Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-08-28

Rennes, Aug. 24.-The sitting of The
third week of the second trial of Drey-
fus began at $50 o'clock this morn
ing with the reading Of the deposition
of Penot. No special incident marked
the opening of the days proceedings.
Labori Distinguishes Himself.
Rennes, Aug. 24.-The session Of the
court Wednesday was comparatively
uneventful. The dispositions were not
productive of thrilling incidents. The
systematic production of the tiimsiest
trash, which the prosecution deems
profitable to inflict on the judges and
which the latter accept as evidence,
was proceeded with. Much ridiculous
testimony in the morning was devoted
to an attempt to blacken the character
of Dreyfus, though when Labor and
Demange had finished with the wit
nesses their bubbles of ittle-tattle
were badly pricked. Much time was
occupied IN reading the testimony OF
Esterhazy given before the court OF
cessation, during which many OF the
audience left the court. Labor again
distinguished himself, laying bare the
weak points OF the evidence. Labori
is no fayorite with Carriere, the
government commissary, who makes
no serious effort to conceal his feelings
towards Dreyfus' lawyer. Labor bore
little traces Of the effect of the out
rage on him and rose, sat down and
moved his body and limbs apparently
without much difficulty. Only occa-
sionally he put his hands to his back
as though suffering pain.
The only dangerous opponent OF
Dreyfus Wednesday was Gonse, who
mounted the stage with a quick step
and apparently light of heart, but left
it badly mauled by Labor. Gonse be-
gan again by making savage attacks
against those who had testified against
him. When his cross examination was
finished he was crest-fallen. Labor
drove him to the corner in the attempt
of the general staff to shield Esterhazy
1t was shown that the general staff,
for which Gonse was responsible, had
engineered matters so Esterhazy might
escape from the hands of justice. The
day proved certainly poor one for
the general staff Two good samples
of men to put up to sully
Dreyfus' character, were the third
and fourth witnesses. The first OF
these was Major Du Chatelet who re-
peated an alleged conversation with
Dreyfus regarding lady in whose
house Dreyfus is alleged to have
gambled. When cross-examined DU
Chatelet's memory failed him entirely
especially when asked to name the
lady, the house she resided in and the
sum Dreyfus lost. Next he showed
equally astounding forgetfulness in his
important evidence concerning Drey-
fus' acquaintanceship with a certain
foreign attache Debange capped q
successful examination of those points
by promising to show that Du BrueiFs
record in law courts is far from clean
and this witness left the stand badly
discredited.
The Associated Press correspondent
Wednesday talked with socialist
leader who sees Labor every day after
the session of the court and who is &C
quainted with the entire tactics of the
defense. He SAID: Fl am convinced
that Dreyfus will be acquitted. He
must be acquitted, for no new fact has
been brought up against him. The
generals, believe, are going to make a
last stand on the Bertillion system by
which they intend to prove Dreyfus
guilt. Intelligent men laugh at it as
very ingenious, but without merit
Bertillion's theory has already been in
troduced by some of the military wit
nesses who seem to have complete con-
f1dence in it. The trial, in my belief
will last about another 20 days"