The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-15
MILITARY SCANDAL
CAUSES SENSATION
Rousset Affair in Algeria Bids
Fair to Rival Famous
Dreyfus Case.
.COLD-BLOODED MURDER
Perpetrators Carry Out In
genious Coup; Rousset Vic
tim; Inquiry Tomorrow.
COLD-BLOODED MURDER
BY GEORGE DUFRESNE.
Special Cable to The Tribune.

Special Cable to The Tribune
PARIS, Sept. 14--Another military
scandal, which, even if it does not STIR
up as much sensation as the famous
Dreyfus affair, will still shock the whole
country, is looming up in Algeria II
ls the HAffaire Rousset.'
France, which in so many WAYS leads
in the march towards better things, still
sends her children to the sands Of AL
geria for military service. Besides the
Twentieth army corps stationed in
northern Algeria, there are the tragic
"Compagnies de Discipline" in which
even the most militaristic papers admit
at5ocions horrors take place every. year.
The "Affaire Rousset" had its incep.
tion In a cold-blooded and revolving
murder. In Algeria, military culprits
are punished by being compelled to
march beneath the burning sun carry-
ing. on their backs heayily.loaded knap-
sacks. 1t was one day the turn of a
private named Aernoult. whose
Hcrime' WAS peaceful picketing for
Paris trade union.
Thrust Sand in Mouth.
BE was utterly exhausted In spirit a.
well as in body, and he staggered and
dropped on the sand from thirst and fa-
tigue.. A lieutenant and two sergeanta
were highly amused, "You want some
thing to drinkq" they said. HTben
here you are," and they filed the
mouth Of the fainting soldier with
handfuls of burning sand. That night
he died in terrible agony.
Housset was one Of a file of soldiers
who witnessed this barbarism. He alone
OF all the little troops dared tell Of
what he saw, and to press the murder
er's punishment. It was then that the
promise was made to this brave private.
winch has today revealed the ipnominy y
world.
elf you overlook what happens in
the army" 1t ran, "the army win over
look your own misdemeanors.' Rous-
set stuck to his charges-and found
himself in the Douera prison.
But the matter had by this time be-
come too acandalous to stop here. The
Comite de Defense Socials.'' founded
by the revolutionary workers OF
France, investigated the charges Of
Rousset against the three officers, and
endorsed them. Their committee WIS
prosecuted by the Jingoists. but the
civil court absolved them, and by so
dong proved beyond doubt the moral
culpability. of Aernoult's assassins.
That was in the summer of 1911. The
murder occurred On July 5. 1909. and
despite official sympathy, the murder
ers we're still at large, while Rousset
was prisoner.
Affair Takes New Turn.
IT was then that the affair took a
hopeful turn. General Rabier, sent
into Algeria by the war department,
reported that Aernoult met violent
and not an accidental death. The three
ulprits-Liutenant Sabatier and Ser
geants Veignier and Casanova-wera
at once taken into custody; Rousset
was released and sent to complete his
military service at Meden. Then, quito
suddenly. the blow fell.
Three days before the three culprtts
were TO appear before the military
court. at Oran, Rousset was accused OF
numbering one Of his comrades, Pri-
vate Braucoli. The murderers were set
free, new inquiry was Instituted and
completed, and Rousset was sentenced
to twenty years. penal servitude, Thus
the case stands today, except that
popular indignation has forced the
court Of Yassation TO set aside the
military tribunals decree and order n
new and final inquiry, which is to COM
mence on Monday. Rousset's friends
have been able to get full retrnctions
from SIX of the witnesses, whose evil
dence was inspired by official threats