The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-08
WHATWILLV ERDICTBE?
Judgment To Be Rendered Monday Prison
er Will Not Be Present To Receive SEN
tence-Precautions Against Rioting
-Labori's Request Denied
Friends Lose Hope.

Rennes, Sept. To-day came the be-
ginning of the end of the Dreyfus trial.
With the speech of the government
commissary, Mai. Carriere, the case
entered upon the final stage of plead
ings; and the verdict will be delivered
Monday at the latest.
There is even talk tonight of the tri-
al ending tomorrow by having an ex-
ira session for DIaitre Labori's speech
and the defiberation of the judges.
This, however, is considered unlikely,
as the government is anxious to have
the judgment withheld over Sunday to
avert demonstrations which would pro
badly develop into bloodshed on a day
when the workmen are free.
The government is not only fearful
regarding Rennes, but is particularly
anxious regarding Paris and other large
cities where the passions have been
heated, and where the verdict, which
ever way it is given, Is practically GER
tain to give rise to trouble 1t is true
that the government has given intima-
ton to the police, and there is no rea-
son to believe that they will fail
Col. Jouaust this morning took the
most important decision yet taken.
when, upon his own responsibility, he
excluded the testimony of Col.
Schwartzkeppen and Maj Panizzardi,
as 1t meapt that the court had already
reached a conclusion and that the
pleadings of counsel We're merely a
waste of time and might be dispensed
with, if they were not a necessary part
of the legal procedure.
The court has made up its mind, but
which way? This is the vital point and
this forms the sole topic of discussion
tonight. Both sides are equally conf
dent that the court will decide IN ac-
cordance with their views.
The Dreyfusards declare that the
judges can not condemn Dreyfus after
rejecting the decisive evidence of
Schwartzkoppen and Panizzardi which
would have been given in favor Of
Dreyfus. The anti-Dreyfusards on the
other hand, say the judges recognize
that the evidence of the two military
attaches would be worthless, because
they would be materially bound to save
their agent at any cost.
The popular point of view In court
when Col. Jouaust delivers the judg-
ment will be divested of It's most sensa-
tional features, owing to the absence of
the central figure. Capt. Dreyfus will
be taken to an adjacent room when the
judges retire to consider the verdict. A
moment before they re-enter a bell will
be rung, and as they take their places
behind the long table on the stage the
military will present arms. while Col.
Jouaust, standing in the center Of the
platform, reads the verdict
Capt Dreyfus will not be brought
back to the court ROOM and will not be
present at the public meeting of the
Judges, but when the court room has
been cleared by the gendarmes, which
will be done as soon as Col. Jouaust
concludes, the reading clerk of the
court, M. Coupois. will proceed to the
room where Dreyfus will be waiting
and read to him the verdict, in the
of a couple of gendarmes.
The public will thus be robbed of the
spectacle of his emotions, which are be-
lieved to be most profound, whether the
decree sends him to the arms of his
family or back to the penal settlement.
The verdict may be a condemnation
an unequivocal acquittal or a form of
acquittal equivalent to the Scotch YER
dict, mot proyen.% The, last will be the
case if the Judges should pronounce
against him by a vote of four to three
That is, he would be freed even though
the judges in his favor should be in the
But this naturally would be
eminently unsatisfactory as he would
carry the stigma for the rest of his
days.
Capt. Dreyfus thus has five chances
against the prosecutors, while unanim-
ity, to / or to 2, will convict him
anew. If convicted, the case will be
carried to the military court of appeal,
which will be a formal matter. The
appeal court will only auash the judg-
ment and order a retriaL If it should be
that the present court-mar-
tial erred in a matter Of procedure. This
is not improbable.
The court of cessation will also have |
the right to order a retrial. II II should |
decide that the court-maSiaf hassdevi- |
ated in its instructions, This'is the only |
loophole for Dreyfus, and his friends |
will fight this point tooth and nail |
Dreyfus' departure from Rennes will be |
enveloped in the same mystery and So
crecy as was his arrya., in case he is
convicted.