Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-09-07
AIR FULL OF RUNORS.
A Belief That the Generals Have
Divided Into Cliques at Rennes.
EVIDENCE IN FAVOR OF DREYFUS.
An Important Session to BE Held To-Day
Behind Closed Doors Regarding the
Artillery Matters Mentioned
In the BOrdereau.

rumors Of conspiracies and predictions
Of coups de theatre, but nothing pre-
else can be ascertaned. Gen. Mercier's
attitude the last few days has mystified
his followers in the case. He is ex-
tremely clever and the general feeling
Is that he is preparing something, the
existence of which will be revealed in
. few days.
1t Is now accepted as beyond ques-
ton that there Is serious division Of
opinion on the part OF the generals.
While the case was running smoothly
against Capt Dreyfus they all pulled
together, but since the tide Of evidence
began to turn in his favor, as was
notably the case during the testimony
Of Capt. Freystaetter and Col. Cordier,
which proved much more damaging to
the general staff than the latter antici-
pated, certain dividing lines have be-
come manifest between the various
cliques. Gen. Roget, Maj. Lauth, Capt
Cuignet and NJ. Gribelin, the principal
keeper of the archives Of the war Office,
form one coterie; Gen. MERCER and Gen.
Gonse form another, and Gen. Billot
and Gen. de Boisdeffre third. Ac-
cording to one report the first two
coteries intend to throw over Gen. de
Boisdeffre, whom they feel to be
faltering and declare that he is respon-
sible for all the errors and illegalities
Of the court-matrial OF 1894, thus maxi
ing him the scapegoat. According to
another report Gen. Roget, who was
not implicated in 1894 and who even
fought against Dreyfus because he in
herited from his predecessors the re-
sponsibility for SO doing and placed
Over-conAdence in the accounts Of the
matter furnished him by the general
staff, will cut himself loose from Gems.
MERCER, Gonse and De Boisdetfre.
This Is plausible hypothesis since
Roget has assumed throughout the role
Of defender Of the army, thus making
himself popular with the army and
with large section OF the nation and
he probably would not lose by separat-
ing himself from the wrongdoers Of
1894 and declaring that his opinion had
been changed by the evidence given
during the present trial.
Yet another story Is that the gener.
els are going to give way to the author
ship Of the bordereau in view Of the
strong expert evidence and will admit
that Esterhazy wrote 1t, alleging, how.
ever, that Dreyfus furnished the in.
formation, not directly to Esterhazy,
but to third person who acted as in.
termediary without Dreyfus knowing
Esterhazy.
In the matter Of evidence yesterday
was quite Dreyfus day. only the de-
position of the last witness, Gen. dc
Loye, being unfavorable. The testi'
mony Of NJ. Picot, u member of the in.
stitute, Is little likely, however, to
serve the cause Of the accused materi.
ally, II at all, because his introduce
ton of Col. Schneider, the Austrian,
military attache, as champion OF
Dreyfus was rather calculated to
arouse resentment and adversely to in
huence the judges, especially as It was
followed by Gen. Roget's tactful pro-
test against Col. Schneider's uncompli-
mentary illusions to French officers.
To-day's proceedings behind closed
doors will deal with the question
whether Capt. Dreyfus was in a posi-
ton to divulge the information regard.
ing the artillery which was promised
in the bordereau. The session will be
very important and is bound to have
tremendous influence upon the Judges
one way or the other, because they are
all artillery officers and will be able to
appreciate such evidence better than
the cryptographic intricacies that have
been laid before them by the handwrit-
ing experts.
The Dreyfusards express confidence
that their artillery witnesses, Maj
Hartman and Maj. Ducros, will effect
lively satisfy the judges that Dreyfus
was ignorant OF the matters mentioned
in the bordereau, or, as an artillery oti.
Ger, he would not have been guilty Of
stating the errors which it contained.
Rennes, Sept. 1.--Drevfus had the
most trying time yesterday 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 subordnates
have pointed the finger discern at him.
But he only once flinched when the Of
nclal report OF his treatment on Devlls
island was read before him and the
pictures of his sufferings, mental and
physical, was thrown wildly on the
screen Of his memory. Then he hid
his features and wept lie passed
through another such crisis yesterday,
when, after Capt. lie Brun-Renault and
witness after witness had brought be-
fore him that cold January morning
which ushered in the scene Of his de-
graduation, Maj. Forzinetti, man Of
heart, told in simple words and unaf-
fected manner, the story Of Dreyfus'
struggle with the maddening tempta-
ton to take his life and the interven-
ton Of his wife, as an angel, pointing
out the road of duty. Then again the
prisoners breast heaved with emotion
and tear drops trickled down his
cheeks. He rose AM after forced eff
fort to remain calm, as he spoke few
words concerning his denial to Col.
H. H. 4