The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-27

Gated to the tribunal of 1894 The first
Capt. Dreyfus energetically denied, and
no reliable evidence has been addueed
in its support. The second was the
"Canaille de D. document, which
has been shown not to refer to Drey-
fus at all. The third was the dAvig-
non letter, supporting the second which
therefore falls to the ground with it;
while the fourth was the Panizzardi
dispatch, which has been proved incor-
rectly translated and ruled out of the
proceedings by Col. Jouaust in the pre-
sent trial as utterly unreliable.
This was the precious selection Of
waste paper which was deliberately
communicated to the judges in 1884
and which swayed their Judgment The
announcement that the Panizzardi dis
patch was one of the secret documents
was another hard blow to Merciers nep-
uration, because he had declared in his
deposition that this dispatch was not
communicated to the tribunal in 1894.
NJ Labori asked Col Maurel to ex-
plain his declaration that only one doc
ument was read. Maurel gave the
Jesuitical reply: II did not say only one
was read l say | only read one"
A wave of Indignation passed over the
audience: and his ears were assailed
with a tempest of Kisses and "ohs"
which We're renewed when he repeated
In a distracted way that he had only
read one.
Capt. Freystaetter did not hesitate a
second When NJ. Labori asked him If he
maintained his statement. He replied:
Not only did [ read the documents, but
Col Maurel read them and made a
commentary after each"
This was the lie direct TO Col Maurel,
who did not protest but merely object
ed to the term Commentary" Maurel
thus stands before the world as a self
confessed liar. His endeavors to throw
mud at Capt. Freystaetter by cynically
asking why the latter had not spoken
before during the last five years, only
recoiled on himself and placed Capt
Freystaetter in a still more creditable
light.
Capt Freystaetter's candid admission
that he did wrong unwittingly and that,
when he knew of it, he obeyed the die
tates of his conscience, evoked a muir
muir Of admiration.
M. Labori then called Gen Mercier
again to the stand to drive him into a
corner on the Panizzardi dispatch, but
MERCER was first allowed to question
Capt. Freystaetter, endeavoring to
catch him on question regarding the
robin she'll His deliberate attempt to
make Capt. Freystaetter out liar was
a specimen of the disgraceful tactics of
the military clique. The audience shud-
dered when he cried II have caught
Capt. F'reystaetter in a deliberate lie"
Almost anyone else would have
struck MERCER down, but Capt Frey
staetter gave a splendid example Of
GOODNESS and self-control in the face Of
such an outrageous attack. He con-
fronted Gen. MERCER with the same UNI
daunted but not defiant demeanor as he
maintained toward the judges, whereas
Gen. MERCER and Col Maurel were
barely able to contain themselves with
concentrated rage. The people in the
court room gaZed upon this extraordin-
airy scene with fever Of excitement,
straining forward, with eyes bullying,
drinking in every word and gesture of
a three cOrnered duel--a simple CAP
tain against general and colonel.
Capt. Freystaetter replied stoutly and
without a tremor of voice, that he did
not say the document referred to the
robin shell, bat to a she'll This simple
retort exposed Mercier's craftiness, and
Capt Rreystaetter in a convincing
manner, repeated his declaration that
the Panizzardi dispatch was commune
Gated to the court martial quoting its
opening words and thus fatty contra
dieting Mercier.
Then il was that M. Labori saw his
opening to force upon Col Jouaust the
necessity of bringing Du Patty De Clam
into court, as in face of the contra
dictory declarations of Gen. MERCER
and Capt. Freystaetter the evidence of
Du Patty De Clam could alone decide
the matter, especially in view of the
fact that Gen. Mercier had said in his
deposition that Du Patty De Clam COM
piled the dossier, including the explana-
tions sent with the documents.
When Nj. Labori tackled him, how
ever, MERCER saw the trap and imme-
diately shifted his ground, declaring
that he had made a mistake in saying
that Du Patty De Clam compiled the
dossier, since he had been informed by
Gen. De Boisdeffre that the late Col.
Sandherr compiled it,
This is the dying effort of the general
staff to hide the truth behind the veil
Of DEATH and the audience shuddered
with disgust, Labori uttering his de-
spairing cry: Always the dead!"
Today's session tore the last shred OF
credit from MERCER. but added the
name of Freystaetter to the. little role
of those who have risked everything In
defense of Dreyfus.
They are simply furious at the tho
rough exposure ana all blame Maurel
for falling in the t'ap laid for MIN by
M. Labori in Thursdays cross exami-
nation. although II Is difficult. to see
what else Maurel could have done.
After the court rose ana all the pub
lie were supposed to be excluded, Gen
MERCER accosted Col Maurel in tile
courtyard and gave him a piece of his
mind. even going to the extent OF CALI