The San Francisco call., 1899-08-25
IOUAUST TO HIS AID
Display Of Partially
That Bodies Ill for
the lie du Diable
Prisoner.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

~ ENNES, Aug. A.-To-d days ses-
- sion Of the Dreyfus court mar
tial was marked by one Of the
i I most exciting scenes of the trial.
The proceedings opened with a
skirmish entirely favorable to the de-
fense over Colonel Maurel, president of
the court-martial of 1894, who admitted
having read to the court one of the
secret documents which had not been
seen by the defense He protested that
only one document was looked at, al
leging that this sufficed to enable him
TO form a conviction that could not be
shaken.
This protest made matters worse, be-
cause, as NJ. Labor pointed out, if he
perused one II was his bound duty to
peruse all.
Colonel Jouaust upheld Colonel Maui
rel in his refusal to indicate the nature
of the document he read, but NJ. La
bori announced that he would summon
Captain Freystatter, another member
of the tribunal of 1894, and get his ver-
sion of what passed behind the backs
Of the counsel for the defense. Colonel
Maurel felt his position keenly and
continually hesitated before replying to
Labori's questions.
All this, however, was only prelimin-
ary to q fierce battle that ensued be-
tween NJ Labori and General Mercier
the latter receiving reinforcements
from General Roget, General Gonse
and General de Boisdeffre, as we'll as
invaluable assistance from Colonel
JouaUst himself
the whole ground of his previous depo-
sition. This led to several sharp pas
sages at arms between the advocate
and Colonel Jouaust, who upheld Mer-
cier in refusing to reply to several
questions which. in the general opinion
of those in the courtroom, were dis
tinctIy pertinent.
Whenever General MERCER was cor
nered he declined TO answer, and Col
Onel Jouaust invariably supported him.
NJ. Labori protested most energetically.
His words and manner breathed the
deepest Indignation, but the president
Of the court-martial was infiexible.
The Intervention of Generals Gonse,
Roget and De Boisdeffre and Major
Lauth. who in rapid succession
mounted the stage or arose in their
seats and interpOsed remarks, was very
exciting. and carried the spectators
along on a wave of breathlessness.
one after the other these officers, who
we're to-day in full uniform, would
lump up and cry Il demand to be
heard" and without further waiting
ascend the stairs of the platform and
begin a statement in support Of a
brother officer. Sometimes four officers
were on the stage at the same time.
1t was a marvellous display of military
clannishness. At one time a perfect
babel Of voices reigned for several min
utes. until Colonel Jouaust interviewed
and restored order.
N. Labori's ss-examination was
successful so far as it went, but Colo
mel Jouaust prevented him pressing
his advantage to the utmost. In fact.
Jouaust's hostile attitude toward the
counsel for the defense then and during
the cross examination of NJ. de Grand
nafsOn evoked the severest criticism
on the part of the public present and
bodes i'll for Dreyfus. Not only Colonel
Jouaust. but the other judges, dis
played considerable impatience during
Labori's scathing examination,
shifting restlessly in their seats and
drumming on the tables with the tips
IF their fingers