Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-02

Rennes, Sept. 2.-There was a large at
tendance and many generals were pres
ent this morning at the opening of the
Dreyfus trial. Interest centered in the
testimony of Major Hartmann of the ar
tillery, who has done a great service for
| the defense. He resumed his deposition
regarding artillery matters, bringing out
points in the phraseology of the bor-
dereau indicating that the writer could
not be Dreyfus
The witness wished to enter into the
question Of the robin shell, but on Gen
eral DeLoye's objection to the statement
in open court the president Of the court
decided to hear this part of the witness
testimony in camera at the end Of today's
Or at the beginning Of Mondays ses-
sion.
In response to questions from Labori
and Demange, counsel for the defense,
Hartmann said any officer attending the
Chalons camp could have obtained suffi-
cient information to write notes on the
covering Of troops and Madagascar mat
ters.
Labor then recalled Mercier's attack
on Captain Freystmeters declaration
that the secret dossier communicated to
the court of 1894 contained a document
describing the shell. for Which MERCER
called the captain a liar
Hartmann affirmed that it was quite
possible the particulars about certain
shell should have leaked out in 1894.
An interesting conformation between
General DeLoye and Hartmann fol-
lowed, the general declaring he did not
believe the major was keeping strictly
to the truth. DeLoye then proceeded to
point to what he said We're inaccuracies
lin Hartmann's testimony: He insisted
that Dreyfus, in the course Of conveTsa-
ton with artillery officers could have
secured information on the subjects mem
| toned in the bordereau, to which the
major retorted that if any artillery Off
Ger had been questioned by Dreyfus they
should come forward and say so, as a
matter Of strict duty.
DeLoye, questioned by Labori and De-
mango, said the inventor of the robin
shell told him Dreyfus never asked him
for particulars about his shell, except
on minor point. The general added
that he came as a technical witness to
show Dreyfus could not be guilty. adding
that it was not his business to say
whether he believed him innocent or
guilty.
Labor asked DeLoye if he knew
whether the documents which could have
been betrayed by traitor, especially by
the writer of the bordereau, were i'm
portant, whereupon the general turned
| to counsel and excitedly cried: Don't
ask me, don't ask me-
The exclamation created a sensation
which was doubled when DeLoye added
there was sufficient in the hordereau to
, establish that a traitor knew the i'm
portance of the documents he was giving
up. The witness added: when | heard
" the bordereau / was dismayed."
y Hartmann, in reply to DeLoye, reiter-
y ated that the author of the bordereau
y was ignorant of artillery matters, fol
y .'if he meant the 100 hydraulic brake h.
y gave particulars of what was long
y known, while if he meant the 12O short
y he employed the wrong expression"
y MERCER here mounted the stand and
y remarked that the writer of the Dor.
\, dereau might very Well employ the term
y ..hydraulic brake because that was the
term used by Germans for such brakes.
\, This ended the deposition of Hartmann
!. who certainly was very valuable wit
!. ness for the defense.
Z. The next witness, M. Havet, member
I. i of the institute, took up the bordereau
I, from a grammatical point of view, de-
(, claring it to be his conviction, after
X studying closely the style of Dreyfus and
H Esterhazy that the latter wrote it, The
i, witness entered into an interesting an.
II alysis of the phraseology of the bor-
II dereau, pointing out that certain phrases
II in it were met with in Esterhazy's let
II ters but never in those of Dreyfus. HI
n then traced the influence exercised or
y Esterhazy by his linguistic requirements
y noticeably traces Of German construc
y ton.
y The government commissary. Majo
y Carriere, asked Havet if he had bee.
y present at the sessions of the court before
y he testified.
y Havet said, "Yes," at which the major
y with great severity. said, ''you have beel
y guilty of grave breach of judiciary dis
y cipline."