The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-08-25
A LIVELY COURT
Some Unusual Scenes Enacted
in the Dreyfas Trial by
~COurtmartial.
Half a Dozen Witnesses and
Attorneys Talking at One
Time.
President Of First Trial Saws His
President of First Trial Says His
Mind Was Made Up Be-
fOrehand.

Trial Opencu at O:4U q. IN. COlO0ol JOu-
aust, president of the court, ordered
that the evidence given by NJ. Penot. a
friend of the late Colonel Sandherr,
chief of the intelligence department, b,
read by the clerk of the court. It WA,
to the effect that Colonel Sandherr said
the Dreyfus family offered him $50, Oo'
francs on condit ion that he would clear
Dreyfus.
Maitre Demange, for the defense, dis,
posed of this allegation by reading the
actual note on the subject written b,
Sandherr, thereby proving that the
colonies remarks had been distorted,
Dreyfus' brothers having only said:
"We are convinced Of the innocence
of u 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 in direct contradic-
ton of what NJ. de Breuil deposed re-
garding the alleged intimacy of DreyfuS
with the German attache at the house
of NJ. Bodson, a mutual friend.
Maursl Makes Admissions.
The president of the court then called
the next witness, Colonel Maurel, who
was president of the Dreyfus courtmar-
tial in 1894. Complete silence fell upon
the court as the infantry sergeant who
vnyos oofs,,~ ,,o1o~ conducted N,.1 -
the witness bar. The colonel was at
tired in a black frock coat and wore the
red ribbon Of the Legion of Honor at
his buttonhole. His hair is gray and he
has a ragged, iron grya moustache. His
face showed anxiety. AS NJ. Labor
dashed him with pointed questions. the
colonel hesitated and then answered in
a short, choppy manner. and when NJ,
Labor finally disposed of him, the wit.
ness left the platform with the pale
face and scared look Of a man who has
awakened from a nightmare. Counsel
had drawn from the colonel a confess
sion that the secret dossier was COM
municated to the judges of the court
martial Of 1894, by Colonel du Patty de
Clam. This avowal produced a sensa-
ton in court, and Maurel's declaration
that he only read one of the documents
did not affect the main fact, while the
reading of the document had no effect
upon him, as his mind was already
made up, was nullified by his SUISSE
quent declaration that this one docu.
ment suficed to convince him.
Searching Questions For Mercier.
NJ. Labor then put a series of search.
ing questions to General Mercier with
reference to the communication of the
secret dossier for the courtmartial, and
his attitude in 1894, and an interesting
scene ensued. The general refused to
reply to all the questions and there
We're sharp passages at arms between
counsel and Colonel Jouaust, who up
held General MERCER, while the dia.
logue between the general and NJ. La
borl became acrimonious. Counsel
became very heated and showed it in
his voice and gestures. The general,
however troubled his mind might be.
seldom departed from the callous de.
meanor characteristic Of him.
The lawyer made a strong point on
the part Esterhazy played.
Mercier said he did not know Ester.
hazy, and only saw him once at the
lola trial.
That is very interesting exclaimed
M. Labor. But surely General Mer.
cler was present at the Esterhazy trialY''
The general replied that he was not
there, and that he knew nothing about
the evidence in the Esterhazy prosecu-
ton.
Strange Scene in Court.
"What!' cried NJ. Labor, General
Mercler, who was the chief accuser of
Dreyfus, did not even follow the pro
ceedings in the Esterhazy trial.
a loud murmur of surprise and indig-
nant comment came from the audience.
but Colonel Jouaust Immediately sur.
pressed it.
Counsel then brought General Mer-
cier to his assertion that 80, 900. 900
francs was spent by the defenders Of
Dreyfus and asked the general TO saw
how he knew this, who spent it, and
other awkward questions which the
general was unable to answer.
"A question as to how the bordereau
arrived at the Offices of the general
staff, its date, etc, was then introduced
which led to q strange scene for a
c~ourtmartial.
General Roget, mounting the plat
form to give explanations, was fol-
lowed by General DE Boisdeffre, M.
Grlbelin, Major Lauth and other mill
tary witnesses. all holding up their
hands to signify that they desired to
speak, while at the same time M. Labori
was firing questions. The result was a
perfect Babel, until the president Of
the court could stand it no longer, and
when the government commissary,
Major Carriere, also interpellated a few
remarks, Colonel Jouaust turned to him
and asked him to be quiet, remarking
tibet the judges could not hear to have
a dozen people speaking at the same
time.
Psnissasdi Dispatch Thrown Out.
During the course Of the morning. n.
Labor questioned General Mercier with