The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-01
SOLACE OF TEARS.
commune from FIrst PAGE. }

squadron, to proceed to the Cherche-
Midi prison and take charge of Drey-
rus, who was to be degraded at 9 o'clock
at one of the court yards of the military
school. Starting at Tbs, 1 arrived at the
place indicated at 7.45. The office OF
the garrison adjutant was pointed out
to me as the place to keep the prisoner
until the hour of the degradation pa
rade. He began to protest his innocence
and to say that, with considerable
means at his disposal and a bright fu-
ture in store for him, he could have
no motive for being guilty of treason.
He said: I am innocent. In three
years my Innocence will be acknowl-
edged. The minister knows 1T well. He
told Du Patty de Clam to tell me so,
some days ago, in my cell. He knows
that if l communicated documents to
Germany they were of no Importance,
and it was to obtain more serious and
more important documents
The witness added that Capt. Dattel
was present when the settlement was
made. Continuing, Capt. Lebrun- Re-
nault said that as soon as four artillery
men, commanded by q. corporal, came to
take the prisoner to the court yard for
the ceremony of degradation, he fthe
witness) left the office and was imme-
diately surrounded by several officers,
to whom he repeated Dreyfus' remarks
He also repeated them at the captains
mess of the Republican Guard.
Referring TO articles in the newspa-
pers in regard to the confession. Capt.
Lebrun- Renault said: Gen. Mereier
said to me: Go to the Elysee and repeat
to the president of the republic what
YOU have told me.
heard some one making remarks about
me in very discourteous. terms. NJ. Du-
puy usfered me before The president,
who said: You have had relations
with journalists, and have been indis-
Greet Certain articles have appeared
in the newspapers.
Il replied that perhaps Journalists
were among the persons I had seen, but
/ said had not spoken directly to jour
nalists. No mention was made of the
confession, and l left, after having re-
ceiyed a lecture from the president NJ.
| Dupuy took me into another room and
drew up semi official Anute to the eff
feet that / had no relations with tile
| press
M. Demange asked--"How could the
witness detect confessions in a sentence
containing the words, Il am innocent
in three years my innocence will be ac-
! knewledged 2 /"
| Capt Lebrun- Renault-"It is not for
me to reconcile the inconsistencies of a
sentence in which the material fact
| that the documents had been communi-
Gated was admitted. 1t is not for me
| to give an explanation. 1t is for Drey-
fus and the defence to explain. heard
| this sentence. l was only a kind OF
photograph, and 1 repeated it without
| commentary"
M. Labor asked: why did the wit
ness keep the leaf of his pocketbook
with the note of the confessions fol
4 years? The witness seems to say that
| 1t was mere chance. / am surprised
that the witness destroyed it just the
day after it was mentioned in the
chamber of deputies"
To this Capt. Lebrun- Renault f%plied
that at that time he considered that the
document he possessed was authen-
ticated by the copy made of it by NJ
| Cavaignac the day before it was de-
stroyed.
M. Labori-"The court will draw its
own conclusions Who was the official
who made abusive remarks about you
at the Elysee?'
Capt. Lebrun- Renault2'I have nc
idea"
AT this time M. Labor said he was
much surprised that the witness had
not referred to this abuse before th5
| court of cessation.
Asked ii he had anything to say
/ Dreyfus declared that when he was al
the military school ON the day of his
| degradation Capt. Lebrun- Renault did
not leave him.. 1T is possible con-
| cluded the prisoner, that Capt Datfel
l can assert after a five years interval
no other officer but Capt. Lebrun-Re-
nault entered the room in which was
| Replying to Col Jouaust, Capt. Lebrun-
| Renault reiterated that Capt. Dattel
| entered the room and remained there
| five minutes
"Allow me-" continued Dreyfus, ito
express tine emotion and surprise / feel
| today, after five years, when / see a
| witness who, hearing such words, be-
! ginning with a protest of innocence,
reported them to his chiefs without
asking the most concerned person for
an explanation of them These are pro-
| ceedingS Iii the face of which all honest
| people can only express Indignation"
Capt. Anthoine, who was present at
the degradation of Dreyfus, testified
, that on leaving the parade ground he
met Capt. Dattel who informed him
! that Dreyfus had made remarks in his
presence, the meaning of which, to his
mind, clearly was: First, formal con-
fession that he had delivered the docu-
| ments; second, an allegation that the
documents We're unimportant; third,
that the prisoners object was to OBJ
tain more important documents in ex-
change.
Capt. Lebrun-Renault, recalled, adj
mitted that Capt. Dattel did not speak
to the prisoner, but as Dattel was in
the room, which was very small, he
certainly heard the words uttered by
Dreyfus."
Dreyfus, replying to the statement OF
one of the phrases in the alleged con-
fession, declared he had never said his
trial would be revised in three years.
Il do not understand these Words
said the prisoner. Il should be- very
grateful to you, my colonel if, In the
interest Of truth, you would make pub.