The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-13


closed today's session of the Dreyfus
trial. General MERCER had spoken
nearly four hours in ruthless denun-
citation of Dreyfus, who had listened
unmoved until MERCER concluded by
saying that if he had not been con-
WINGED of the guilt of Dreyfus. and il
the latter's conviction had not been
fortified since 1894, he would admit he
had been mistaken.
Dreyfus jumped 10 his feet as though
the words had galvanized him into life
and shouted in a voice which reSounded
through the hall like a trumpet note:
That is what you ought to say"
The audience burst into wild cheer
whereupon the ushers called for silence.
When MERCER replied that he would
admit Dreyfus was innocent if there
was any doubt, the prisoner shouted
again:
why don't you, them"
Atthis there was another outburst of
applause.
I matically demanded to be co1frontec
with General MERCER in order to deny
some of his statements.
Mercier Is Kissed.
Colonel Jouaust ordered the court to
be adjourned until Monday at $50 a.
m, for the conformation, and as Mer-
cier turned to leave the court the au-
dience arose en- masse and Kissed and
cursed him, those at the back of the
court standing on chairs and benches
/ in order TO better hound him down.
| The gen. d'armes placed themselves
between the audience and the general.
who showed a strong disposition to
maltreat the. former minister of war
General MERCER hurried out of the
court room through a side door amid
fierce denunciations of the audience. On
/ going into the street the crowd outside
cheered him and cried: ''Vive rArmeei"
All" cried a spectator of the scene
! in court. IF they had heard the inhu-
man monster speak they would not
cheer him now
Opening of the Court
The curtain rose today on the same
theatre-like scene as Monday The
judges in uniform were seated on the
stage behind the dark, cloth-covered
table, on which. in a row, were theie
kepis with gay colored plumes and
heavy gold laced bands. Every seat
rim court was occupied, in expectation
of sensational scene.
There were more ladies present than
on Monday. The parsonage known as
Madame Blanche (the white LADY,, who
has attended every move in the Dreyfus
affair, was again present today, wear
ing superb set of pearls. But owing
to the expressed objections of Colonel
Jouaust she changed her conspicuous
place on the right behind him for a
more modest, but still noticeable. posi-
ton in the body of the hall.
There was a large sprinkIing of uni
forms among the audience. and a row
of soldiers, with fixed bayonets. was
again arranged at the bottom of the
hall and rendered hOnors in the Gus
tomary manner to the judges as the
latter entered or left the court.
The proceedings opened tamely. and
the hopes OF a sensational sitting began
to lag as the morning wore on. and
matters began to get tedious as NJ.
Casimir-Perier and General MERCER re-
iterated what is already known. But
this was only the calm before the
storm, and when the storm broke it
carried everyone in the court with it
into whirlpool of the widest excite
meRt.
Dreyfus, on entering the court room
today, saluted the president with the
same soldierly mien as on Monday last.
and the president. Colonel JouauSt, re-
turning the salute, said:
sit down. Dreyfus."
Prisoner Again Questioned.
The chair of the prisoner was placed
further to the right of the platform
today. Instead of facing the judges,
Dreyfus sat with his back to the table
of his counsel. thus looking across the
platform. straight at the rail at which
the witnesses. stood.
Colonel Jouaust. Immediately after
the court had settled down. opened the
proceedings by asking Dreyfus the fol-
lowing questions:
In January. 1885, the director of the
penitentiary of the Isle de Re. in the
course of duty, searched the clothes
you brought from the prison. He found
this document in an inside pocket of
your waistcoat."
The president here handed Dreyfus
a paper and said: DO YOU recognize
it as having belonged to you?''
Dreyfus-Yes, my colonel.
O-WhCse was it2 Anime.
OWL YOU tell me how and under
what circumstances this document
came into your possession? Alt is a
document used during my trial. in or
der to discuss the value of the Dor
dereaux wished to keep il.
Q-The military code gives you the
right to have copy of the document
in your case. This document. there
fore, was Iegitimately in your posses
sion. Why do you wish to keep it?
A-As a souvenir of the text of the
bordereaux.
Jouaust-That was not proper. and
therefore it was taken from you. /
merely wished TO elucidate this point.
That will do.
How Dreyfus Wept.
Colonel Jauaust then asked :. Major
Carriere If he had any observations TO
make in behalf of the government. The
major replied by asking to have DR..
Ranson's report On. Dreyfus read. which
the clerk of the court did
The report deals with the measures
of surveillance over Dreyfus adopted
during the voyage of the prisoner to
CAYENNE, and said among other things
that he was seen on board seated on a
stool and weeping-
NJ. De IL. Roche-Nernet, a secretary
attached to the French embassy at
Berlin was the next witness called. AL
though he was scared. there was no
hesitation in his reply. He said he
acted as the transmitting agent of the
ministry of war and ministry of for
eign affairs whenever they were en-
gagged in the translation of NJ. Pan
izardi,s speech, which was a very mi
mute and complicated matter. Several
drafts, he explained. were first made, /
and finally an official translation was
drawn up, which was the same as since
published.
questioned respectively regarding the