Arizona republican., 1914-05-25
r&~ &d|Rl(4@, U Lze U Great Trials %
 History
Trial of M. Zola

What monstrous injustice was the trial of NJ Zola, the eminent French writer, who was arrested charged with libeling the French army. The charge against him was preferred by the same set of Frenchmen who had con- signed the innocent Alfred Dreyfus to sentence worse than death.
 M. Delegorgue was the president Of the court of assiZes of the Seine who tried Zola. The hearing con- sumed fifteen days in February. 1899 Hundreds of spectators were present during it's continuation, and on the most part their conduct was outrage ous. and the anti-Dreyfus demonstra tions were encouraged rather than otherwise by those in charge of the trial. This rabble was allowed to ac- centuate the proceedings by clamor of assent or dissent as the evidence suited or displeascd them.
 Zola, early in January of 1899, pub lished in a daily paper in Paris called 'LAurore," a letter addressed 10 President Faure, in which he charged, in no uncertain or mealy terms, an accusation against mili- tary tribunals which. within the few preceding months, had acquitted an alleged traitor, and which, in 1894. had condemned another army officer, Dreyfus-to banishment for life in q penal settlement after his conviction upon the charge of revealing army secrets to a foreign government. It was just after the acquittal of Esterhazy for his part in the Drey- ! fus degradation, and as the author of the Bordereau. that Zola wrote i the letter to the president of France accusing both councils of war ot 1 having knowingly screened the req culprit in punishing Dreyfus and ac- quitting EsterhaZy
 l The letter consumed several col umns of the IL 'Autore" Thereupor the minister of war, under Articles
 90 and 31 of the correctional press
 law of July 9. 1881, which punishe:
 defamation. preferred charges agains
 Zola. which charges ignored all tn
 other libelous criticisms in the lette
 of what Zola called the infamies 0
 the Drevfus trial mainly behind close, doors and with secret testimony" an
 confined the prosecution to the charg
 that the council of war, which ac
 quilted Esterhazy. acted not on evi | dence, but on government orders [ , acqliit. lest conviction should fire Dreyfus and convict the prior counc of error
 Nearly all the Paris papers de i clared that the honor of the Frenc
 army had been assailed by Zola. an
 so initiated patriotic cry agains
 him. The complaint against tn
 prisoner was submitted by Genera
 Elliot, minister of war and after
 was read by the county clerk, in
 attorney general NJ. Van Casoe
 opened for the prosecution After h
 concluded with q speech consumin
 half an hour NJ. Labori, the advocat
 of Zola, opened his defense in
 speech that occupied more than thre hours. It is said to have been elo quently delivered.
 The trial, as it advanced, disclose great personal feeling between tn counsel and strong unconcealed judi c'H' bias against Zola On the sec ond day of the trial Zola asked per mission to be heard, which was grant ed. or course he admitted writin the letter, but defended his doing s Tn a brilliant speech. Among tn "-EHr witnesses called were Patv d Clam. who declined to answer oues