The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-06
SECRET SESSION
Cermuschi, the Austrian Re-
fugee, Testiies at Length
at the Dreyfus Trial.
ROW OVER THE PETIT BLEU
Mons. Trarleux Declares Him
self Convinced Of It's
Authenticity.
LAUTH ACCUSES pICQUART
Lively TiI&sNhioh Resultsin Pal
eologue Asserting Schwartz
koppen Sent the Paper.
LABORI MAY WITHDRAW
Judges Continued Hostility Said
Urge Him to Take
the Step.
by Cable to The Associated Press ]

BY Cable to The Associated Press.
RENNES, Sept. g. 1Ss9.-Two hours at the
opening of the third day of the fifth week
of the sitting of the court martial for the
trial of Captain Dreyfus, Of the Artillery,
on the charge of treason in furnishing
secret information to a foreign govern
ment, were spent behind closed doors.
The length of time occupied in the exam
ination of Eugene de Cernuschi, the Aus
trian refugee and witness for the prose-
cution, was the subject of much remark,
as being indicative of the fact that the
court found this witness to be worthy
OF more consideration than it had been
supposed he deserved.
The largest audience yet assembled in
the Lyeee was present when the open
session of the court martial began at $50
o'clock
Senator Trarieux. former Minister of
Justice, at once resumed his deposition,
which was interrupted by the adjourn
ment of the court yesterday. M. Trarieux
took up the testimony of savignaud the
witness for the prosecution who had
claimed to have seen letters addressed to
NJ. Seheurer- -Kestner, formerly Vice
President of the Senate, by Lieutenant
Colonel Picquart while Savignaud was
Picquarts orderly in Tunis. NJ Trarieux
declared that Savignaud was a perjurer
and that two officers visited Savignaud
before the court martial opened NJ. Ira
rieux limiting that the officers drilled
savignaud on the testimony he was to
give.
Savienaud replied reiterating the truth
of his previous testimony
and repeated his denial of Savignaud's
story.
NJ Trarieux delivered his testimony in
an emphatic tone. He reviewed the ques-
tion of the Petit Bleu," which, he said.
he was convinced was authentic He pro-
ceeded to comment upon the questionable
role played by Commandant Lauth in the
affair.
Commandant Lauth interrupted the
| witness asking that he be allowed a
hearing. and on the conclusion of NJ.
Trarieux's deposition. Commandant Lauth
| confronted him. The Commandant de-
clared that he had acted honestly
throughout, and that he had not the least
doubt of Lieutenant Colonel Picquart's
Justification of the Petit Bleu" in order
to incriininate Major Esterhazy.
A striking incident occurred when Com
mandant Lauth. moment later assert
ed that Lieutenant Colonel Picquart had
always shown the greatest contempt for
the officers of his bureau, asserting that
on one occasion Picquart had brought to
the General Staff, in the presence of
Madames Henry arid Lauth, a woman,
Madame D.. who was the wife of a
| magistrate, and, Lauth intimated, Pic
quarts mistress.
Lieutenant Picquart arose and cried
'T protest absolutely
At the same time there arose from the
spectators a chorus of indignant cries of
| .sOdi'' ..Canailler' "Cochonr' and s.Miser-
ablew
The gendarmes were ordered to repress
the outbursts of Indignation which had
| been evoked by the conduct of Com
| mandant Lauth in publicly naming a
woman in a scandalous connection.
| General zurlinden, formerly Minister
of War, followed Commandant Lauth at
the witness bar General zurlinden spoke
! in justification Of his action while he was
Military Governor of Paris and Minister
of War in the matter of the prosecution
| of Lieutenant Colonel Picquart, taking
the ground that the measure was
absolutely necessary in order that the
| court should clear up the charge of for
gerry brought against Picquart Moreover.
General Zurlinden said, the Minister of
| Justice. had persuaded him to send
Lieutenant Colonel Picquart before a mill
| tary court.
M. Trarieux replied to General Zurlin-
den, reproaching him with Lieutenant
/ Colonel Picquart's ten months in prison.
M. Labori then asked a question Of
General Zurlinden regarding the "Petit
Bleu." Colonel Jouaust. President of the
court martial refused to put the question
| on the ground that the court was engaged
| In the trial of Dreyfus and not of the
Picquart affair
/ M. Labori however, insisted, taking the
| ground that the s'Petit Bleuo demon
| strated the guilt of Major Esterhazy and
| that consequently If was very important
| for Dreyfus.
| M. Lahori then tackled General Zurlin-
i den, who admitted that the magisterial
| inquiry showed that the Petit Bleu'' was
| NOT tampcred with It first arrived at the
/ Intelligence Department, and that conse-
| ouently Picquart could not have been
guilty, ais alleged, OF distorting the docu-
| ment
| M. Labori asked that NJ Paleologue,
! the expert of the Foreign Office. be con-
suited with reference to the reading be-
| fore the Court Of diplomatic documents
which established ifrefutably ne asit hem
1 ticity ofthe Petit Bleu Z
/ M. Paeologue who sits behind the
Judges, came to TIE front Of the stage