The record-union., 1899-08-25

RENNES, Aug. 24.-When the fourth
session of the third week of the sec
ond trial by court-martial of Captain
Alfred Dreyfus, charged with treason,
opened at the Lycee here at $50 q.
m. to-day, Colonel Jouaust, President OF
the Court, ordered that the evidence
given by NJ. Penot, a friend of the late
Colonel Sandherr, Chief of the Intelli-
gence Department, be read by the
Clerk of the Court A friend of the late
Colonel Sandherr said the Dreyfus
family offered him 10000 francs or
condition that he would clear Drey-
fus.
M Demange, for The ~ dis
posed of the allegation by leading the
actual note written on the subject by
Colonel Sandherr, thereby proving that
the ColonePs remarks had been dis
torted, Dreyfus' brothers having only
said:
'We are convinced of the innocence
Of our brother and will spend our entire
fortune to discover the truth"
The testimony of the first witness of
the day, NJ Linolle, a former official of
the Government, was also in favor OF
Dreyfus, as it was an indirect contra
diction of what NJ. De Brieul deposed
yesterday regarding the actual init
macy of Dreyfus with the German at
tache at the house of M. Bodson, a
mutual friend.
The President of the Court then called
tn next witness, Colonel Maurel, vino
YVES President of the Dreyfus court
martial in 1894. Complete silence fell
upon the Court as the infantry Ser
geant, who was acting usher conducted
Maurel to the witness bar. The Colonel
was attired in a black frock coat, and
wore the red ribbon of the Legion OF
Honor in his buttonhole. His hair is
gray, and he has ragged, iron gray
mustache. His face showed anxiety
AS Nj. Labori lashed him with pointed
questions, the Colonel hesitated and
then answered in a. short, choppy man
ner, and when M. Labori finally dis
posed of him, the witness left the plat
form with the pale face and scared
look of a man who has awakened from
nigf tmare.
Counsel had drawn from the Colonel
a confession that the secret dossier was
communicated to the Judge of the
/ court-martial of 1894 by Major Du
Patty de Clam. This avowa1 produced
a sensation in court, and Maure1s
declaration that he only read one of the
documents did not affect the main fact
while his statement that the reading
of the document had no effect upon
him, as his mind was already made up
was nullified by his subsequent declar-
( L, i RI
to convince him.
M. Labori then put a series of search
ing questions to General MERCER with
reference to the communication of the
secret dossier for the court martial
/ and his attitude in 1894, and an inter
esting scene ensued.
The General refused to reply to al
the questions, and there were SHARP
passages at arms between counsel and
/ Colonel Jouaust, who upheld General
Mercier, while the dialogue between the
General and M. Labori became acri-
| monious. Counsel became very heat
! ed. and showed it in his voice and ges-
lures. The General however troubled
his mind might be, seldom departed
from the callous demeanor character
istic of him.
The lawyer made a strong point or
the part Esterhazy played. Mercier
said he did not know Esterhazy and
only saw him once. at the Zola trial.
THAT is very interesting" exclaimed
NJ. Labori, but surely General Merciel
was present at the Esterhazy trial?"
The General replied that he was moi
there and that he knew nothing about
the evidence in the Esterhazy prosecu-
/ ton.
What cried NJ Labor. Genera
/ Mercier, who was the chief accuser oi
! .Dreyfus, did not even follow the pro
ceedings in the Esterhazy trial?'
| A loud murmur of surprise and in
dignant comment came from the audi
ence, but Colonel Jouaust Immediately
/ suppressed it.
/ Counsel then brought General Mer
] cier to his assertion that 5000 00C
+ francs were spent by the defenders oi
Dreyfus, and asked the General to say
+ how he knew this, who spent it, and
/ other awkward questions, which he was
unable to answer.
! question as to how the bordereau
arrived at the offices of the General
/ Staff, its date, ETC., was then intro
/ duced, which led to a strange scene fo1
/ a court of law.
! General Roget on mounting the plat
1 form to give explanation was followed
] by General Boisdeffre, NJ. Griblin, Ma
/ jor Lauth and other military witnesses
! all holding up their hands, showing
! that they desired to speak, while al
/ the same time NJ Labor was firing
questions.
! The result was a perfect babel unit
] the President of the court could stand
it no longer, and when the Government
4 Commissary, Major Carriere, also in
! terpellated a few remarks, Colonel Jou-
aust turned to him and asked him tc
be quiet, remarking that the Judges
could not hear half a dozen people al
! the same time.
Meanwhile NJ Labori questioned Mer.
/ cier with reference to a document ir
! the secret dossier which it is affirmed
existed prior to 1894 and yet was moi
produced at the first court-martial OF
/ the prisoner.
The General confessed that he did no
know of its existence, and the same
statement was elected from Genera
! Gonse, who declared that Colonel Sand
herr was responsible for its non-pro-
4 duction. The replies were tantamoun1
to a confession that Colonel Sandherl
and Lieutenant Colonel Henry played
With the Minister of War, and ever
/ General Gonse, Assistant Chief of the
/ Headquarters Staff, the Chief of the
4 Intelligence Department keeping from
the two latter just what he pleased
Then NJ. Labori proceeded to take
| up the PaniZzardi diSnatch and to brine