The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-01

the TriaI.ut RenneS-Arny OhceFS
Seeking New Avenue of Attack.
RENNES. Aug. 31.-Dreyfus had the
most trying day he has yet gone through.
The strain proved too great for him and
for the. second time in the course of the
trial he gave way to his feelings and
sought relief in tears. The generals have
branded him as a traitor before the court,
their subordinates have pointed the finger
of scorn at him, but he only once tlnched
when the official report Of his treatment
on Devils island was read before him,
and the story of his sufferings, physical
and mental, was thrown vividly on the
screen of his memory. Then he hid his
face IN his sleeves and wept. He passed
through such a crisis today, when, after
Capt. Lebrun-Renault and witness after
witness had brought up before him that
January morning which ushered in the
scene of his degradation, Maj. Forzinettl,
q man of heart told in simple words and
unaffected manner the story of Dreyfus
struggle with the maddening temptation
to take his life and the intervention OF. his
wife as an angel, pointing out the road
to duty Then again the prisoners breast
heaved with emotion and teardrops trick
led down his cheek. He rose and, after
forced effort, remained calm and spoke
few words as to his denial to Col du Patty
de Clam that he wrote the bordereau. He
then turned to ForZlnett with look OF
thanks for his consolat ton, so needed.
Dreyfus then uttered these words OF
heartfelt gratitude to his wife for the
courage she gave him:
''It is due to her." said he, that L am
alive today"
The prisoner could articulate no more,
but sat down abruptly to conceal his dis
tress. The proceedings concluded few
minutes later and he was taken back to
his prison. where his wife visited him,
and, in the presence OF Nine. Dreyfus
md the gendarme on guard, he broke
IOwn completely. The tension had been
10 much for him. He sobbed convulsive-
~, and the partner of his sorrows joined
him in a sOlace of tears.
LAME EXPLANATIONS.
Capt. Lebrun-Renault and the sup
porters of his assertion of the Dreyfus
confession had an inning lasting nearly
the entire session, their dispositions con-
tained little but what has already been
stated before the court of cessation.
L
PLANTATION of the fact that he had not
related the incident of the confession
to President CasiRir-Perier was because
he heard himself called "canaille" (cur)
and traitor" while waiting at the
Elysee. He, however, could not explain
why he kept this to himself for so long
time, instead OF recounting the incident
before the court of cessation. Nor did
his explanation as to why he destroyed
,1,z1y aCFNfr I1NiT
the record of Dreyfus confession, sound
very convincing.
The other witnesses made q repetition
of Capt Lebrun-R -Renaults testimony.
Mai Brondiri, an expert on the Drey-
fus case occupies a seat near the judges
and It is known that Col. Jouaust fire.
ouentIy cOnsuts him during the pro-
ceedings Brondiri is a Radical, and said
to be a violent anti-Dreyfusard, and to-
day, in quiet tone, asked Col. Guerin
If he thought M. We'll, who is a friend of
Esterhazy, also knew Dreyfus. The lat
ter at once rose and declared he had
never before heard of We'll.
The point of this question was that
Esterhazy had written to Col. Jouaust
and undoubtedly referred to We'll as
go-between with Dreyfus We'll is the
man referred to in yesterdays dispatch
as "V," mistake for "W." If relations
can be proved between Dreyfus and We'll,
and Esterhazy admits obtaining treason
able information from WeiE then he
could assume Dreyfus was a trail
tor The generals. if sufficient evidence
Of a Dreyfus- Weil-Esterhazy connection
can be produced can abandon the con-
tention that Dreyfus wrote the bordereau
and admit EsterhaZy IS the author of
1t This is possibly the change Of tactics
on the part Of the generals which has
been limited at recently.
1t was reported this afternoon that
Gems. Mercier, Roget and Gonse and NJ.
Cavaignac, who are staying quietly at
the house Of a friend some miles outside
Rennes. met today at Gen. Mercier's
and discussed the evidence Col Schwarz-
koppen's housekeeper, Nine. Bartian,
could give If she was subjected to Sc
we're examinations with the result that
IT was decided that her evidence was not
conclusive enough to Justify summoning
her as a witness for the prosecution.
DREYFUS SCORED A POINT.
The first witness called after the public
session began was Capt. Lebrun-Renault,
of the republican guard, who reiterated
his testimony given before the court Of
cessation, repeating the terms Of the al
legged confession of Dreyfus:
"I am innocent. In three years they
will recognize my Innocence. The minis
ters know it. If delivered documents 10
Germany it was to have more important
cnes in return"
The witness explanation that he did
not refer to the confession of Dreyfus
during his interview with President Cas-
imer-Perier because he overheard con-
versation during the course of which he
was called a traitor" "canaille" and
"cur" came as a surprise, for he did not
mention this in his evidence before the
court of cessation, as Maitre Labori, lead
ing counsel for the defense, pointed out.
Dreyfus, replying to the witness, be-
gan by calmly declaring that Capt. Le-
brtln- -Renault's statement that certain
Capt. Dattel was present during his con-
versation with Capt. Lebrun- -Renault was
inaccurate.
The witness, however, maintained that
Capt. Dattel was present, whereupon
Dreyfus said that If he was present he,
the prisoner, did not speak to him.
Dreyfus then raised his voice exeitedIy,
and, accompanying his words with short,
emphatic gestures Of the right hand and
quivering with emotion, protested that
Capt. Lebrun- -Renault should have re-
peated to his chiefs his utterances, which
began with protestation of innocence,
without asking him to explain his words.
'Those are maneuvers,' cried the pris-