Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-08-13

motive of Dreyfus' treason was that
Dreyfus had
| NO FEELING OF PATRIOTISM
This cruel utteranee brought forth
| Kisses from the audience, whose blood
had been sent UP to fever heat by the
| witness savage attack on Dreyfus.
General MERCER, not needing the
Kisses, terminated with remarking:
eff the least doubt crossed my mind,
gentlemen, | would be the first to de-
clare it to you and say before you
and Captain Dreyfus, l am mistaken,
but in good faith"
Then Dreyfus electrified his hearers.
He jumped to his feet as though the
words had galvanized him into new
life. and shouted, with a voice that re-
sounded through the hall like a trum
pet note:
"You have lied, scoundrel!"
The audience burst into
A WILD CHEER.
whereupon the ushers called for 81
lence.
Gen. MERCER then stammered: Il
would come and say, Captain Dreyfus,
I was mistaken in good faith, and
come with the same good faith to ad-
nit, and l will do all in human power
to repair the frightful error
The prisoner then shouted: 'Why
don't YOU then? That is your duty"
At this there was another outburst Of
applause.
Gen. Mercier, after a pause, when
the excitement had partially Gained,
said: well, no. My conviction since
1884 has not suffered the slightest
weakening. 1t is fortified by the deep
est study of the dossier and also by
the inanity of the means resorted to
for the purpose of proving the innocence
of the condemned man of 1894, in spite
| of the evidence accumulated and in
spite of the millions Of money ex-
pended"
Colonel Jouaust then said: Have you
| finished?"
Gen. MERCER replied: Eyes"
Col. Jouaust then announced that the
sessions Of the courtmartial would be
resumed Monday morning.
NJ. Casimir-Perier thereupon rose
and said: after the deposition OF Gen.
MERCER I shall ask the court to hear
| me, and I would prefer it to be in con-
formation with him."
This announcement
CAUSED A SENSATION.
Then followed a thrilling demonstra-
ton against Gen. MERCER. AS he turn
ed to leave the court the audience rose
en- masse and Kissed and cursed Elm.
Those at the back of the court stand
| ing on chairs and benches III order TO
better hound him down. The gem
darmes placed themselves between the
general and the audience which showed
strong disposition to maltreat the form-
er minister of war.
Gen. MERCER hurried out Of the court
room through side door. On emerg-
ing into the street the crowd outside
cheered the general and cried: "Vive
| PArmee."
"Ah," cried a spectator of the scene
in court, IF they had heard the human
monster speak they would not cheer
him now"
One newspaper man in court was ar
rested for calling General MERCER as
he passed by him, a murderer. But
later on the man was released
Dreyfus was hurried out by gen.
darmes who Immediately cleared the
court room.
If Dreyfus is guilty he must possess
superhuman nerve, for he listened to
Gen. Mercier's pitiless arraignment this
morning, until he approached the end
I of his deposition with 5phinx-like rig
idity of features, but watching MERCER
like a cat watching mouse. No one
would have suspected the volcano with
in Dreyfus which burst forth when
human flesh and blood could stand it
no longer. The only sign of the fire
within which his heaving bosom and
the paFGhing of his lips and palate,
which he occasionally moistened with
his tongue.
A casual observer might have missed
these indications and have imagined
that he was an image cut in stone,
with the eyes fixed on MERCER But
when at last his feelings obtained the
mastery and he sprang to his feet and
faced his accuser, man to man, one ap-
preciated the depth of his previously
surprised emotions and MERCER, who
startled, had jumped to his feet at the
ringing sound of Dreyfuss voice, from
the chair in which he was seated while
giving his evidence, recoiled before the
terrible look Dreyfus threw at him and
stood aghast, wondering whether the
prisoner was going to spring upon
him.
Col. Jouaust and other members of
the courtmartial in the meantime had
risen and seized the two men, while the
court rang with the cheers of the spec
tators.
Gen. MERCER, when he had finished
his testimony, according to general
opinion, had said really nothing and
had proved nothing. The overwhelm-
ing proofs he was to have thrown down
before the members of the courtmartial
like a bomb shell failed to appear and
he left court discredited. Though the
general was cheered by the crowd out
side the court. none of them had wit
messed the scene in court or listened TO
Merciers weak brief. Moreover the in
habitants Of Rennes have always been
anti-Dreyfus.
Counter shouts OF "Vive Republique"
| and "Vive La Justice was raised by
those leaving the court room, but the
gendarmes quickly cleared the streets
or both sides and dispersed the crowd
quietly.