The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-05
CLAIMS PROOF OF GUILT
Cernuschi, an Alleged Refugee, Claims To
Have Seen Evidences of Prisoners
Treason-May Involve Taking of
Diplomatic Testimony Efforts
To Suppress Documents.

Renpes, Sept. 4-As the end of the
DreyfJs court-martial trial comes
within sight, the French government is
beginning to display fear that the
verdict may give rise to troubles, and
orders have just been received by two
regiments of infantry and one cavalry
regiment, already within hail of
Rennes, to hold themselves in readiness
to march on the town at the first sign
of disorder, to occupy all strategical
points and to repress manifestations in
their inception.
The local anti Dreyfusard organiza-
lions, by their anti-foregn articles,
have already signalled out foreigners
as enemies to their cause. Today's
session opened rather badly for Capt.
Dreyfus, as a surprise was sprung upon
the defense in the advent of a new wit
ness, M. Cernuschi who came out with
| a fiat-footed denunciation of the ac-
cused, which, even though it may even
tually be proved false tale, tended to
| exercise a malign influence upon the
prisoner.
| Cernuschis appearance is undeniably
| a mystery. Nobody eve suspects that
| he is what he claims Ia scion of
| royal blood. On the 1Jntrary, one
would take him to be a groom dressed
! in his best Sunday clothes. 1t was re-
marked that as soon as he had deliv-
cred his testimony and NJ Labori had
asked to have him put on oath behind
| closed doors in order that he might
be punished, if guilty of perjury, he
left the court room and was not seen
again.
Cernuschi's testimony, which was in
the form of letter to the president of
the court-martial, Col. Jouaust, was
most unique. He claimed that, on three
distinct occasions, twice in France and
once in Geneva, he was told by high
place foreign official that Dreyfus had
communicated reasonable documents
to foreign power. In the third in
stance. Cernuschi said that the officer
showed him documents emanating from
Dreyfus, and that this officer left
France hurriedly two days prior to the
arrest of Capt. Dreyfus The allusion
was evidently to Col. Schwartzkoppen
Of the German embassy in Paris in
1894, whose movements were coincident
with those described as the movements
of the officer in Cernuschis deposition.
Now this evidence is of transcendept
Importance to the prosecution, and it is
incredible, unless Cernuschi is proved
to be humbug, that the government
commissary, Major Carriere, should
have admitted that he had received "a
letter from him, offering important
testimony and thrown it aside on the
ground of it's coming from a political
refugee. The deposition evoked ex-
pressions Of incredulity.
One suspicious feature was the fact
that, although the witness said he
could not speak French fluently, his
letter to Col. Jouaust, asking an OPP
portunity to testify, was drawn in per-
feet French. He explained that he had
been assisted by his wife in writing
the letter.
This introduction of a witness for the
prosecution gave NJ Labori an OPP
portunity to submit the most important
request he has made throughout the
trial, a request, which if granted by
Col. Jouaust though it is extremely
doubtful, would certainly have mo-
mentous consequences. Labor an
nounced his intention, in view of the
step taken by the prosecution, of CALI
ing on foreign evidence to ask that in
quiry should be made through the reg
ular diplomatic channels as to whether
the documents mentioned in the Dor
dereau were actually communicated,
and If so, by whom. This involves an
application to the German government,
WHICH the court IldTlldl 10
liable to approve. In any case the APP
plication means the frightening of the
trial for several eeks.
The Introduction of Cernuschis
evidence, it is generally predicted, i'm
plies another fortnight's sitting at
least.
Cernuschi will be heard tomorrow be-
hind closed doors. At the same time
there will probably be an examination
of the secret dossier, TO which Cuignet
referred this morning, and which M.
Labori Immediately asked to have pro-
duced in court. THIS dossier consists of
twelve or fourteen documents, and 1t is
difficult to see why if they had any
value the etat major have not had
them produced earlier The etat major
are not in the habit of holding back
documents likely to prove of the slight
est use to their cause.
AS is shown in the case of the note
concerning M. Hadamard's doubts OF
the innocence of his cousin, which was
incorrect but was nevertheless includ-
ed in the secret dossier while the inn
portant document stating on the auth
GRITTY of the French minister in Rome
that an Italian attache gave Esterhazy
&c, 900 francs. was studiously omitted
from the secret dossier. 1t is perfectly
evident that the Italian attache did not
pay Esterhazy such sum for his beau
tiful eyes, and the document was the
best evidence that Esterhazy is the
traitcr. Nevertheless, the etat major
carefully kept 1t out of view.
Nj PainieVe the distin ollisher m the-