The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-19
COMPOUNDS THEM.
Picquart Resumes His
Strong Plea for
Dreyfus.
CONFRONTED WITH MERCER.
Schneider Letter a Great
Victory for the Drey-
fuses.
Copyright, 1899, by the Associated
Press.)


Press.)
Rennes, Aug. 4S.-A severe blow to
the military set it was when the
Schneider dispatch was made known at
o'clock this morning in the refectories
and the hotels. 1t was a source of
jubilation to the other side.
Gen. MERCER had greatly emphasized
its Importance when giving his evid-
enoe. His manner was victorious, as
he handed the alleged letter of Col.
Schneider to the court martial, to be
added to and filed with the other pa
pers connected with the trial. The
generals at Rennes have no standing
counsel TO advise them. They show
forensic ability in making speeches
when they ought to be giving evidence,
but they lack IaVyer-like prudence and
legal practice.
ANY advocate would have felt how
risky It was to dwell on such a docu-
ment as an intercepted letter from
military attac1fe, especially in view of
the forgeries with which the secret
dossier teemel. After all that had
transpired about the letters Of military
attaches to each other in 1894, the at
taches in self defense were bound to
discredit everything in the secret dos
siers. These letters were supported by
public reports. Were they puDlsheu,
the world would read them aShast. AS
at least 127 persons in all must nave
seen them, the authors, real or alleged,
would find themselves on the defensive
But these considerations never pre-
scented themselves to Gen. MERCER S
mind That he believed in the anthem
ITCHY of his document and pinned his
faith to it is now laughed at every
where His best friends call him
donkey, and his enemies rejoice.
Col PaniZzardi trumps Col Sehneid-
er's denial of his alleged letter by writ
ing and branding as a forgery the re-
port that Gen. Roget said he (Paniz-
zardD wrote to the late Signor Ress-
man. the Italian ambassador, regard
ing the relations OF Col SchWartzkop-
pen with Dreyfus.
Col Schneider sends his contradic-
ton to the Figaro from Ems, and Col.
Panizzardi makes use of that paper in
telegraphing from Rome to give the lie
to the whole of Roget's statement, so
far as it dealt with the alleged report
to Ressman The Figaro Immediately
telegraphed both communications to
Rennes, where they were posted in the
hotels for the edidcation of the pa
irons.
The Austrian and Italian embassies
attest the genuineness of the Schneider
and Panizzardi dispatches. Mercier
feels that he has thrown the fat into
the fire, and he looked depressed and
out of countenance today. So did Ro-
get, who is a stronger man, notWith-
standing the tears he shed at the close
Of his deposition yesterday. But both
were tired and pale throughout the
tiresome humiliation.
General MERCER had laid aside his
fine uniform and wore this morning a
shabby alpaca suit He looked a
wretched creature without his fine be-
longings. Roget, however, came with
all his gold lace and plumes.
Col. Picquart was allowed to sit in an
arm chair with which the generals had
been successfully accommodated. Pic
quarts figure is younger than his face.
He is clean built, 1.-THE, tall, graceful
and more the figure of tall circus wo-
man than of man, though he is quite
manly in his appearance, bearing and
address His voice is pleasant, indeed
naelodious and sonorous. His diction
is good the emphasis never too en-
phatic and the gesticulation seldom
overdone. He gives the impression of
one who goes in for the soberest I'M
adorned. His strange face is not I'M
pleasing. The aquiline nose is far too
long. The eyes are blue and of poetic
expression, but the heavy, dropping lids
give them a triangular shape. The
prevailing expression Of his counte-
nance is sad. Still, it shows mental
serenity.
His defects are diffuseness. too great
facility and a drawn-out style. He
Goes not force conviction in swift,
strong flashes. He is not graphic and
never goes direct to the root of mat
ter But he is not tedious. The beau
tiful voice saves him from that 1t
makes the listener patiently follow him
through the mazes of arguments, de-
auction and demonstration. His ar
rangement of arguments is cumulative.
The presiding judge rubbed him often
against the grain, and often begged him
not to be diffuse, not to speak so much
about his own concerns, but to keen
to the Dreyfus affair. Picquart respect
fully accepted these reproofs, saying
that he only spoke Of his own concerns
in order to vindicate his character and
to prove himself creditable witness.
He spent two hours yesterday and -four
today in giving evidence and rems -
the guardian angel of Dreyfus sta s.
ing between him and the impfacable AZ
emies who sit on the front seat of ha
witnesses.
In this row are Gems. MERCER and RI.
get, and many field officers, who ara
still unheard How bitterly and
ingly they eyed Picquart today! sem.
Billot, however, did not appa emily
share in their ferocious feelings Tie
seemed unruffled by Picquarts eeafo-
ments Billot was on the staff of Ea
zaine in Mexico, and escaped froU
Metz He is born politician, and IS
always guided by the instinct self.
preservation. But he is not 1ai
man. He took from Metz 10 Tours 10
1870, a commission as colonel which
Marshal Bazaine had signed. showed it
to Gambetta and then tore it u Gail-
BETA at once confirmed 1t and heu no.
NOTED him peg higher.
He is a type of the old re wee sr-
geant one might see playing carls "A a
provincial cafe, with a pipe al5 lass
Of absinthe. Those who do ro, kllow
his history are amazed to thina be was
thrice a minister Of war and is life
senator
The Dreyfusites greatly fe or Pic
quarts life. The stalwarts among them
now guard him. He looks 4 dau with
an unpropitious star and he haa always