The San Francisco call., 1899-08-17

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4 and order"
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RENNES, Aug. 16.-The second trial
by court-martial of Captain Alfred
Dreyfus of the French Artillery, charg-
! ed with treason, was resumed this
morning, Major Carriere, the represen-
tative of the Government having re-
| fused to agree to an adjournment of
the case until Monday, applied for by
| M. Demange, counsel for the prisoner.
and Captain Dreyfus, owing to the mur-
derous attack upon NJ. Labori, leading
| counsel for the defense.
| The feature of the days proceedings
was the story of the sufferings of Drey-
/ fus on DEVILS Island, his prison off the
I coast of French Guiana. Dreyfus wept
/ in court when the clerk read a docu-
ment recounting the details of his in
| generation.
The proceedings opened with the ap-
1 plication of NJ. Demange for an ad
! journment This was followed by the
! deposition of NJ. Guerin. the former
Minister of Justice. who, however only
repeated the evidence he had given be-
! fore the Court of Cessation.
NJ. Lebon, the former Minister of the
Colonies, big red bearded man, then
testified in justification of his instruc-
! tions to treat Dreyfus vigorously, de-
claring that the extreme stringency
dated only from the time he thought
| an attempt would be made to rescue the
| prisoner.
Colonel Jouaust, president of the
court martial, asked Dreyfus If he had
any questions to put to the witness and
he replied, in an emotional voice:
mo, my colonel 1 am here to defend
my honor l do not wish to speak of
the atrocious suffering, physical and
mental which for five years I. a
Frenchman, and an innocent man, was
subjected to on the lie du Dable"
NJ. Demange asked that the official re-
port of the treatment of Dreyfus on
the lie du Diable, which was published
in the newspapers last week, should be
read. The clerk of the court did SO,
and in a sympathetic tone, recounted
the narrowing tale of Dreyfus' mental
and physical sufferings, and inhuman
treatment on the island.
Deep drawn breaths Of indignation
came from the hearers as the reading
proceeded. Dreyfus at first watched
the faces of the judges with his usual
composure, but, gradually, as the story
proceeded and incidents of his awful
| existence were brought up before him,
| his eyes grew dim and tears slowly
| trickled down his cheeks. Dreyfus
| could stand it no longer, and for the
first time during his trial gave way 10
/ IT. -iI NI,,
faces of the audience expressed SYM
pathy with the prisoners emotion,
| and even the captain of the gendarmes,
sitting beside Dreyfus, turned and
gave him a look of unconcealed COM
passion.
General Mercier, who, with M.
Lebon. was seated in the front row of
the witnesses seats, listened to the
reading of the report unmoved, while
Colonel Jouaust followed it with an air
of forced tolerance.
M Lebon afterward returned to the
stand and added few more words in
justification of his conduct, and then
Colonel Jouaust ordered the next wit
ness to be brought in. All eyes were
turned toward the door on the right of
the stage, and moment later the
form of a woman, dressed in deep
mourning, appeared in the doorway
and accompanied by a non-commis-
stoned officer, advanced to the plat
FORM
1t was the widow of Colonel Henry,
the French officer who committed sui
eide in prison after confessing to
forging certain documents in the case.
| With pale face and hand upraised be-
fore the crucifiX she took the oath to
tell the truth. Nine. Henry is of me-
dunn height and has common caste
of feature, and certainly could not be
considered attractive. She at once put
herself at ease, leaning forward with
both hands resting on the rail of the
witness stand. In an attitude of COM
plete elf-possession she gave her evil
dence accompanying the words with
frequent gestures. Her evidence, how
ever, was of little weight. She ad-
mitted the frequent visits of Esterhazy
to her husband and said her husband
told her he had forged one document
sin order to save the honor of the
country" She gave her evidence in
matter fact way, and was in no
wise the sympathetic figure that anti
Dreyfusards have tried to make her.
General Roget in undress uniform,
followed. His evidence was vitriolic
diatribe against Dreyfus from Begin
ming to end.
Ex-Minister of Justice Guerin, the first
witness said he knew absolutely nothing
of the, facts in the case. but could repeat
+to c,IrrouOdiOp circumstances which no