTIM, DREYFUS
Intensely Dramatic Scene Thrills the Spectators at
the COurtmartial at RenneS.
Witness Is Denounced On the Stand By the Prisoner Who
Is Cheered to the Echo

draft and the TRANSACTIONS. he said
they We're purely hypothetical. the
hrst draft only having two words,
captain Dreyfus." of which the trans
lators were really sure, the sense being
that Dreyfus had been arrested and
that he had no relations with Ger
MANY.
NJ. PaleOlogue of the French foreign
office was then called and disagreed
TO some of this witness statements.
But the net result of the two Witnesses
replies to NM. Labor and De Mango
was that never in translation was there
any question of relations with Ger.
nanv
Casimir-Perier On Stand.
M. Labor. on eliciting the foregoing.
showed evident satisfaction. The wit
ness rail was empty for a few mo-
ments, and then Colonel Jouaust said.
solemnly: Bring in the next Witness"
An infantry sergeant, seated beneath
! Major Carriere's desk, then walked to
the middle of the court. where, in a
| crimson arm chair. placed there for
| distinguished witnesses, sat Casimir-
Perier, formerly president of France.
/ The latter was conducted by the SOL
der and assembled the platform. He
was dressed in black frock coat, with
! the roSette of the Legion of Honor at
I his buttonhole. and light. check trous-
| ers. and carried a silk hat in his hand.
In response to the usual questions he
said:
! Il am 81 years of age. No profess
SION | was formerly president of the
republic
! Colonel Jouaust then asked: Ibid you
know the accused prior TO the acts OF
| which he is charged?"
| NJ. Casimir-P erier-No, monsieur la
president.
JOuaust-You were president of tho
republic at the time of the arrest OF
Captain Dreyfus. In this position you
were able to have many particulars
upon the circumstances and causes Of
his arrest. L beg you to kindly COM
municate them to the court
Will Tell All the Truth.
Casimir-P erier. in a loud voice, said:
| Monsieur lie President-You ask me 10
speak the truth and all the truth. I
have sworn to do it. 1 will speak with
out reticence, without reserve, in its
entirety. Whatever L may have said
in the past. whatever people may be-
! leve and say. which unfortunately is
not always the same thing. that alone
am aware of incidents and facts which
might throw Light and that I have not
hitherto said ALL justice ought 10 know
that it is false l will not leave this
place without saying all.
Il intend to do this. not because can
add anything useful to what l have al
ready said, but out of respect to my
conscience and the judges. and to take
the opinion of men of good faith. 1 will
not leave this place until 1 have left
an unalterable conviction that I know
nothing which might thrown light on
the case, and that / have said all I
know"
The former president then. in a loud
and distinct voice, repeated the evil
dence he had given before the court of
cessation. He leaned. while speaking.
against the witness rail. and referred to
bunch of papers which he held in his
hand The witness read the text Oe
the dispatch received by Count Nun
ster-Leydenburg. the German ambas-
sadOr at Paris. from Prince Hohen-
lohe. the German imperial chancellor,
which the former communicated 10 NJ.
Casimir-Perier. during a visit TO the
Elyssee palace. 1t ran:
Letter From Hohenlohe.
His majesty, the emperor. having
every confidence in the loyalty of the
president of the republic and the gov
eminent of the republic begs your ex-
cellency OF tell NJ. Caslmir-Perier that.
it is proved the German embassy was
never implicated in the Dreyfus affair.
His majesty hopes the government of
the republic will not hesitate TO declare
so. Without a formal declaration the
legend which here continues to spread
regarding the German embassy would
compromise the position Of the repre-
sentative of Germany.
''HOHENLOHE."
NJ. Casimir-Perie then recOunted how
he had expressed to the then premier
and minister of war his establishment
and Indignation at the interview which
W tot 10 E2r-,rY, Par, he
caro- on the subject of Dreyfus. The
witness then told of Colonel Picquart's
visit 10 the Elyssee at the time OF the
trial in 1894. informing him that NJ
Bertillion'S demonstration had little ef-
feet on the judges. He added:
Il received NJ. Bertillion Dec. IA and
10 at the instance of the minister of
war. who thought his demonstration
very curious. interesting and conclu-
sive, but l must confess said NJ. Cas-
imir- Perier, amid a general litter il
court, that 1 judged them different
ly." He added: "All that was done
and said among the ministers was done
without my knowledge"
The witness then related the facts in
connection with the futile effort of NJ.
Waldeck- Rousseau to prevent the first
court-martial in sitting behind closed
doors, and said he. the witness. had
never received any member of the
DreyfuS family.
Witness Grows Dramatic.
NJ. Casimir-Perier concluded this part
of his statement by raising his voice
and speaking very excitably, with say
ing:
For the honor of the chief magis-
tracy. which l occupied. for the honor
of the republic. will not allow it 10 be
said that had exchanged word with
a captain in the French army accused
of treason.
This statement caused applause in
court. which Colonel Jouaust speedily
threatening to clear the
hall if there was any repetition of it,
Many people in the court room
thought NJ Casimir-Perier was some
what theatrical in. this. utterance, as
he turned and delivered as much to the
audience as to the court The former
president ended his statement by say
ing:
Il affirm, before this tribunal of SOL
diers. that my resignation was not con-
nected with the diplomatic incident
Germany 1t pains me not
to be able to second the court in the
work of justice confided to it. for from
this place must emerge at last for the
sake of the country, reconciliation ana
peace / can do no more than tell the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but