The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
Dreyfus Court Martial Ex-
amineS the Secret Dos
Sier at RenneS.
THE PRISONER ANXIOUS.
The Court Barred to Guard Against
the Secrets of Foreign Nations
Counsel Satisfied

Big Crowd Turns Out to See the
Unfortunate Prisoner Leave the
Lycee-General Mercier Bases His
Hope of Conviating Dreyfus on
Unpublished Letters.
Rennes, Aug. 10.-The Dreyfus court
martial met behind closed doors TOR
the purpose of examining the secret
dossier. This is a collection of docu-
ments which fills a large clothes
basket and weighs 500 pounds. Two
men brought the load into court. The
session lasted five hours A crowd of
about 400 people waited to see Drey-
fus as he came out of the Lycee.
Troops cleared these away. and there
were no loud protests or demonStra-
tion, the crowd seeming TO be animated
merely by a quiet curiosity.
The prisoner appeared still worried
and harraSsed, as if uncertain of ac-
quittal.
Four guards escorted him to and
from the Iycee. An officer and an
armed guard keep watch over him at
night.
The court was constituted the same
as at first. There were no soldiers
present and the public and correspond
ents were necessarily absent Dreyfus
was present with both his lawyers
NM. Lahori and Demange.
Captain DreyfuS was questioned
about the dossier piece by piece and
protested his innocence when incrimin-
ating documents We're brought up.
After the adjournment NJ. Demange.
counsel for Dreyfus. said:
"The President has clearly stated the
charges against Captain DreyfuS. 1t
is for us to destroy them if we have
the talent"
NJ. Demange acquitted Col Jouaust,
President Of the Court. of all blame
for the authoritive tone which he as
sumed in his first examination of Drey-
fus, for which some persons have de-
nounced him.
NJ. Demange accounted for the Presi-
dents demeanor by saying that it was
only natural for a colonel accustomed
to command to speak in a voice of
command
The reason for the Courts secrecy in
examining the doSSier is that parts of
It involve Germany and other foreign
powers. The prosecution relies largely
upon the doSSier.
EX-Minister of War Chanoine. who
brought some further documents in Il
leather bag. was the only witness pres
ent.
1t is stated that General MERCER
bases his conviction of the guilt Of
Dreyfus on an unpublished letter from
a foreign dinlemqt which contains the
full name Of preyfuS
Captain Dreyfus spends all his time
between the sessions of the court mar
tial in long rests to husband his
strength, and in working on his case,
writing up the points on which he be-
lieves he will be questioned.
NJ. Demange is delighted with the
course of the proceedings thus far. He
ascribes Dreyfus's fits of trembling to
fever.
''DreyfuS's trembling was most pro-
nounced in lower jaw and in his legs"
he said. "HiS weakness is due to the
fact that he has had only milk diet re-
Gently"
''He keeps up his magnificent will
power only by moral courage. inspired
by love for his wife and children" NJ.
I.abori explained. HE would have
liked to have his wife attend the trial.
but she was unable to face the ordeal.
Captain Dreyfus is most anxious to
know the impression made upon the
public by the reports Of the proceed
ings.
The anti-reyisionist press Of the ma
tion is unanimous in expressing the
belief that the proceedings Tuesday
augur i'll for Dreyfus. The writers
maintain that the prisoners curt de-
mails of accusations were unaccount-
able and not accompanied by conclus-
i've explanations.
NJ. Demange related some Interest
ing facts respecting Dreyfus's deten-
ton as a prisoner on Devils Island.
Dreyfus. he said. was patient in his
suffering and completely won the
hearts of his immediate jailers. who
secretly did their best to relieve his
misery when it was possible to do so
behind the backs of the sergeants and
the superior officers.
Thus, when Dreyfus was in irons,
the jailers would silently creep into his
cell for the purpose of padding his
manacles with a handkerchief or a
scarf in order to prevent the friction
of the gives against his sore flesh. the
prisoner looking gratefully In their
faces to express the thanks which he
was afraid to utter in words. At day
break the iailers would return and re-
move the evidences of their charity