The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-10

ticn." Zola was sentsnced to a years Imprisonment and fine of 5000 francs, 'S60O. and when he appeared on the street. the mob tried hard to get at him, but were held back by the police. The Court of Cessation, on appeal quashed this verdict. April 2, on the ground that the prosecution was improperly instituted by the Minister of War, whereas 1t should have been brought by the mem- bers of the Esterhazy courtmartial. These pet sons determining on a second prose- cution, also decided that it should be based solely on the assertion that the courtmartial acquitting Esterhazy by or der. This decision was pub ished April 10, and Zola replied in The Aurore, show Ing how the prosecution intended to keep him from giving the proof of his asser- cusations by confning its attacks to one small point. The second trial was opened May z In the court house at Versailles, which was strongly guarded by troops. Ihe proceedings were opened by M La bori who entered several demurrers. in particular denying the jurisdiction of the versailles jury. The court overruled the cemurrers. M. Labori then lodged an ap- peal to the Court of Cessation, and the triay was ordered to De suspended. While Zola was awaiting the decision of the
 
 many attacks, one of the most virulent being an article in The Petit Journal en- titled "Zola, Father and Son." accusing Zola's father of theft while in the French army. M. Zola replied in fiery article headed Mon Pere," and instituted a prosecution for defamation against the newspaper.
 On July 16 the Court of Cessation re- jected his appeal, and two days later the second trial of NM. Zola and Perreux (the manager of L'Aurore) was resumed in the Assize Court at Versailles. Sev- aral objections to the trial proceedings were raised by M. Labori and overruled by the Court. The public prosecutor charged the defendants with stunning the trial. to which Labori replied. We will not shun the trial if we are allowed to bring our proofs" This retort caused a tremendous uproar in Court. As the Court refused to suspend the trial, the defendants appealed against the overrul- ing, announced that judgment would be allowed by default, and left the Court room. The trial then proceeded and the defendants were found guilty and each sentenced to years Imprisonment and fine of $500. On August the Court of Cassation dismissed the third appeal of Zola with costs. This left the novelist and his publisher. under the law. five years in which to present themselves for fresh trial, after which time the con- viction by default would become indefi- nite Meanwhile. about July 19 M. ZoIa disappeared from Paris, and was vari- ously said to be in Switzerland, London, Norway and Brussels.
 In Zola's absence civil suits against him were pressed to judgment by the handwriting experts. whose testimony at the original Dreyfus trials he had ridi- culed. These experts including NJ. Ber- tillon, secured judgments amounting to $600O and costs for libel, and in October 1898, Zola being still absent from Paris an auction sale of his household fur niture was ordered. His friends thronged to the sale aN bid the necessary $6,333 for the first article offered. a Louis XIII table worth not above $40 and tagged with the upset price of $24. M Zola returned to Paris in June. 1899, a new trial of Dreyfus having been ordered meantime and the Rennes court-martial being about to begin. The amnesty granted after Dreyfus's second conviction and pardon freed Zola from the litigation caused by the "Jaccuse" letter. and restored to him his cross of the Legion of Honor. Vhich his championship of Dreyfus had temporarily cost him.