The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-27
EXPOSURES MADE.
General Army Staff Shown Up Ia No
Uncertain Light.
MERCER WAS MADE TO VIRTUE
He Was Confronted by the Testimony
Of Captain freystatter,
WHO HAD COURAGE TO TELL THE TRUTH
Efforts Of Labori to Get Patty de Clam Into
Court Unavailine.
HIS EVIDENCE Is THE CONNECTING LINK
The Judges Are Fully Aware that
the Army's Cause Would BE Lost
should He Appear.
Efforts Of Labori to Get Patty de Clam Into
Court UnavaiIine.
HIS EVIDENCE is THE CONNECTING LINK
The Judges Are Fully Aware that
the Army's Cause Would BE Lost
Should He Appear.

Rennes. August 2s-"Dead men tell no
tales" This is the barricade behind which
General MERCER and the general STAFF have
entrenched themselves.
But there Is one weak point in their de
fense-Colone Du Patty de Clam-and the
military clique know 1t and are striving
TO the utmost to keep him out of NJ. La
boris clutches. II they can prevent Du
Patty de Clam, who 10 now called Tho
Sick Man OF the Dreyfus Affair" from APP
pearing at the witness bar they can eff
tectualy put the silence of the tomb be-
tween truth and justice. NJ. LaborI Is
lighting tooth and nail to drag him into
court. but Colonel Jouaust persists In re-
fusing the necessary assistance. He de-
clines TO send reputable doctors to Official
ly report on the state OF Du Patty de Clam s
health, which every Dreyfusord firmly be-
lieyes Is only automatically affected and
that he will recover quickly enough after
the trial
Nj. Lahori hit the nall on the head today
when, replying TO General Mercler's re-
sandherr dead Henry dead; Du Patty de
Clam is not coming"
Colouel Jouaust Immediately cut him
short, declaring he was not to make OBJ
seryations and NJ Labor staggered and
fell back in his eat with despairing ges-
ture.
Colonel Jouaust was not so particular in
Ell st.
which flowed from the lips of the military
witnesses who have filed before the court
during the past fortnight
While, however the Dreyfusards be-
lieye Du Patty de Clam is not seriously Ill.
they feel secret dread, which Is ex-
pressed in the significant remark, not in
frequently heard 'Sandherr Ia dead;
Henry committed suicide and Du Patty de
Clam will die
The conformation today by Colonel
Mure of Captain Freystatter and General
Mercier was an instructive exposure of
the fraud and dishonesty of the general
stan, which the absence of Du Patty dc
Clam alone prevented from being complete
The defense might demand that a rogalory
committee be sent 10 examine Du Patty de
Clam on his sickbed But M. Labori and
De Mango despair Of obtaining Il satisfac-
tory result. They want to have Du Patty
de Clam In court and turn the screws on
him.
NJ. Bertillon this morning talked for two
hours during which time even Colonel
Jouaust felt constrained to bring him TO
the point. Then M. Labori popped a few
questions to him, to which the president
OF the court martial condescended to adj
nit. Captain Dreyfus also spoke a few
words repudil.ing Bertillons direct dia-
grams.
All this was mere gibberish to the ger
eral public. aIany nf whom left the court
room and walked through the court yard
All Hooked back, however. when NJ. La
bori rose and asked that Captain r. ey-
ststter be called to the bar Everybody
knew the significance OF lis appearance
and dead silence fell upon the court as the
little keen looki1g man, seemingly every
inch soldier came UP wearing his parade
uniform, with five decorations In row
across his breast --the red ribbon rosette
of the Legion OF Honor, a cross and thee
medals won in foreiga calnralgns includ-
ing Madagascar medal, from which coun-
try he returned about a year ago. Holding
his head nigh and with complete serenity
OF demeanor he walked into the court
room, paDsiag in front of Generals Mer-
cier Rogert. Gonse and De Bosieffrc, who
were sitting In the front row o. wtnes co
and who gave him silewise glances which
no did not see,as he marched with his eyes
fixed on the judges toward the platform.
This he assembled Coming to n halt in
front of coioDci Joualst. he smarsly gave
the military salute. took OF his KEPT stood
at attention and replied to the formal
questions as to his name. age and the like
In resonant tone. which he maintained
throughout the whole OF his testimony.
Never once did his voice falter. Never
did 1t degenerate into hoarse croaking, as
Colonel Maurel'sA when he was on the
stand.
Captain Frcystatter's opening statement
was discharge of grape shot for the
MERCER gang. He enumerated four docu-
ments that were secretly communicated
to the 1894 tribunal. The first Captain
Dreyfus emphatically denied and no re-
liable evidence has been adduced In its
support. The second was the "Canallle
do D." document which has been shown
mot to refer to Dreyfus at all. The third
was the "D--Ayignor letter" supporting
the second, which, therefore falls to the
ground with 1t. while the fourth was the
Fanizardi dispatch which has proven in
correctly translated and ruled out OF the
proceedings in the present trial as ut
teriy unreliable.
This was the precious selection of waste
paper which was deliberately communicate
ed to the judges In 1894. and which swayed
their Judgment. The announcement that
tho Panizardi dispatch was another one OF
the secret documents WAS q hard blow to
Mercier's declaration, because he had de-
clared In his deposition that this dispatch
was not communicated to the tribunal In
1894.
M. Labor asked Colonel Maurel to ex-
plain his declaration that only one docu-
uent was read.
Maurel gave the Jesuitical reply. II did
not say only one was read. I said only
read one
wave Of Indignation passed over the
audience and his ears were assailed with
tempest OF Misses and "Ohs" which were
repeated when be repeated In q distracted
way that he had only read one
Captain Freystatter did not hesitate
maintained his open statement. He re-
oiled: Not only did read the docu-
0ents, but Colonel Maurel read them and
Wnde 3 oommentary after zach"
Thle NJ tho " direct 70 HaureI. who