Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-17

lAdDCII was tNluSulty Tie ltSu1L VI q
plot. 4 Letter was sent to me commits
sary OF po.ice Monday morning warn
ing him il was intended 20 make an al
tempt upon the life OF Gen. MERCER.
Consequently the police and detectives
surrounded the general and left all 9th
er points unprotected.
The Trial Monday.
Rennes, Aug. 15.-When the court
opened Monday ex-President Casimir-
Pe1ier and Gen. MERCER, ex-secretary
of war, we're confronted. Gen. MERCER,
in reply 10 the president Of the court,
reiterated his belief that Maj. Count
Esterhazy, in spite Of the latter's own
declarat ton, was not the author Of the
bordereau, which, the witness claimed,
was written on tracing paper and was
found in an embassy.
The president asked NJ. Casimir-
Perier to explain the circumstances OF
the confession Dreyfus is alleged to
have made to Capt. Leburn-Renaulc.
NJ. Casimir-Perier persisted in his
statement Of Saturday, that he had
never received any condolences Of this
character from Capt. Lebrun Renault.
He added that NJ. Dupuy, the then
premier, was present when Capt. Le-
brun-Renault called at the Elysee pal
ace Moreover" said NJ. Casisnir-
Perier, here is a letter from NJ. Dupuy
which I ask may be read The letter
asserted that Capt. Lebrun-Renault
when questioned by NJ. Dupuy replied
that Gen MERCER had sent him to the
president to receive a dressing down
for his indiscreet disclosures to the
Figaro. Gen. MERCER here interpOsed
saying: Capt Lebrun-Renault spoke
to me in regard to the confessions II
the presence Of Gen. GOnse, who vii
testify thereto. 1t was then that
ordered him to go to the president o.
the republic"
Regarding Gen. Mercier's declara,
tons on Saturday last on the witness
stand, NJ. Casimir-Perier said: Gen
MERCER had no right whatever to inter
vene in a diplomatic conversation.
would have prevented such interior
ence 1t was I alone who conferred
with the minister and de-
clare that the impression
derived from that conversation
was one of complete calm otherwise
the incident would not have beer
closed by the framing Of a note. We
had no telegram from Berlin thai
evening. If there had been any news
in regard to the matter on the evening
of the sixth we should not have waited
until the eighth to publish the note
There was no dispatch addressed to {
friendly power relative to the incident
The incident has been magnifed. Be
sides, in the event Of diplomatic com
plications the president would have
communicated with the minister O.
| foreign affairs"
Gen. MERCER replied that he went tt
the Elysee palace as minister of war
He recalled that Gen. DeBoisdeffr'
could testify in regard to the orders re
ceiyed. NJ. Demange seized upon this
| declaration and insisted that Gen Mer
! cier repeat the statement that he hat
given orders to Gen. BOisdeffre on thu
sixth relative to mobilization. M. Ca
! simir-Perier, resuming his testimony
said he did not reply to certain of Gen
Mercier's insinuatiOns. Il do not wisl
| to answer Them" said he. The cir
cumstances are too sad and too tragi
| for me to desire to enven0m the dis
cussion. | am master of myself AM
of my conscience. l would only stat,
| that Gen. MERCER has made every eff
| fort to mix me as deeply as possible il
this affair. But | have remained alOOf
| affirm, during the progress Of the in
yeStigatiOn." The former presiden
then complained of the incorrect be
! havior Of his subordinate toward thu
chief of the state. LAS an instance,
said M CasimirPe Gen. Mer
! service of $4,000 men without consult
! ing the chief of the state, thus lackinE
| in the respect he owed to the chief 0
the state NJ. Casimir- Perier mex
protested against the assertions made
! by Gen. MERCER in regard to the rolt
adopted by the chief of the state il
| this affair, whereupon the general in
| terjected that he had spoken OF the at
| titude assumed by VI. CaSimir-P arie1
because he had sworn to tell the whole
| truth.
M. Demange asked Gen. MERCER i
ne had explained to the cabinet how
he reconciled the relations O.
|
triotic emotion aroused by the
treason with the communication
of the secret documents to the cour
martial. The general repeated HI.
statement of Saturday as his hypothe
sis Of the situation. NJ. Demange askeJ
NJ. Casimir-Perier if, on the sixth. al
understanding had not been reached
between France and Germany on the
subject Of Dreyfus
NJ. Casimir-Perier replied that before
his interview with the minister on The
sixth the question Of Dreyfus had neve!
been raised between them and Ger.
| many. NJ. Demange asked Gen. Mer.
cier why he had not included in the
dossier of 1894 the doubtful translation
of the telegram of Agent "B" to his
| government, under the date of Nov. 2
In reply Gen. MERCER said not one OF
the TRANSACTIONS of the telegram was
communicated to the judges because
there still existed doubts in his mind
NJ. Demange remarked that the tele-
gram was communicated to Sandher1
as official and therefore doubts were
impossible.
Gen. Billot, former minister Of war
was the next witness. He referred "a