Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-09-14
PLEADS FOR DREYFUS.
Nj. Demange Eioquently Asks Justice
for Accused officer.


for Accused officer.
The court room at Rennes Friday was
pervaded with an air Of great solemnity
when NJ. Demange began his plea in de-
fense Of Dreyfus. The prisoner entered
the court looking unusually forlorn and
piteously wretched. Nj. Demange stood
silent for moment before he spoke.
Drawing himself together for the su-
preme effort of his life, he began by say
ing he was Frenchman, and the son OF
soldier. NJ. Demange's gestures were
frequent and he spoke in a tense voice,
vibrant with emotion.
Recalling the testimony Of Detective
Cochefort, Nj. Demange said: II find this
man was prosecuted, trapped and pursued
in an endeavor to find him guilty. AT the
time of the dictation test to which he
was subjected by Du Patty de Clam a
pistol was put before him for an obvious
reason. Dreyfus did not use it. Instead
he cried: Il will not die. am iSnocent
and l will live to prove it, On the day
after his condemnation he proved the sim
cerity Of his utterance by sending a let
ter to the war ministry in which he beg
ged that the truth of his case be sought.
This purpose and this hope sustained him
through his long years on Devils Island,
and brings him here to-day"
Then came a scene which will live for
ever in the memory of those present. NJ.
Demange began reading from letters
written by the prisoner while on Devils
Island. These were wonderful human
documents. They told Of suffering which
alternatod with hope and despair. In
them Dreyfus related how he lay in irons,
and when the guards, more pitiful than
their officers, stole in to him during the
darkness in order to cleanse with rags
the chafed sores upon his wrists and an
kles. 'Yet through all this ordeal" said
NJ. Demange, who with eloquence was
now carrying his auditors with him,
there was always but one cry, i am in
nocent.'
The emotion Of the orator was conta-
gious. First women in the court began
to weep. There were few present but
what paid n tribute to feeling as they
listened to the moving words of the de-
fense. Dreyfus, who sat without his
usual erectness. seemed overwhelmed
with the recollection of his sufferings. His
lips trembled, and he frequently wiped
his eyes. Six of the judges sat with a
fixed expression, listening intently, but
the seventh, Maj. Profilette, furtively re-
moved unsoldierly tears from his cheeks
VI. Dcmange told of the alleged confess
sion of Dreyfus. He took the secret dos
| sier in hand, piece by piece, telling of the
| origin and history of it, and sitting the
legal value of each document with its re-
lation to the accused. He dwelt on the
fact that NJ. Cavaignac had withheld
Il =
He controverted the conclusions of Maj
| Carriere. He dwelt especially on the evi.
| dence Of Maj. Cuignet, who had testified
vehemently his belief in the prisoners
guilt. NJ. Demange then discussed tn.
moral proofs of the prisoners innocence
| including the performances Of Esterhazy
and the late Col Sandherr, who sought
to maintain his guilt. The Henry for
gerry and its consequences was also dwell
upon by the speaker at length. The court
| adjourned until Saturday morning.