Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-08-24
Witnesses Look As If Awakened
From a Nightmare. When G..
Dismissed.
DAMAGING ADMISSIONS MADE
The Rottenness and UelineSs of
the Anti-Dreyfus Plot
Disclosed.

RENNEs, August 2i.--When the
Dreyfus trial opened today Colonel
Jouaust, president ofthe court, ordered
the evidence given by NJ. Penot, friend
of the late Colonel Sandherr, chief OF
the intelligence department, to be read.
1t was to the effect that Colonel Sand
herr said the Dreyfus family offered
him 10000 francs on the condition he
would clear Dreyfus. M. Demange for
the defense disposed of the allegation
ty reading the actual note written on
the subject by Colonel Sandherr, there.
by proving that the colonel's remarks
had been distorted, Dreyfus' brothers
having only said: D.
ave are convinced of the innocence
of our brother and will spend our en-
tire fortune to discover the truth" t-
M. Linoile, former official of the
government, testified in favor of Drey-
fus, contradicting what M. Debrieul
deposed yesterday regarding alleged
intimacy of Dreyfus with German at
tache at the house of M. Bodson, a
mutual friend.
Colonel Maurel. president of the
,Dreyfus court martial in 1894, was
called. When Labori finally disposed
of him he left the platform with the
scared look of man awakened from a
nightmare Dreyfus' counsel had drawn
from the colonel confession that the
secret dossier was communicated to the
judges of the court martial of 1894 by
Colonel Du Patty de Clam. This avowal
produced sensation. Maurel's decla-
ration that he only read one of the
documents which had no effect upon
him as his mind was already made up
was nullified by his subsequent decla-
ration that this one document sufiiced
to convince him. Labori then put
series of searching questions to General
Mercier with reference to the commun.
ication of the secret dossier to the court
martial and his attitude in 1894
The general refused TO reply TO some
of the questions and there were sharp
ard Col. Jouaust who upheld Mercier,
while the dialogue between the general
and Labori became acrimonious. The
lawyer made strong point on the part
Esterhazy played. Mercier said he did
not know Esterhazy; only saw him
once at the Zola trial.
''That is very interesting" exclaimed.
Labor, "but surely General Mercier
was present at the Esterhazy trial"
The general replied he was not there
and knew nothing about the evidence
of the EsterhaZy prosecution. ~
"Whatp cried Labor, General Mel
cier who was the chief accuser of Drey-
fus did not even follow the proceedings
of the EstherhaZy trial."
A loud murmur Of indignant COM
ment came from the audience which
Jouaust Immediately suppressed. The
counsel then brought Mercier to his as
sertion that 35,000O00 francs were spent
by the defenders of Dreyfus asking the
general to say how he knew this, who
spent it, and other awkward questions,
which he was unable to answer.
The question as to how the bordereau
arrived at the offices of the general staff,
its date, ETC., was introduced which led
to strange scene for court of law.
General Roget, on mounting the plat
form to give an explanation, was fol-
lowed by General de Boisdeffre, M.
Gribelion, Major Lauth and other mil
itary witnesses, all holding up their
hands to signify that they desired to
speak while at the same Tune Labor
was firing questions. The result was o
perfect babble. a srf
During the morning Labori ques-
toned General Mercier with reference
to a document in the secret dossier
which it is affirmed existed prior to 1894
and yet was not produced at the first
court martial of the prisoner. The gen.
eral confessed he did not know of its
existence. The same statement was
elected from General Gonse, who de-
clared that Colonel Sandherr was re-
sponsible for its non-pr0duction. The
replies were tantamount to confes-
sion that Colonel Sandherr and Lieuten-
ant Colonel Henry played with the min
lister of war and General Gonse, the as
sistant chief of the headquarters staff
and chief of the intelligence depart
meat, in keeping from the two latter
Just what he pleased.
Then Labori proceeded to take up
the contradictory translations of It and
the falseness of the final version. After
hearing Mercier and General Chanoine
on the subject Colonel Jouaust declared
the court would rule the dispatch out
of the evidence. Hes
The examination of Mercier having
been concluded, Jouaust asked Dreyfus
IL he had anything to say. The prls-
Oner In calm voice replied to Mercier's
statement that he (Dreyfu could have
obtained information about the ar
tillery promised in the bordereau while
staying at BourgeH, where the artillery
trials were being held Dreyfus entered
into an explanation as to how he spent
his time, showing he did not inform
himself about the trials of the new
gunbrake.
General RisbOurg rec0unted what
Captain Lebrun Renault said about
Dreyfns. This brought the latter to his
feet with thrilling declaration He
Oofnfed out that the captain shook him
b. the hand when he returned to prison,
which is at variance with what Ris-
bonrg recounted.
aMoreoYerv cried Dreyfus, "when .
frinhtful charge has been hanging over
mans head for Eve years, people
ought not talk of convictions but should
bring proofs Otherwise cease to un-
defstanG the NATTER
Dreyfus proceeded to totally deny the
atefy that he made confession to Cap
tnIl Lebrun Renault A number. of
other witnesses were heard, including
ff. Quesnay 0e BeauFepaire's friend
Wnller. who was responsible for the
story that he found marginal note on
the subject OF the arrest of Dreyfus on
8 newspaper in Emperor Williams bed