The times., 1899-08-30

duQ 70 LIE OEi man
Embassy and the man sitting there 6ndi-
eating Dreyfus) does not answer to that de-
scr1ption. am convinced today that Drey-
fus Is an innocent man" Major Lauth
and General Roget violently traversed some
points CT Colonel Cordier's testimony, but
without important results. Lauth, for in
stance. accused cordier OF having been an
anti-Semite IN 1s9z.
'.Yes." retorted the witness. Il was and
am still / object to Israeiite officers. But
] never went so far as to bring false evil
dence against a Jew. am an anti-Semite,
but / am also an honest man"
General Roget Becomes Excited.
General Roget. under pretence OF replying
10 Colonel Cordier, made a series of at
tacks upon Captain Freystaetter, Colonel
Picquart. and others There was hot
fire OF personalities for three-quarters of
an hour. sometimes savage, sometimes lu-
dicrous but seldom touching such for
gotten issue as the prisoners guilt or in
nocence The judges were as strangely
lenient as ever to anyone wearing gen.
erals uniform. They made no attempt to
curb General Roget. who from the first has
usurped the functions OF Major Carriere,
the prosecutor.
General Roget demanded that Colonel
Cordier specify the details wherein he al
legged that his CRoget's) deposition was
false.
.-oh, it's all false was Cordier's cheer
full reply, amid the laughter Of the audi
ence
The angry general bacame red and
then white. and was scarcely able TO re-
tain his self-possession- He realized,
however, that he was helpless 10 turn the
scene from farce to tragedy, so he start
ed of on a venomous attack upon some
body else.
n. Gribelin tried. in his turn, to de-
fend what he called his honor but Colo
mel Jouaust. the president of the court
martial. suppressed him in short order.
Colonel Fleur, who did not like Colonel
Cordier's reflection upon the moral value
OF his evidence, attempted 10 discuss the
question Colonel Jouaust sharply told
him that it was not his function to weigh
the evidence.
General Mercier volunteered to corrobo-
rate the testimony of Colonel Cordier OF
the point that neither the Dreyfus family
nor others had attempted to bribe Colons
Sandherr. AT this point a recess wa:
taken
General De Freycinet. former Minister o
War. was called TO the stand when the cour
reasssmbled He was distinctly disappoint.
ing He crept in like the little white nous.
be so often suggests. got TO the witnes!
chair. squaaked feebly-there is no othel
word 10 describe it-a few times, and re-
tired with quaint little bows TO the eouri
and the counsel. Really De Freycinet ha:
become more spirit than substance in tbs
past few months. He looks like a white
mummy in which some miracle still keeps
the spark Of life.
General Msrcier quoted General Freycine
as saying that an Anglo-German syndicat.
had supplied 80 000, 900 francs for a cam
paigH in behalf Of Dreyfus.
Maitre Demange for the defence asked
the witness his authority for this assertion
Those who were near enough TO hear hin
say that the reply was: When l left tbs
Ministry of War in the last Dupuy Cabine
] received about hundred visits, among
my visitors being NJ. lamont. I may hayI
said TO N. lamont that our agents report
ed TO the Government that large sums wer
being sent from abroad for the purposes O
a Dreyfus campaign. Possibly ] may hav,
mentioned 50, ,000, 600 francs" and then tht
fragile figure in the witness box became
IL ,,f 2 h.
country. begged Frenehmen TO pause be.
fore they destroyed the discipline of the ar.
my. and besought France 10 accept withou
question the decision of the Rennes court
martial
The Courtroom Startled.
Colonel Jouaust surprised everybody b.
suddenly asking General De Freycine
the direct question: What do you know
of the facts in this case?'
The courtroom became hushed and ev
eryone became intent to catch the respons
10 this blunt demand for the truth.
1t is impossible to describe the disap
pointment and evaporation over the Ole
old reply which has been made time afte
time for fve years. The phrasing. how
ever. was little different. The witnes
said. Il don't wish 10 reply to the questio
because the Cabinet Of which am a mem
Der decided upon revision OF this affair
The members Of that Cabinet reached thi
decision by agreeing at the same time I
subordinate individual opinions and con
victions as TO the merits Of the cas-
Therefore. cut of respect TO my colleague
Of the Dupuy ministry, l cannot answer.
Maitre Labor tried 10 cross-examine Gel
de Freyeinet about the syndicate The wit
ness acknowledged that he did not know
single instance Of money having been use
in Dreyfus' behalf
Colonel Jouaust refused 10 let the couns,
for the defence put further questions TO ii
witness. MAitre Labori argued that the d
Freycinet syndicate story left the grave
imputation upon the whole Court Of Casss
rion and upon prominent men like !
Scheurer- -Kestner. General de Freycinet II
terrupted: N. Scheurer- -Kestner is n
friend. have the profoundest respect (,
him. He IS incapable OF dishonest or Gu
pable act"
Following Up TechnIcaIities.
N. Labori thanked the witness. and aft
another little plea not to expose France
the danger Of war by a disclosure Of Il
secret dossier. de Freycinet retired.
n CALI was the next witness. He w
called evidently 10 tell how violent Colon
cordier was against Dreyfus and all Jel
in 1894. The only result was that the tg
men got into aicuszion OF the platforr