The Jersey City news., 1899-08-07
DREYFUS ON TRIAL
He Denies That He Has Ever
Seen the Famous
Bordereau.
CRIES 4 AM INNOCENT. =
He Is Calm and Dignifed
and His Assertions Garry
Conviction.
IBy Gable to The Associated Press.l

ment of Artillery. sentenced in 1894 to i'm
lprisonment for life in a fortress, after
having been convicted of delivering to
the agents of a foreign power documents
connected with the defence of France,
opened in the Lycee here at 40 this
| morning
| The prisoner entered the court room
with firm tep. His face was pallid, he
was partly bald and his gray hair was
closely cropped. Dreyfus answered the
formal questions of the President of the
Court. Colonel Jouaust as to his name,
age. etc, in clear, determined voice. He
sat, facing the members of the court,
with his hands resting on his knees, an
apparently impossible figure.
So far as Rennes is concerned, the trial
opened in an atmosphere of perfect tram
guilty. The population was apparently
Indifferent, onl a small crowd of people,
at most about fifty persons, having gath
cred outside the entrance to the Lycee at
six o'clock in the morning, and major
it yof these were newspaper men. The
Prefect of Police and the Chief of the
Secret Service, NJ Viguier, arrived at the
Lycee shortly before six A. NJ. and be-
gan experimenting the police measures.
At that hour only half dozen gendarmes
were visible about the building. They
We're stationed about the entrance of the
Lycee and inside the garden in front of it.
The garden is separated from the side
walk of the Avenue de la Care, on which
the Lycee is situated, by a high, iron
railing, within which no one was allowed
to pass until Dreyfus was transferred
from his quarters in the Military Prison
to room within the Lycee building.
where he awaited the summons to APP
pear before the Court.
Strong detachments of gendarmes.
mounted and on foot, began to arrive at
about six O'Clock and took up positions
in the side streets about the Lycee and
in all the bye-streets leading to the Ave
nue. de la Care.
At 6:15 A. M. the Prefect gave orders
to close the Avenue de la Care for three
hundred yards in front of the Lycee and
also to close all the streets leading into
the avenue. Consequently gendarmes
were Immediately drawn up across the
avenue and the space mentioned was
cleared of all spectators.
A detachment of infantry was then sta
toned across the avenue in two double
lines, leaving between them a passage for
Dreyfus to cross the avenue from the
prison to the entrance to the Lycee. The
crowd, which by that time had increased
to a few hundreds was kept by gendarmes
at a distance of $50 yards on either side
Of this passage.
Dreyfus soon afterwards emerged from
the military prison escorted by lieu
tenant and four gendarmes. The party
crossed the roadway quickly and disap-
peared within the Lycee, the hedges OF
soldiers hiding the prisoner from view
From $50 to A. NJ. the principal per-
sonages in the court martial arrived. The
various Generals interested passed into
the building with hardly a cheer from
the spectators. General Mereier (who was
Minister of War when Dreyfus was
originally convicted) alone being greeted
with few cries of ''Vive fArmee,
'.Yive Mercier,' as he drove up in a
closed carriage.
lieutenant Colonel Pfcquart (the former
Chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau of
the French Army, whose favorable atti-
tude towards the prisoner has done much
to bring about a revision of the latter's
sentence). arrived at the Lycee. on foot,
at $40, wearing a high, silk hat and a
the Legion of Honor in his buttonhole.
There was no demonstration when he ap-
peared; but Picquart appeared to be in
most cheerful mood smiling and chat
ting with his friends. If an opinion may
be formed by Lieutenant Colonel Pic
quarts bearing, he is sanguine of fav-
orable issue of the trial
The scene inside the court rooms was
most animated. Every inch of space was
filled quarter of an hour before the
opened. The large. airy, well |
lighted room in which the trial takes
place is in the form of a concert hall, |
with stage and proscenium. The plat /
form of the stage has been brought for |
ward beyond the footlights The room is |
painted a light brown. with the names Of |
famous Bretons, such as lie sage, Renau |
and Chatealbriand inscribed in letters |
letters on an ornamental band about |
midway between the floor and ceiling.
A long table, covered with dark blue
cloth. was ranged in front of the stage, |
behind which were the seats of the mem-
bers of the court martial. higher backed |
armchair having been provided for the |
President. The seats are of polished ma
hogany and are upholstered in dark. red |
cloth Behind the members of the court |
sat the supplementary judges, VINO must
attend all sittings and replace any mem
Der who may fall i'll or otherwise be |
unable to be present. Behind the. sup
Elementary judges were lew privileged
members of the public
On O portion of the stage extending IN |
front OF the proscenim was placed the /
bar al which the witnesses were heard. /
The bar has wooden frame OF light, I
polished oak. It stood out prominently I
against the dark, cloth-covered Judges |
On the right end of this extended plat |
form stood d table for the use OF Ma}tres |
Iabori and Demange counsel for the |
and their two secretaries.
AT the left side was placed a table for
Major Carriere. the official representa-
tive of the Government, and his assist /
ants. On either side of the hall was a /
solid mass of newspapermen. for whom I
rough pine tables and benches had been /
proyided In the center of the hall were (
placed chairs for the witnesses. Behind /
these was another batch of the privileged /
public and then a row of soldiers, in par |
ade uniform, drawn across the hall. with /
fixed bayonets.
narrow space between the troops and I
the back Of the hall. filled with the gen
era1 publicv which consisted of few +
Journalists and detectives, with gend- I
armes sprinkled among them.
Back Of the stage hung crucifix be- I
fore which the Witnesses take the oath. i
Facing this, at the back Of the hall, was +
i bust OF the Republic with the letters +
n II {Repuliq1le Franeaise).
At seven O'clock Nm LaborI ana De-
m&nSe ana Major Carrieret With their az
sistants, took their seata azl4 the WIts