The age-herald., 1899-08-30
General Open to Arrest But Game
 to the Death.
LABoRI WORRIED PROSECUTION
Yesterdays Attendance Was Largest of the Session-Appearance of Frey cinet on Stand Probably In-
 jured Accused's Chances

Rennes, August 29.-Neither side was pleased with the outcome of today's pro- ceedings before the courtmartial that Is trying Captain Dreyfus The Dreyfusards expected that Colonel Cordier, who was deputy chief of the intelligence depart ment under Colonel Henry, would testify that the bordereau was received directly by Colonel Sandherr. Had the expectations been realized, the testimony would have been a strong point in favor of the accused. because it would have been a reply to the anu-Dreyfusards, who have all along con- tended that Henry received the bordereau and forwarded it to Sandherr, thing he would not have done had the bordereau been, as the Dreyfusards assert, written by his accomplice, Esterhazy, for in that event Henry would have recognized the handwriting when he received the border eau from the German embassy, and would have suppressed it instead of forwarding 1t to Sandherr.
 Was Received by Henry
 Colonel Cordier, however, testified today that he was absent from the intelligence department when the bordereau arrived, but that he believed that it was received by Henry.
 Naturally this statement elated the anti Dreyfusards, but they had no good reason to congratulate themselves upon the re- mainder of Cordiers testimony as it was wholly in favor of Dreyfus
 On the other hand, the procession of generals and officers of the general staff, who demanded an opportunity to confront Colonel Cordier, was good piece of tactics from the point of view of the anti-Dreyfus- ards, because all the points they contested were not of the first importance, yet their very appearance on the stage and the con- tadietions of some officers of Cordiers statement left a disagreeable impression.
 General Mercier Appears
 The appearance of General Mercier to question Colonel Cordier came as surprise to many of the audience, who had sup posed that after last Saturdays scene when Mercier was confronted with Cap tain Freystaeter. he would remain quiet. But Mercfer is game to the death.
 His action today is interpreted as in- tended to show that he is not going to throw up the sponge. The part he played In 1894 lays him open to arrest and this is a constant topic of discussion in the cafes
 
 There appears. however. to be good rea- son why the government will not take any such steps as the serious situation would only be intensified.
 Colonel Jouaust, the president of the courtmartia1. could adjourn the courtmar- tial indefinitely if Mercier were arrested. If the trial were adjourned for more than forty-eight hours 1t would lapse, and the n nla again from the beginning.
 The Attendance Large
 Todays attendance was the largest since the opening of the trial. Everybody was on the qui vive to hear the testimony of Charles de Freycinet. senator. former pre- mier, former minister of foreign affairs and former minister of war. This adroit politician, the 'white mouse' of French politics, sat upon the fence as well as he could.
 His expression of fear that the Dreyfus agitation would injure the discipline of tine army greatly annoyed the Dreyfusards, as calculated to influence the judges against the accused. But he followed 1t with eu- logy of the pioneer of the Dreyfus cam paign, M Scheurer- -Kes tner,- former vice. president of the senate, whose character, he said, he held in the highest esteem.
 M Labori then secured another conces- sion for the Dreyfus side by getting Frey cinet to admit that he could not testify In whole as he had in part in preceding trials. The general feeling, however, is that his appearance on the witness stand has not materially helped the accused
 Colonel Cordiers Evidence
 The appearance of Colonel Cordier, form- erl deputy chief of the intelligence depart ment who was the first witness at the Dreyfus courtmartial today, aroused great interest, as, since his previous appearance the colonel has been released by the min- ister of war from his oath of professional secrecy. Speaking in firm, audible tones the colonel testified that September 23, 1884, he left Paris on fortnight's leave of ab- sence and that nothing was then known in the statistical department of the war of flee of the discovery of treason.
 Continuing, Colonel Cordier said that at dawn he returned to Paris, Colonel Sand herr. who appeared greatly distressed, gave him copy of the bordereau on foolscap paper Sandherr and Cordier animatedly discussed the bordereau, Sandherr consid- ering 1t ample evidence of treason. The