Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-08
Opens the Argument For
the DreyfuS Defense.
HE WILL BE CONDEMNED
That Is the Universal Opinion of the
People of RenneS--LabOri Has De-
cided not to Speak and Verdict
Will Be Rendered Tomorrow

Rennes. Sept. S.-The hall ofthe Lycee
was crowded this morning at the opening
of the Dreyfus trial. There was a large
attendance of ladies and newspaper writ
| ers who sat up all night in order to secure
front places.
Among the privileged spectators today
was Baron Russell, lord chief justice of
England.
Maitre Demange at once opened his
speech for the defense. In eloquent terms
and with impressive delivery he brought
out strong evidence against EsterhaZy.
During the course of his remarks he J!
cried:
do you think if Dreyfus and Ester
hazy had been before the court martial
of 94 that court would have condemned
Dreyfus?''
| AS he asked this question, counsel
pointed to the prisoner sitting by him and
added, NO.
| Dreyfus today appeared cheerful. He
smiled and shook hands with his counsel
on entering the court.
| The English chief justice followed the
speech of Demange with the closest at
! tention. The lawyer gave a very fine per-
formance SO far as the audience was con-
cerned. His voice was eXquisitely modu-
lated, sometimes soft and persuasive and
at other times sharply argumentative.
| Finally he filled the room with his stem.
| torian tones as he thundered with indig-
nation at the charges against Dreyfus
and the shameful weakness of the prose-
!
| Dreyfus listened to Demange with the
mask of impassiblity resembling his
! frozen attitude during the first days of
the trial. Whatever the prisoners feel
! ings We're as he followed Demange's pleas
! in his behalf. he carefully concealed
| them.
| At II o'clock Demange was still speak
ing and announced he would need anoth-
er two hours and half to finish his plea,
| so the court adjourned until 7:30 tomor-
row.
The fact that Labori is to speak and
that maybe the government representa-
tive, Major Carriere will reply makes it
practically certain that the verdict will
not be given before Monday.
The general impression was formed
that the speech of Demange must have
had certain effect on the Judges. It
was a strong effort argumentatively.
There was a rumor after the adjourn
ment of court that Labori had decided
not to speak, the idea being that his alb
stenton from SO doing, in view of the
irritating effect his every utterance has
on the court, would be rather a disad-
vantage than otherwise to Dreyfus.
a hoy
truth in the report, and he replied with
a shrug of his shoulders apparently con-
veying the impression that the matter
was under consideration.
1t was generally noticed that when La
borl entered the court this morning he
spoke to Demange in deprecating tone,
and sharp discussion ensued. almost
bordering on a dispute. The same thing
occurred during the usual brief suspen-
sion of the sitting. The two lawyers ap-
parently were at loggerheads about the
J best method of conducting the case,
which it was said boded no good for
Dreyfus.
Great interest has been aroused by the
arrival here Of Max Regis, former mayor
of Algiers and a notorious Jew batter
He was attended by couple of Algeria MS
] in native costume. and crowd of people
followed him about. He stopped to take
! some refreshment at the principal cafe
and the place was Immediately invaded
by a gaping crowd. Regis was present
in the court yard of the Lycee and dis
! cussed the situation with leading anti
! Dreyfusards. His presence is not good
! omen for the peace of the town.
Local papers today published an open
Letter from Regis to Premier NJ. Waldeck-
! Rosseau declaring that he. Regis. in
tends to preserve the greatest calm, but
! adding that if any attempt is made to
arrest him he will resist
4 The announcement was made this af-
ternoon that the verdict of The court mar
! tial would be rendered tomorrow Labori
foregoes the right to speak for the de-
fense. lest by doing SO he irritate the
judges and destroy the good effect hoped
for by the speech of Demange.
The court therefore will deliberate on
the conclusion of Demanges speech and
judgment will probably be delivered be-
fore noon.
u There is a nearly universal feeling this