Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-21
this most suspicious affair no foreign evil
dence can be accepted without proof.
Dreyfus' Friends Demand Legal Proof

this most suspicious affair no foreign evil
dence can be accepted without proof.
Dreyfus' Friends Demand Legal Proof
We ask for proofs in the regular sense of
the law, for or against whomsoever it may
turn, for we are seeking truth, nothing
else. This strange Mercier-Schneider for
gerry, of which you will hear more by and
by, is not the only piece Of mischief that
befell the accusers of Dreyfus. After Gen.
MERCER had been heard all the accusing
troop of generals and ministers of war who
had previously passed the ordeal of the
supreme court came again before the court
martial to repeat what they had said more
emphatically, because the supreme court
had pronounced that it was of no value.
Cavaignac, Zurlinder, Chanoine, Bosdeffre,
Roget ard Come, appeared before the banch
and made the most elaborate effort to
speak beside the question.
All this being trash it is not worth men
toning, save one saying of Roget. He took
upon himself to affirm that Col. PanZzardi,
Italian military attache. had reported to
his government that Dreyfus was in the
treason business, not with him, but with
Schwarzkoppen. the German military at
tache. This report Gen. Roget did not
show for the reason that he did not pre-
tend he had ever seen it or even seen some
body who had ever seen it, This was much
safer than MercierS transaction. MERCER
showed report, and thus was Schneider
able to disown it. Roget shovel no report
and probably was very proud of this adj
vantage. But no sooner had his evidence
been known than Col. PaniZzardi telegraph
ed to give his word of honor that he had
never written such a report nor mentioned
anywhere any such fact. He dared any
one to give proof against him, and Gen.
re get has not tried.
With attempt at numbering Labor these
two pieces of evidence are the chief events
of the week directed against Dreyfus.
1t is the greatest wonder that Labor was
not killed the spot. If so, it would have
been the greatest blow upon Dreyfus' case,
and it intended to be, since the muir
derer's accomplices stole all his papers
from the wounded man in order to cramp
the defending party. Dreyfus two defend
Demange and Labor. Demange
had been Dreyfus' defender in 1894, and
knew best this part of the case Labor,
having appeared for lola in the we'll
known trial. had kept to himself all cross
examination of generals upon all that
passed up to this day. When he fell under
a murderer's bullet he was going to cross
examine General MERCER This Demange
could not do and the world will wonder
that the judges refused to adjourn for a
few days, wher. 1t was known that Labori
would soon be able to appear again. What
ever may be the reason Labori's strong
constitution enabled him to resist the
mortal blow. and tomorrow morning he will
show himself by the side of Dreyfus. Mer
cier and his friends will lose nothing for
having been delayed.
You may notice that in this short review
of the week l have given my attention only
to accusations against Dreyfus. 1t is i'm
possible not to speak of two of his wit
nesses, who appear to have made the great
est impression upon the judges. One of
them is Judge Bertulus the other Colonel
Picuuart. Bertulus. year ago, found Is
terhaZy guilty of forgery and larceny, but
the government would not allow the law
to follow it's course and Esterhazy escaped
In a most powerful speech. which was uni
versally admired, Judge Bertulus set the
whole thing plain before the court, and
lated that most dramatic scene between
himself and Henry. when he Obliged the
latter to confess his guilt. General Roget,
who was not there, and knew no more of
the transaction between these two men
than of PaniZzardis non-existent report,
came forth to deny what Judge Bertulus
said, but 1t turned out there was witness
of the scene, and General Roget had to
keep silent.
Judge Bertulus ended in vindicating Drey-
fus' innocence in the most emphatic man.
ner Thrills of emotion ran among the
audience, and Dreyfus, hearing for the first
time the man, yesterday unknown to him,
standing by him today, looked like what
Milton says of the fallen angel, who, from
the bottom of the abyss. catches glimpse
of the light Of heaven.
AS to Colonel Picquart 1t would require
book to relate his evidence. With the ut
most simplicity and candor he told the
whole Dreyfus story from beginning to end,
and 1t can be said that the amazed Judges
learned 1t from him. 1t is impossible to
sum up such long history All that can
be said is that 1t Is made clear to any mind
looking for truth in good faith.
Colonel Picquart had been abused He
did not abuse any one Colonel Picquart
had been kept eleven months in jail He
seemed to have forgotten It, Not a bitter
word came to his lips He told how he had
discovered that Esterhazy was the real
traitor, not Dreyfus. He told what he had
to suffer for. 1t was not to complain but
to show how the plot was framed against
truth. right and law. This he proved When
he had done the audience could not refrain
from applauding.