The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-10
SEVEN FRENCH JUDGES.

one of the most sensational, if not the
most important in the annals of French
f! Jurisprudence, a curiosity arises to
know something about the judges who
tried his case.
| AS shown in the illustration repro
duced in The Herald last week from the
/ Petit-Bleu. of Paris, the court room is,
very properly, theatre, with an ele-
waited stage at one end for the actors,
/! The seven judges. clothed in gold braid,
bangles and buttons, with their plumed
hats resting on a velvet covered shelf
above and behind them, have been care
fully and critically watched through
| hundreds of opera glasses day after
day. Every yawn, shrug of the Shout
der frown or smile, has been noted and
weighed as if it We're a part of the
evidence, and there are some students
of French characteristics who claim
that, from a summing up of all these
facial expressions, tolerably correct
! forecast of the verdict was possible for
some time ago..
AS to the personal appearance and
peculiarities of these eminent jurists, a
foreign correspondent of the New York
Tribune has given his impressions and
observations. Each has different as
pect and expression he says. Colonel
Jouaust. the president of the court, he
describes as a man of stern military
brusqueness, beneath which is an in
telligent glance, rendered keen, and at
| times ferocious by bushy eyebrows,
with large wart between them. His
penetrating black eyes are accumulated
by the frequent application of bright,
steel-rimmed pair of double eyeglasses
and by his enormous white moustaches.
But here is the trait that Labori, that
marvellous French lawyer, has found
fault with upon so many occasions. 1t
is the partially which threatened the
prisoner from the first, which almost
forced Labor to abandon the defense
last week:
Colonel Jouaust has a pleasant almost
obsequious, smile for witnesses of exalted
rank. such as ex-presidents of the repub-
lie, like NJ. Casinir- Perier, or eX-minis tiers
of war, hike Generals Mercier. Billot, Cha
noine or Zurinden. The smile becomes
less deferential when applied TO simple
major generals, like Roget or Fabre. The
smile is scarcely perceptIble when colonies
and field officers step upon the witness
stand, and vaniShes altogether in cases of
mere civilians, like BertuilCs, or of officers
zen reforme," like Colonel Picquart. Col
onel Jouaust's expression is that of rigid
severity when he addresses Captain Drey
fuS, and upon only one occasion during
the trial has Colonel Jouaust deigned to
return the formal military salute which
Captain Dreyfus makes to the court upon
taking his place in front of Maitre De-
mango.
An illustration of this was given in
the dispatches a few days ago. When
Colonel Picquart asked permission to
refute a statement made by Captain
Junck he was almost brutally snubbed.
The fact that Jouaust had acceded with
understanding affability to similar
request from General Gonse but a mo-
ment before, made an unfavorable i'm
preston on the audience and almost
overwhelmed Dreyfus with discourage
ment.
The only member of the court who
has the appearance of just and an
unbiased judge is Lieutenant Colonel
Brogniart, who ranks next to the presi-
dent. He has frank and kindly face,
says the correspondent, which contrasts
favorably with the dark, sinister
glances of his colleagues. There is no
military priggishness about Colonel
Brogniart, and the close. attention he
gives to the evidence. and the readi-
ness and appropriateness with which
he puts questions to the witnesses, are
much commented upon. This officer is
clearly the most intellectual member Of
the court.
Another judge to whose hands the
destiny of Dreyfus and the honor of
France were intrusted is Commandant
Breon, tall, thin man, with gray hair
and moustache, blue-gray eyes, par
tally concealed by thick double eye
glasses, which he wears constantly, for
the commandant is very nearsig,hted.
He followed the proceedings as he
would discharge any other duty or fill
any other assignment, closely and me-
thodically. but without any apparent
understanding of the significance of
what was said or done. He asked no
questions, made no remarks, and was
evidently on the qui vive for orders all.
through the trial.
Commandant Profilet is described as
a dapper little officer, with fresh
complexion, auburn hair and NOUS
tache He is nearsighted, and wears
steel-rimmed double eyeglass, which he
removes occasionally as IL to rest his
eyes. At no stage of the proceedings
was he an attentive listener. and his
whole demeanor was that of a man ter
ribly bored. who would be likely to
cast his vote with the majority in order
to avoid discussion and trouble
The next member of the court is
Commandant Merle, whose hostility to
the prisoner has been marked from the
first. He is reputed to be rigid dis
ciplinarian, but man of narrow views
and violent prejudices. The moment a
soldier is accused he believes him guilty
and innocence has to be demonstrated
by the laws of Euclid to get Merle's
attention. He has the appearance of a
highly instructed artillery officer, with
positive, material, mathematical bent
of mind, refractory to subtle reason
ings necessary to weigh conflicting pre-