The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-18
BERTULIUS ON STAND.
His Testimony is Favorable To Dreyfus-
Vehemently Accused By Madame
Henry Roget An Adept In For
ensic Art-Labori's Assailant
May Have Been Soldier.

Copyright, 1899 Associated Press.)
Rennes, Aug. 17.--Gen. Roget, NJ. Ber-
tullus, the investigating magistrate;
the widow of the late Lieut. Col. Henry
and Col Picquart were on the stand to-
day. Nine. Henry, after NJ. Bertullus
had deposed, asked leave to speak She
stood up in a STACEY manner raised her
left hand and asked "Je demande la
parole" q ask to be heard).
She wanted to contradict what Ber-
tullus had said regarding the friendship
of her husband and Esterhazy. She
would be handsome woman did not
the vulgarity of the drinking house she
originally came from cling to her. Sub
altern officers revolve around her; but
MERCER and the other generals among
whom she sits seem embarrassed by her
presence. What she said was TRADE
| learned by heart and scarcely evidence,
| 1t, however, was not wide of some
! points that Bertullus brought out. She
| wanted to show that Bertullus could
not possibly have wrung an avowal
! from Henry that he and Esterhazy
| story conceded with what Gen. Roget
! said on this subject. So far from Ber-
| tullus appearing to suspect Henry and
| crushing the latter with words of sus-
| picion, she said her late husband had
| described that magistrate as charm
| ing" She said Bertullus even embraced
Henry when the latter was taking his
| leave, circumstance which struck the
wife, when she heard of it, as boding no
good n c n n
that falsehood lay behind the kiss, and
that Bertullus was a Judas.
This idea she then developed in a pas
sionate peroration that seemed lesson
learned by heart. Nine. Henry was
very like the late Nine. Agar, the act
ress, as she INDUCED in this piece of
dramatic vengeance.
Bertullus felt that it would never do
to argue with her; for tears were stand
ing in her eyes and the judges were
looking sympathetic So he said that
heS preferred saying nothing to lady
whose grief he respected and whose an
gFy excitement he pardoned.
Gen. Roget again today showed ex
traordinary forensic ability. I do not
know what the military worth is of the
generals who are acting here as wit
nesses, but I do not wonder at the old
judges of the court of cessation being
jealous of their argumentative capacity,
their skill in turning case inside out,
in pulling innuendo, in casuistry and
in elegant verbal facility
MERCER is wonderful in these re-
spects Billot is not inferior to him;
but Roget is the superior of both in
forensic skill, acumen and suggestive
NESS. Roget is a very able man. He
is the son of a gendaRme in the Pyren-
nees and obtained his commission by
passing the examinations. He is fair,
rather English looking, regular in feat
ures, cold and delibeIa ate in manner. He
speaks distinctly and rather slowly, but
does not fall into the defect into which
Nine. Henry fell, in making every syl-
liable a long one.
Dreyfus was under Roget as an out
slider at the general staff, and seemed
tortured by his arguments and the
points he made, points that went home
to the military judges.and were intend
ed to poison their minds Finally he
could stand it no longer, and, starting
up his eyes cleaning with anger, he
CRIED
"You deal only in augmentation.
have listened to you for hours without
hearing a single fact"
There were, nevertheless, some facts
today; but they were adduced to de-
stroy the credit of Col. Picquart, who
was represented, when head of the in
telligence department, as playing
crooked part and keeping back every
piece Of information unfavorable to-
Dreyfus.
Maitre Demange made many happy
points in putting questions to Gen. Ro-
get, who lodged them with presence of
mind and address, and. when in a COR
ner, with cool impudence. Still, Roget
had the ear of the court. He knows
how to speak to specialized military
minds.
The evidence Of M. Bertpllus was, on
the whole, favorable to Dreyfus, in the
judgment of civilian listeners. Unfor
tunately, his reputation Is blown upon
as he belonged when at Nice to the
South Railway gang, and, as the mag
istrate sent to investigate their swim
die, played into their hands. Roget
alluded to this and to other doings of
Bertullus, and showed that he did not
respect him. M. Bertullus is an cpl
curean and has rather shocked Rennes
a former actress who, somehow, rolls in
riches Still, he seems to me a fair
and truthful Witness and his deposit
ton must affect the public. Col Pic
quart will be heard again tomorrow.
NJ Labori's assailant is still undis-
covered AT a convent of Marists at
Cesson, near Rennes, the brothers vain
ly searched for him. This has won
sympathy for the clerical party, as ii
was thought brotherhood might shell
ter him.
An hypothesis that seems nearer the
truth is that he Is a soldier, who was
given suit-of clothing and told where
to exchange 1t for a uniform, which he