The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-01

Rennes, August 3O-The air of Rennes
this evening is filled with rumors Of
conspiracy and predictions of cOups de
theatre, but nothing precise can be
ascertained General Mercier's attitude
during the last few days has mysti-
fled his followers in the case. He is ex-
tremely clever and the general feel
ing is that he is preparing something,
the existence of which will be revealed
in a few days.
1t is now accepted as beyond question
that there is serious division Of opln-
ion on the part Of the generals. While
the case was running smoothly against
Dreyfus they all pulled together, but
since the tide of evidence began to
turn in his favor, as was notably the
case during the testimony OF Captain
Freystaetter and Colonel Cordier, which
proved much more damaging to the
general staff than the latter antlclpat-
ed, certain dividing lines have become
manifest between the various cllques.
General Roget, Major Luth, Captain
Cuignet and M. Gribelin, the principal
keeper Of the archives of the war Of
flee, form one coterie; General Mercier
and General Gonse form another, and
General Billot and General Deboisdef-
fre a third.
According to one report the first two
coteries intend to throw over general
De BOiSdeffre, whom they feel to be
faltering and declare that he is respon-
sble for all the errors and illegalities
of the court-martial of 1894 thus max
ing him the scapegoat.
According to another report, General
Roget, who was not implicated in 1894,
and who even fought against DreyfuS
because he inherited from his predeceS-
sors responsibility for SO doing and
placed over confidence IN the accounts
of the matter furnished him by the
general staff will cut himself loose
from Generals Mercier, Gonse and De
Boisdeffre. This is a plausible hypothe-
sis, since Roget has assumed through
out the role of the defender ~Of the
army thus making himself popular
with the army and with a large section
of the nation, and he probably would
not lose by separating himself from
the Wrong-doers of 1894 and declaring
that his opinion has been changed by
the evidence given during the present
trial
Yet another story is that the gener-
ais are going to give way on the au-
thorship of the bOrdereau in view OF
the strong expert evidence and will
admit that EsterhaZey wrote it, alleging
however, that Dreyfus furnished the
information, not direct to EsterhaZey,
but to a third person who acted as in
termediary without Dreyfus knowing
Esterhazey.
In this connection it was asserted
this afternoon that Madame Rastian
who was housekeeper for Colonel
Schwarzkoppen, the German military
attache in 1894, and who is understood
to have acted as French spy, has
been seen in Rennes and will be sum
moned as a witness concerning Sch
warzkoppen's espionage system.
All these rumors may be without
foundation, but in any event they are
symptomatic of the feeling in Rennes
that something is going on under the
surface and that the complexion Of the
trial may be altered by some coup al
any moment.
A DREYFUS DAY.
In the matter of evidence, today was
quite Dreyfus day, only the deposi'
ton Of the last witness, General De-
loye, being unfavorable. The testimony
of NJ. Picot, a member Of the inSti-
tute, is little likely, however, to serve
the cause of the accused materially
if at all, because his introduction OF
Colonel Schneider, the Austrian mill.
tary attache, as a champion of Drey'
fus, was rather calculated to arouse re.
sentiment and adversely to influence
the judges, especially as it was follow
ed by General Roget's tactful protes
against Colonel Schneider's uncompli
mentary allusion to French officers.
Tomorrow's proceedings, behind
closed doors, will deal with the ques
ton whether Captain Dreyfus was il
a position to divulge the information
regarding the artillery which wa:
promised in the bordereau. The session
will be very important and is bound t
have a tremendous influence upon thu
judges one way or the other, becaus'
they are all artillery officers and viii
be able to appreciate such evidence
better than the crytographic intrica
cies that have been laid before then
by the handwriting experts.
The DreyfuSardS express conhdenc
that their artillery witnesses, Majo
Hartman and Major Ducros, will eff
fectively satisfy the judges that Drey
fus was ignorant of the matters men
toned in the bordereau, and as an ar
tillery officer, would not have beel
guilty of stating the errors which
contained.
The local papers publish the doubt
full statement that Charles de Frey
clnet on leaving the court room yester
day after his deposition, remarked t
friend: L am leaving an atmospher
of acquittal.''
Following are the proceedings in de
tail:
THE BORDEREAU ESTERHAZEY';
WORK.
The first witness today, M. Paul Mey
er, member or the institute and direc
tor of the school of ancient manu-
scripts. described his researches in con
nection with the Dreyfus case, whic
led TO his conviction that the borderea-
was not only in Esterhazey's hand