The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-22
Inter spersing the Drey-
fuS Trial.
MADAME HBNRY'S STORY
The wife OF the suicide Demands 90 0e
Hear Agein-ln Dramatic style She
Rehearses Her Well Conned Lessons
Magistrate Bersulus Discretciy Des
clines TO Contradict Ser General
Roges . swirl witness for the Prose.
cusion

Roget . swift witness for the Presses
euuon
Copyright by Associated Press.)
Rennes, August 17.-General Roget
NJ. Bertulus, the investigating magis-
trate. the widow OF the late Lieutenant
Colonel Henry. and Colonel PicQuart
We're on the stand today.
Madame Henry. after NJ. Bertulus
had deposed. asked leave TO speak. She
stood up in n STACEY manner raised
her left hand and said: "Je demande l q
parole" CT ask TO be heard.") She
wanted to contradict what Bertulus
had said regarding the friendship OF
her husband and Esterhazey.
She would be a handsome woman, did
not the vulgarity OF the drinking house
she originally came from cling to her.
Subaltern officers revolve around her,
but MERCER and the other generals
among whom she sits seem embarrass-
ed by her presence. What she said was
a TRADE learned by heart, and scarcely
evidence. 1t. however. was not wide OF
some points that Bertulus brought out
She wanted to show that Bertulus could
not possibly have wrung an avowal
from Henry that he and Esterhazey
formed an association OF traitors.
Her story coincided with what Gen.
eral Roget said on this subject. So far
from BertuluS appearing to suspect
Henry and crushing the latter with
words of suspicion. she said her late
husband had described hat magistrate
as Charming"
She said RartuluG ayan apnhranad
Henry when the latter was taking his
leave, a circumstance which struck the
wife when h heard OF II as boding
no good. She jumped to the conclusion
that falsehood lay behind the kiss and
that BertuluS was a Judas.
This idea she Their developed in a
passionate peroration that seemed a
lesson learned by heart. Madame Hen
ry was very like the late Madame
Agar, the actress, as she INDUCED in
this piece of dramatic vengeance.
Bertulus felt that ii would never do
to argue with her, for tears were
standing in her eyes and the judges
were looking sympathetic. So he aid
that he preferred saying nothing TO n
lady, whose grief he respected and
whose angry excitement he p~ardoned.
General Roget again today showed
extraordinary forensic ability. l do not
know hat the military worth OF the
OAN 'tc ~ y a h&1S III ~
nesses. but / do not wonder at the old
judges Of the court OF cessation elm
jealous of their argumentative capaci-
ty, their skill in turning a case inside
out. in puzzling innuendo, in casuistry
and in elegant verbal facility. Mercier
is wonderful in these respects. Billott
is not inferior to him. but Roget is the
superior Of both in forensic skill, acu-
men and su~ggestiveness.
Roget is a very able man. He il the
son OF a gendarme in the Pyrennes and
obtained his commission by passing
the examinations. He is fair, rather
English-looking, regular features and
cold and deliberate in He
speaks distinctly and rather slowly, but
does not fall into the defect into which
Madame Henry fell, OF making every
syllable a long one.
Dreyfus was under Roget as an out
slider at the general staff and seemed
tortured by his arguments and the
points he made, points that went home
to the military judges and were in
tended to poison their minds. Finally
he could stand 1T no longer n start
ing up, his eyes cleaning with anger.
he cried: You deal only in argumenta-
ton. 1 ave listened to you for hours
without hearing a single fact"
There were, nevertheless, some facts
today, but they were adduced to de-
stroy the credit OF Colonel PicQuart
who was represented, when head of
the intelligence department, as play
ing a crooked part and keeping back
every piece Of information unfavora-
BILE to Dreyfus.
NJ. Demange made many happy
points in putting questions to General
Roget, who lodged them with presence
OF mind n address, and, when in a
corner, with coo ~impudence. Still Roget
had the ear Of the court. He knows
how to speak to specialized military
minds.
The evidence of N. Bertulus was, on
the whole, favorable to Dreyfus In the
Judgment OF the civilian listeners. Un.
fortunately his reputation Is blown
open. He belonged, when at Nice, tc
, the South railway gang, and, as the
magistrate sent to investigate theii
swindle, played into their hands. Roget
! alluded to this and to others OF Bertu.
|, lus and showed that he did not respect
4 him. NJ. Bertulus is an epicurian and
: has shocked Rennes people by his rath.
!. er gay relations with a former actress
who somehow, rolls in riches. Still, n,
seems to me a fair n truthful wit.
ness and his deposition must affect tn,
public.
. Colonel Picquart will be heard again
= tomorrow.
e NJ. Labori's assailant il still undis
covered. At a nven OF Marists, q
a Cosson, near Rennes, the brother
vainly searched for him. This has woi
). sympathy for the clerical party, as !
was thought a brotherhood might shell
: ter him.
: An hypothesis that seems nearer 4
= truth Is that he is a soldier. who wa
given a suit Of clothing and told wher
% to exchange Ii for a uniform, which h
= could again don as soon az Labori Wa
10 shot. / can imagine a Breton soldiei
= brim full Of hatred to the Jew an
- that traitor Dreyfus" taking his III
in his hands and going resolutely I
kill Labor.
(Signed.) EMILY CRAWFORD.
ID