The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-05
WEB OF HEARSAY EVIDENCE.
AN UNKNOWN FOREIGNER DETAILS
CONVERSATIONS.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Incriminat-
ing Others Than Dreyfus Were
Carefully Omitted From the Dos
sier-PreDaring to Prevent Trou-
BILE.
Rennes, Sept AS the end of the Drey-
fus courtmartial trial comes within sight
the French government is beginning to
display a fear that the verdict may give
rise TO troubles, and orders have just been
received by two regiments of infantry and
one cavalry regiment, already within hail
of Rennes, to hold themselves in readiness
TO march on the town at the first sign
of disorder, to occupy all stra tegical points
and to repress manifestations in their in
cepton.
The local anti-Dreyfusard organs, by
their anti-foreign articles, have already
singled out foreigners as enemies Of the
country, and there is little doubt that
foreign journalists will be the first VIC
tins of the violence of the mob-not so
much Anglo-Saxons as Austrian, German
and Russian Jews, who form a majority
of the press representation of their re-
spective countries.
To-day's session opened rather badly for
Capt. Dreyfus, as a surprise was sprung
upon the defense in the advent of an Au-
TRAN political refugee, Eugene Cernuschi
who came out with a flat-footed denun-
citation Of the accused, which, even though
it may eventually be proved a pure fairy
tale, is bound for the moment to exercise
malignant influence upon the French
people, who have not seen Cernuschi and
are thus unable to form personal opin-
ion of the man who launched these direct
accusations against Capt. Dreyfus.
Cernuschfs appearance is undeniably
against him. Nobody even suspects that
he is what he claims to be, a scion of the
Royal SerVian house. On the contrary
one would take him to be groom dressed
in his best Sunday suit.
II was remarked that as soon as he had
delivered his testimony and M. Labor
had asked to have him put on oath at to-
morrow's session behind closed doors in
order that he might be punished, If guilty
OF perjury, he left the court room and
was not seen again.
Cernuschi's Declarations
Cernuschi's testimony, which 4sJ, in the
form of a letter to the presdeL of the
courtmartial, Col. Jouaust, was most une-
quivocal. He claimed that on three dis
tinct occasions, twice in France and once
at Geneva, he was told by a high placed
foreign officer that Dreyfus had commu-
nicated reasonable documents to a for
eign Power In the third instance Cernus-
chi said the officer showed him docu-
ments emanating from Dreyfus, and that
this officer left France hurriedly two days
prior to the arrest of Capt. Dreyfus. The
aluslon was evidently to Col Schwarz-
Fl,,
man embassy in Paris in 1894 whose
movements were coincident with those de-
scribed as the movements of the officer
of Cernuschis deposition.
Now this evidence is of transcendent
Importance 10 the prosecution, and it Is
incredible unless Cernuschi Is proved to
be a humbug, that the government COM
missary, Maj. Carriere, should have ad-
mitted that he had received a letter from
him Offering important testimony and
thrown IL aside on the ground of its COM
ing from a political refugee.
The deposition evoked expressions of in
cTedulity. One suspicious feature was the
fact that although the witness said he
could not speak French huently, his letter
= Col. Jouaust asking an opportunity 10
testify, was drawn up in perfect French.
He explained that he had been assisted
by his wife in writing the letter.
Opportunity For LaborI.
This introduction of a foreigner as q
witness for the prosecution gave NJ La
borl an opportunity to submit the most
important request he has made through
out the trial, a request, which, if granted
by Col. Jouaust, though this is extremely
doubtful, would certainly have momentous
consequences.
NJ Labor announced his intention, in
view of the step taken by the prosecution
in calling foreign evidence, TO ask that in
quiry should be made through the regular
diplomatic channels as to~whether the
documents mentioned in the bordereau
were actually communicated and if so
by whom This involves an application to
the German government which the court
martial is scarcely likely to approve. In
any case the application means the length
ening of the trial for several weeks
The introduction Of Cernuschi and the
other developments Of the day, il is gem
orally predicted, imply another fortnights
sitting at the least. Cernuschi will Re
heard tomorrow behind closed doors. At
the same time there will probably be an
examination of the secret dossier to when
Capt. Cuignet referred this morning, ami
which NJ. Labori Immediately asked 10
have produced in court. This dossier con-
sists of twelve or fourteen documents, and
il is difficult TO see why. If they had my
value. the etat major have not had them
produced earlier.
Documents to Suit Their Ends.
The etat major are not in the habit of
holding back documents calculated 10 prove
of the slightest service 10 theiF cause, as
is shown in the case of the note concern
ing NJ. Hadamard's doubts of the infio-
cence of his cousin, which was Incorrect
but was nevertheless included In the secret
dossier while the important document
stating on the authority OF the French
minister in Rome that an Italian military
attache paid Esterhazy 10000 francs, was
studiously omitted from the secret dos
sier. 1t Is perfectly evident that the
Italian attache did not pay Esterhazy such
a sum on account of, as the French say.
his beautiful eyes, and the document was
the best evidence that Esterhazy is he
traitor. Nevertheless. the Btat major
carefully kept this out of view.
NJ. Painleve the distinguished mathena-
tieian, cornered Gen. Gonse on the lat
ters falsifed version Of M. Hadamard's
remarks concerning Capt. Dreyfus, ana
the manner in which Gonse sduirmed ana
his woe-begone appearance almost arous-
ed pity for him.