The age-herald., 1899-08-09
Court Meets Behind Closed Doors
 to Examine the DosSier.
TWO COUPS THEATRE
An Avowal Expected By Billet That He Swore Dreyfus Was Traitor Because He Was Misled-
 Mercier Driven to Bay
BY EMILY CRAWFORD

Rennes August 8.-Maitre Demange, the principal counsel for Captain Dreyfus. ex- presses himself as well satisfied with yes- terday's proceedings. Colonel Jouaust had to play the part of a severe judge, but if his voice was rude and his manner rough toward the prisoner, his eye was kind, and there were no attempts to press home the points raised by the indictment
 M Chanoine, the custodian of the famous secret dossier, said it would take four days to examine it, as the examination would be behind closed doors and most of the wit nesses have gone to the seaside, General Deboisdeffre to Dinard, and General Dionne to Param. General Mercier remains here, the guest of General Saint Germain, who tells his friends to be prepared for sensa- tional evidence that must crush Dreyfus and many others with him.
 The Sensations Expected
 M Cavaignae talked at Lemens on his way here. He said he expected two coups d'theatre. We now hear that one will be an avowal by General Billet that he said on his soul and conscience Dreyfus was traitor because he was misled. The other will be Mercier driven to bay. The latter will issue from this trial ruined if Dreyfus is acquitted. 1 hear he intends to throw search light on the secret councils of the Dupuy government of which he was member in 1884, and to show what diplo- matic wires were pulled between the arrest of Dreyfus and his authorization for Cayenne. Mercier refuses to be interview ed. He looks bowed down from care.
 General Billet, on the other hand, seems 1aoc of11 Ia also is extremely reticent, as indeed are all the witnesses of note.
 shame to Human Nature
 M. Jaures arrived last night. He claims to know much that is in the secret dossier. An intercepted correspondence between two military attaches who were mixed up in the affair is said by Jaures to be shame ta human nature. These two off, cers wrote under feminine names in a strain with the character Possibly, nay, probably, the attaches in question never wrote these scented anacrontic billets, for such they are.
 Le Mercier Picard was equal to the task of forging them and he possibly did forge them for a pecuniary consideration. Hence, perhaps, the mystery in which his suicide is shrouded.
 The counsel for Dreyfus met today at his wife's residence, the headquarters of the Dreyfusite party, and consulted on the present aspect of the affair. They went there after they had examined the docu- ments of the secret dossier in the judges room. They do not see any possibility of repeating the judgment of 1894.
 Dreyfus was greatly fatigued after yes- terday's ordeal He asked questions, what the press and public thought and was led to think that opinion is generally favora- ble. This is true. The representatives of nationalistic journals here, who judge harshly in print, express admiration for the unfinching constancy he has dis played.
 Leading personages here for the trial have much to say about the late General Annenkoff and Baron Fredericks, in con- nection with Dreyfus, but General Mercier and M. Hanotaux, former minister of for eign affairs, refuse to speak on the sub- ject
 M. Hanotaux looks dejected. It will be curious to see whether he and Mercier con- tradict each other.
 Behind Closed Doors
 There seems danger that all the evidence relating to foreign diplomats will be given with closed doors. The public trial will be resumed on Saturday. Dreyfus a member of his family tells me. has not yet gotten over his Rip VanWynkle feeling. He was lost as he put it. He remarked to his wife that he was astonished to find himself yes- terday watched by the whole world or its proxies, though he showed no sign of as- tonishment. He was thrown in a heap by