Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-08-19

DiatriDe"-Dreyf fus' Present COun-
sci u Poor Substitute for Labori.
Rennes, Aug. 1.-THE general impress
sion left by yestei days court martial
proceedings il untaN oiaDle, OWING 10 the
absence Of such or.ss-e examinations as
NJ I.uboii would lave submitted Nj.
l.ebon and NJ Guerin to. and owing to
the facts that General Ruget's argI-
ments received 10 reply. This, however.
it Is hoped, will prove damaging when
Nj. Demange cross-questions him. al
though NJ, Demange cannot be said, up
to the present. to have shown up to amy
great advantage.
The feature of the days proceed dings
was the story of the sufterings of Drey
fus on Devils Island, his prison, off
the coast of French Guiana.
Dreyfus wept in count when the clerk
read ii document recounting the details
Of his Incarceration.
The proce edngs opened with the ap-
plcation of Nj. Demange for an ad-
jcurnment.
This was followed by the deposition of
NJ Guerin, the former minister of jus
tice who, however. only repeated tie
evidence he had given before the court
of cessation.
Nj. LebOn. the former minister of the
colonies. big. red-bearded d man. then
,estied in justification of his instruc-
licns to treat Dreyfus vigorously, de-
claring that the extreme stringency
only dated from the tine he thought
an attempt would be made to lescue
the prisoner.
Colonel Jouaust president of the
court martial, asked Dreyfus If he had
any questions to put to the witness, and
he replied in an emotional voice:
NO, ! am here to defend my honor.
| do not wish to speak of the atrociOus
suffering. which. for five years, |. a
Nrenchman and an Innocent man, suf-
fered on the lie du Diable.'
Nj. Demange here asked that the Of
c.al report Of the treatment of Drey-
fus on the lie Gu Diable, which was pub
lished in the newspapers last week,
should he read. The clerk of the court
did so, and. in Il sympathetic tone. re-
counted the narrowing tale of Dreyfus
meEtal ard physical sufferiEss and in
human treatment on the island.
Drcyfus at first watched the faces of
the judges with his usual composure,
but gradually. as the story proceeded,
and incidents Of his awful existence
were brought UP before him, his eyes
grew dim and tears glistened in his
eyes. Then they slowly trickled down
his cheeks. Dreyfus could stand ii no
Il ,t,,.y l,ts
trial gave way to his emotions and 81
lently wept.
The faces of the audience expressed
sympathy with the prisoners emotion
and even the captain of the sendarlGes
sitting beside Dreyfus turned and gave
him look of concealed compass ion.
Gen. Mercer. who. with NJ. Lebon,
was seated in the front row of the wit
nesses' seats, listened to the reading Of
the report unmOved. while Col. Jouaust
followed it with an air of bored toler-
ance.
NJ. Lebon afterwnrd returned to the
stand and added IL few more words in
justification Of his conduct. and tien
Col. Jouaust ordered the next witness
TO be brought in
All eyes were turned toward the door
on the right of the stage, ard. IL mo-
ment later. the form of a woman. dress
ed in deep mourning. appeared in tie
doorway. and. accompa med by Il non
commissioned officer advanced to the
platform.
1t was the widow of Col. Henry the
French officer who committed suicide
i'm prison after cOnfe SSing to forging cer-
tain documents in the case. With pale
face and hand uplaised before the cru
cifiX. she took the oath 10 tell the truth.
She admitted the frequent visits of
EsterhaZy to her husband. and de-
clared her husband told her he had
forged one document "in order to save
the honor of the country. She gave
her evidence in a very matter-of fact
way. and was in noWise the sympathetic
figure the anti Dreyfusards have tried to
make her. He" evidence, however. was
Of very little weight.
Gen. Roget. in undress uniform, fol-
lowed His evidence was IL vitrolic dia-
tribe against Dreyfus from beginning to
end.
General Roget spoke for three hours
without adducing any new facts. only
reiteratng in the most fore ible terms
what has been banded about in the
anti-Dreyfusard press for Il year past.
The most interesting part of his tes-
timony was his attack upon Colonel Pie.
quart. which viii undoubtedly lead to
thu. conformation of the two men.
He treated Dreyfus without mercy,
both in words ana attitude. In fact
-, i,.,, =, 1, H.
provoke the prisoner into striking him.
The generals manner was most pnss sion
ate. In his uutburst at the end of his
testimony he uttered the most ruthless
attack. with the air of one delivering
a pleasant Sunday school address. lean
ing over the front of the witness rail.
slipping from Il glass of water, wiping his
lips and mopping his brow With perfect
self-satisfaction. But again and again
he would half turn in his chair. and
pointing his finger ut Dreyfus would
repeat some cruel accusation, at the
same time fixing his eyes on the accuse d
man. his body inclined forward like that
OF cobr;. awaiting the moment Ia
strike.
Dreyfus. however. steadily returne.!
his gaze sometimes TIN owing Il glance
at the president of tn" court. as though
appealing for permission to reply. Once,
when General Roget had flung one of
these darts. he stopped and deliberately
paused one could SEE thu fire in Drey-
fus' eyes. and in his tightly -clenched
laws could bs OWNED the struggle that
was going on within him. The captain
OctOgcnarianC Charged With Murder
Boston, Aug. I1.-What may possibly
develop into Il murder Is now being in
vestigateI 10y the police. Mary Ann
Pinton. 10 years old. was found dead in
her bed at +i0 Commercial street. and
marks and contusions on her body
caused the police 10 make an investiga-
tion. 1t seems that the woman was