The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-25

There was considerable sir in court
when the name of Col, Maurel. who was
president of the DTeyfus courtmariial Of
! 1894, was called and the colonel appeared
| at the witness bar. He started by em-
! phatically denying that any communica-
| tion, verbal or written, was made TO the
members of the court during the course of
The trial He said they only knew the
| case from the documents in the dossier
and the testimony given. Replying to Nj.
/ Labori Maurel said he did not know Gen.
J Mercier, aud had never seen him since the
/ trial until last June.
NJ. Labori Can Col Maurel tel us to
/ what he attributes the secret commuuica-
| ton of the dossier?"
| Col Maurel: Il have not the slightest
/ idea"
| NJ. Labor: can you tell us the name of
the officer who brought you the private
| letter."
Col Maurel: "It was Du Patty de Clam"
! (Sensation0
M. Labor: Were there any documents
in this secret dossier? Can you stale what
| they were?"
Col. Maurel: Il only saw one of them
I did not look at the others because my
| mind was already made up"
NJ. Labor; HAD the other members of
| the court also made up their minds?"
| Col Muurel: Yes" The witness add
ed that two members of the court conhded
| to him on this subject.
| NJ. Labor: Can you tell us how, know
! ing as the judge, that Il was your duty
to seek conscientiously for information,
and TO expect sincere communications
! from the public prosecutor. that is to say,
| communications setting forth all The
| points in the case both for and against the
prisoner, you could be of the opinion that
your mind was loyalty made up after
reading a single document? prolonged
! sens9tion)
| Col Maurel replied that he could not an
swer because, if he did. he would have to
| speak of the first document in the dossier,
| Which convinced the court of the prison
er's guilt" At this point NJ. Labor said
| he would like TO confront Col Maurc with
| Capt Freystatter another of the judges
at the courtmartal of 1894. But Freystat-
Ter was not present and Col. Maurel
! promised to wait a few days and give the
captain an opportunity of attending.
No Lessons From Carriere.
| A lively incident followed. M Labori
| asked leave to interrogate Gen. Mercier
| The government commissary, Maj. Car
| riere, took occasion TO remark that, while
| counsel had the right TO ask questions, he
! had no business 10 draw deductions, to
| which the lawyer dryy replied that he had
always acted with a fun knowledge of the
| restrictions imposed upon counsel and
! that he had no need of lessons from Maj
! Carriere and would not accept them. Gen.
Mercier was then recalled.
NJ. Labori said he desired TO know II
! Gen MERCER admitted ordering Col. Maui
| rel to communicate secret documents to the
courtmartal of 1894.
Gen. Mercier: Il knew l did not have
| the right to give esrmal orders to that
effect but l gave verbal orders in man
ner sufficiently clear" (Sensation) The
general refused TO reply to many of the
| . declined
say whether he had examined the proofs
advanced against Dreyfus.
NJ Labor: In short. you consider II
| in the nature Of a sensational move to
have Dreyfus prosecuted and sentenced?
| Did you examine previously the charges
against Dreyfus?'
Gen. Mercier: Il only examined the
nature of the documents betrayed"
M. Labori WAS it not necessary for
| that purpose to fix the date of the bor-
| dereau?"
Gen. MERCER: 81 do not think So"
M Labor pointed out the contradictions
! in the evidence of the officers of the head
| quarters staff regarding the importance
| and nature of the contents of the borde-
| reau, and asked Gen Mercier where Drey-
| fus could have obtained particulars about
| the pneumatic brake. The general OBJ
| jected TO being asked TO repeat his evil
| dence and M. Labor equally warmly said:
| Il am only asking for definite state
| ments."
Mercier then said he thought Dreyfus
| might have had cognizance of the brake
at Bourges, adding. I'm any case, he had
! a better chance to obtain such knowledge
| than EsterhaZy could possibly have had"
| NJ Labor: Gen. Mercier says Dreyfus
might have had cognzance I desire to
| emphasize that expression. We shall now
| prove Dreyfus could rot have had cogni-
zance of the brake" Counsel proceeded 10
| demonstrate how vigorously the secret of
the construction of the brake was guard
ed, and asked why, in 1894, the charges
| regarding the Robin Melinite shells were
| not dwet upon.
Gen. Mercier: "That arises from the sim
| PIE fact that II was not known until 1896
! or 1897 that information on the subject
was being divulged. The existence Of
;reachery in regard 20 the distribution of
| heavy artillery among the army corps was
unknown until 1885,"
Continuing, NJ. Labori asked why Cen
| MERCER did not have report prepared
regarding the confessions Dreyfus is al
| legged to have made to Capt. Lebrun- Re
nault.
Doesn't Know Esterhazy.
Mercier: 1.-THE question of the confess
sions was of no importance until a reYls-
| ion of the case seemed impossible.
NJ. Labor: What does Gen Mercier
think of Esterhazy and the part he play
| cd?'
Mercier: 'T do not know Esterhazy and
| / do not think about him at all.
NJ Labor: did you know him at his
| trial in 1882
Gen. Mercier: mo"
Col Jouaust: Gen. Mercier was not min
| lister of war then"
NJ Laborla This Is most interesting.
| Gen. Mercier declares he knows nothing OF
| the trial of 1885,
Gen. Mercier: 81 know nothing of IT, ]
leave that TO the courtmartial which tried
Esterhazy ! have only to answer in court
for my acts, and ! refuse you the right 10
question me about my thoughts. (sensa-
tiOn)
Col Jouaust, addressing NJ. Laborl. said:
"You are reverting TO the evidence Of
Gen. Mercier?"
NJ Labor: MY object IN interrogatlng
the witness Is 10 revert 10 his evidence"
Gen Mercier: u protest against the
word fnierrOgatory for / am not a
-TufqfFopqfar Ia, D,