Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-02
DREYFUSARDS UNEASY
Cavignac Returned and New
Move Feared.
GENERAL SEBERT FOR DREYFUS.
Declared BOrdereau Was Not Written
by an Artillery Officer, Language
Showed Thought Dreyfus Innocent.
Others Testified In Dreyfus Favor.

RENNES, France, Sept. IN. Code
frey Cavaignac, former minister of war,
returned to Rennes. There is much
speculation respecting the motive for
his temperance here. The general con-
lecture is that it implies fresh shutting
of the cards of the prosecution. Symp-
toms of despondency have manifested
themselves in Dreyfusard circles during
the last few days.
RENNEs, France, Sept. 2.-General
Hippolyte Sebert, retired, of the marine
artillery came out boldly for Captain
Dreyfus at the trial by courtmartial of
the accused officer.
He preceded his testimony by saying
he did not think he ought to withhold
the evidence he was able to give, as he
felt it would contribute to the repatria-
ton of judicial error. The general
then criticised the bordereau from a
professional stand, pointing out that the
writer must have been a low-classed
man, negotiating directly with a CORE
spondenr OH whose doles he was de-
pendent. He said he was probably an
officer, but certainly not an artillery
officer. adding that this was proved by
the employment of expressions an artil-
leryman could not have used.
The witness gave a number of ill.,
stances showing the dense ignorance
displayed in gunnery technicalities by
the writer of the bordereau, and, amid
profound silence, General Sebert de-
clared that his study of the case had led
him to the conviction that the bordereau
could not have been written by all ar
tillery officer nor by an officer belonging
to special arm of the service who had
passed through the polytechnic school.
Excitement.
General Sebert referred to the salts
faction he felt at knowing that the ex-
perts of the highest standing in hand
writing had confirmed his opinion and
had dismissed NJ. Bertillon' S assertions,
saying that On examination he, the wit
ness, had easily found proof of the
wurthicsSness of that demonstration.
ISenSatlon.
''it is painful for me, added Cen
eral oebert, ''to express so severe an
opinion or the man whose name is
Connected with the application of the
anthropometric method which has done
the greatest service. But French science
cannot give its authority to lucubrations
50 pretentious as those M. Bertillon
brought here. | reassert most emphat-
ically that the bordereau was not writ
ten Uy an artillery officer, nor by an
officer who passed through the poly
technic school.
81 have been sustained in giving my
evidence by my firm belief in the en-
tire innocence OF Dreyfus, and l am
glad | have had strength enough to
bring here the stone which | have to
lay on the editice of repatriation which
you are constructing so carefully and
conscientiously, while holding aloof
from outside passions. Excitement.
This edifice is work of appeasement
and peace which will restore the coun-
try to III era OF concord and union"
lfrOlUDged excitement.
When the session was resumed, at the
request oT NJ. Labori, General Sebert
TX .'resSed his opinion of Valerio's evi-
dencc i'll support of NJ. Bertillon's sys-
TEN, saying that i'll spite of the latter's
talent, he had not succeeded in convert.
ing false theory into a true one.
Nj. Bertillon at this point exclaimed:
Il beg leave to speak.
Colonel Jouaust asked the prisoner if
ho had anything to say in reply to the
witness and the prisoner replied that he
had not Then Colonel Jouaust, without
taking the slightest notice of M. Bertil-
Ion called the next witness, Major Du-
eros of the artillery.
MAJOR Ducros deposed that he COM
manded field battery, that he knew
Dreyfus and offered him certain in
formation. But, he pointed out, Drey-
fus never asked him aquestion although
he knew he. the witness, possessed in
teresllng information, notably particu-
lars about the hydrO-pneumatic brake.
Gen, raj Mercier here intervened and
said that at the time Major Ducros was
speaking OF the Ducros field piece had
been rejected Ill favor of the deport
cannon, and. he said, Dreyfus, therefore
could have no object in procuring par
ticulars of the Ducros gun.
MAJOR Hartman of the artillery eX-
presses, the opinion that the author of
the bordereau did not know what he
was writing about, since he spoke of the
"l20 short gun when he meant the
"l20 long" gun. The major then led
the court through maze OF technical
details about artillery, until Colonel
Jouaust asked him to refrain from tech
dS Isil do BOsSiElCy ONluChbIJ
fearing that Hartman might reveal
secrets of the service, His evidence was
directed entirely to show that Dreyfus
was not tisc author of the bordereau and
that the artillery information in it was
accessible to many officers of all arms III
the spring of 1894.
Commissary Fischer testified that he
was charged to investigate the leakage
Il OF fbn cohnp1 nt
Bourges and found nothing to incrimi-
nate Dreyfus.
Lieutenant Bernheim testified that he
lent Esterhazy documents dealing with
artillery and was unable to get them
back, and Artillery Lieutenant Brugere.
who attended gunnery course at
Chalons, testified that it was easy for an
outsider to obtain particulars about the
guns.
General Roget asked to be confronted
with the witness and said the latter
wrote NJ. Cdvaignac, then minister of
war. violent letter of resignation, i'll
which he declared it was dishonor to
serve in the French army.
This declaration caused a scene TOR
Lieutenant Brugere, turning to General
Roget. said. Il protest against General
npSbt \ WuIuS dlilint buht hcNSi
said any such thing"
General Roget then backed down.
saying: "Well, that was the general
sense of the letter.
Lieutenant Brugere again emphati-
eally declared General Roget was
wrong.
Mutre Lahori, leading counsel for the
defense, aud Colopel Jouaust agreed