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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 25, 1899)
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : FRIDAY , AUGUST 25 , 1899. t ) 1IERC1ER IS HARD PRESSED Labori Pir.es Questions at Him Which H f Declines to Answer. MOST EXCITING SCENE.OF . THE TRIAL Important Atlmlnnlonn Mnilo by Presi dent ot tlie VlTHt DrcXu * Court- .Miirtlnl-Snndlicrr I tvlth Ministry. HENNES , Aug. 24. When the fourth ses- ulon of the third week of the Drey fus trial opened at the Lycco huro at 6:20 : n. m. today Colonel Jouaust , president of the court , ordered that the evidence given by M. Penot , a friend of the late Colonel Sandherr , chief of the Intelligence department , bu read-by the clerk of the court. It was to the effect that Colonel Saodhcrr said the Dreyfus family offered him 160,000 francs on condi tion , that he would clear Diuytus. M. Dcmango , for the defense , disposed ot this allegation by reading the actual note on tbo subject written by Sandherr , thereby proving that the colonel's remarks had been distorted , Dreyfus' brothers hav ing only said : "Wo are convinced of the innocence of our brother and will spend our cntlro fortune to discover the truth. " The testimony ot the flrst witness of the day , M. Llnolle , a former official ot the government , tfas also In favor of Droyfus , as It wag In direct contradiction of what M. Brleul deposed yesterday regarding the alleged Intimacy of Dreyfus with the Ger man attache at the house of M. Bodson , a mutual friend. The president of the court then called the next witness , Colonel Maurel , who was president of the Dreyfus court-martial In 1894. Complete silence fell upon the court as the Infantry sergeant who was acting as uafhcr Conducted Maurel to the witness bar. The colonel was attired In n black frock coat and wore the red ribbon of the Legion of Honor In his buttonhole. His hair Is gray and ho has a ragged , iron-gray mus tache. His face showed anxiety. As M. Laborl Itishcd him with pointed questions the colonel hesitated nnd then answered IM a short , choppy manner , nnd when M. Laborl finally disposed of blm the witness left the platform with the pale face and Beared look of a man who has awakened from a nightmare. Counsel had drawn from the colonel a confession that the secret dossier was communicated to the judges of the court-martial of 1894 by Colonel Du Paty do Clam. This avowal produced a sensation in court and Jlnurcl'a declaration that ho only read ono of the documents did not affect the mal'ntfact , that the reading of the document had no effect upon him , as his mind was already made up , was nullified by his subsequent declaration that this one document sufficed to convince him. < Mcrcicr on the Itnclc. M. .Laborl then put a series ot searching questions to General Mercler with reference to the communication ot the secret dossier to the court-martial and , his attitude in 1894 , and aa interesting sscno ensued. The general refused to reply to all ( Jhe questions and there were sharp passages-at-arms be tween counsel and Colonel Jouaust , who up held General Morcler , whllo the dialogue be tween the general and M , Laborl became acrimonious. Counsel became very heated and showed It in bis voice and gestures. The general , .however troubled his mind might bo , seldom departed from the callous Mneanor characteristic of himself. The lawyer made a strong point on the ' t Esterhazy flayed. Meroler said bo did | , knowllEster.haz , a id.qnly saw J lm once nt the Zold trlab "That is very interesting , " exclaimed M. Laborl. "But surely General Mercler was present at the Esterbazy trial ? " The general replied that bo was not there and that ho knew nothing about the evl- denco in the Estcrhazy prosecution. . " Vhat , " cried J.I. . Laborl , "General Mer- clor , who was the chief accuser of tfreyfus , did not oven follow tbe proceedings In the Esterhazy trial ? " A loud murmur of surprise and indignant comment came from tbe audience , but Col onel Joua'ust immediately suppressed It. Counsel then brought General Mercler to his assertion that 35,000,000 francs were sent by the defenders of Dreyfus and asked the general to eay how ho know this , who spent it , and other awkward questions which tbe general was unable to answer. A question as to liow the bordereau ar rived at the offices of the general staff , its date , etc. , was then Introduced , which led to a strange scene for a court of law. All AVnut to Talk. General Roget , on mounting the platform to glvo explanations , was followed by Gen T f eral de Bolsdettre , M. Gribelln , Major Lauth and other military witnesses , all holding up their hinds to signify that they desired to npe k , while at the same tlmo M. Laborl was firing questions. The result was a per fect babel until the president , of the court could stand it no longer , andwhen the gov ernment commissary , Major Carrlere , also interpolated a few remarks , Colonel Jouaust turned to blm and asked him to be quiet , remark-Ing that the judges could not hear bait a dozen people at the same tlmo. During the course of the morning M. Laborl questioned General Mercler with reference to a document In the secret dos sier , which1 U is affirmed existed prior to 1894 , and y.ot was not produced at the first court-martial of tbo prisoner. The general confessed that ho did not konw of its existence , and the eama state ment was elicited from General Gonso , who declared that Colonel Sandherr was respon sible for ita non-production. These replica were tantamount to a con fession that Colonel Sandherr and Lieuten ant Colonel Henry played with the minister of war , and even that General Gonae , assist ant chief ot ' the headquarters staff , the chief of the intelligence department , kept " from the two latter just what he pleased. Then M. Lahorl proceeded to take up the Pantzzardl dispatches to bring out the con tradictory translations ot it and the false ness of the final version. After hearing General iMerclor and General Cbanolno on the subject Colonel Jouauat declared the court would rule tbo dispatch out of order. The examination of General Mercler hav ing been concluded , Colonel Jouaust naked Dreyfus if he had anything to say , nnd the prisoner , in & calm voice , replied to Mer- cler'o statement that ho ( Oroyfus ) could have obtained tho. information about the artillery promised lu tbo bordereau while etaylng at Bourges , whore artillery trials ere being bold. Dreyfus entered Into an explanation as to how be spent bs | time , MUNYON'S guarantee that my Kidney Cure will cur 00 per cent. of all formi of kidney complaint and la many luitances tbe moat scrloui fornii ot Bright' ! disease , It tbe disease U com plicated tend a four * ounce vial of urine. AVe will analyze it and oilvlBo you free KIDNEY CURE showing that ho did not Inform himself about the trial * of the now nun brake. General IDsbourg recounted what Captain LcbrunMlennult said about Dreyfus , and this brought the latter to his feet with a thrilling declaration. He pointed out that the captain shook him by the hand when ho returned to the prison , which Is at variance with what General Illebourg recounted , "Moreover , " continued Dreyfus , "when a frightful chargd has been hanging over a mnti'o hoail for over five years people ought not to talk of convictions , but should bring proofs. Otherwise I cease to understand the matter. " This Indignant protest caused a deep sen sation In court. Continuing , Dreyfus proceeded to totally deny the story that ho had made n confes sion to Captain Lebnm-Honault. Proceeding ! ! In Detail. Following arc the proceedings In detail : At the opening of the proceedings this morning Colonel Jouaust ordered that the evidence of 1'cnot , a friend of the late Colonel nel Sandherr , chief of he Intelligence de partment , bo read by the court , wlilch was done. This testimony , ns given before the court of cassation , sot forth that Colonel Sandhorr told M , Penot that the brothers of Dreyfus had offered 150,000 francs to settle the case , adding that Sandherr was so In censed at the proposal that ho ordered them out of his office. M. Demange , as a counterblast , read a note written by Sandherr the same day the Interview with the brothers of Dreyfus took place. It appeared from this note that the brothers Imagined a plot was bolng hatched against Captain Dreyfus because he was a Jew. They maintained the captain's Inno cence and declared they would do every thing In their power to obtain his rein statement , saying that If necessary they would spend their whole fortune to arrive at the truth and would Oo everything to that cndi Counsel pointed out that there were serious discrepancies between M. 1'enot's written statement that money was offered and Colonel Sandhorr's letter. At the request of M. Laborl , the president of the court permitted M. Ltnollc , a former official of the government , to testify. The witness eald ho had also dined at M. Bod- son's In company with Dreyfus , and declared ho did not believe Dreyfus was capable of the crime for which ho had been sentenced. M. Laborl Were there any foreigners at M. Bodson's house ? SI. Llnolle I do not remember. M. Laborl Do you remember seeing any foreign diplomats tbero ? M. Llnolle Not at all. Besides , M. BoJson was not of foreign extraction. Ho was the son of nn Orleans vinegar merchant. I'rcHlilcnt ot Fir/it Trial Testifies. There was considerable stir In court when the name of Colonel Maurol , who was presi dent of the Dreyfus court-martial of 1891 , was called , anxl the colonel appeared at the witness bar. Ho started by emphatloally denying that any communication , verbal or written , was made to the members of the court'during the course of. the trial. He said they only knew the case from the docu ments In the dossier and the testimony given. Then the colonel , saying ho only desired to speak of matters , upon which his recollection was clear , proceeded to declare that ho had nothing to say In regard to the expert evidence of M. Charavay , M. Toyasonlercs or M. Pelletler. but , he added , M. Bcrtlllon's evidence appealed to the eyes and minds of the judges. It had been said that the judges did not understand It , but that was not true. Regarding the evidence given at the court- martial of 1894witness said ho considered that Major Du Paty do Clam had only given the court a circumspect repetition of his report , while the late Lieutenant Colonel Henry's evidence would have been more forcible If less exaggerated. At the same tlmo , Maurel continued , ho believed Henry had spoken without hatred or passion. The prisoner's attitude at the trial was correct and calm. Hlsrrepeated denials and protests were far from' astonishing the wit ness. They seemed perfectly natural. The only letter handed to Colonel Maurel during the course of the trial was not brought by Colonel Ploquart. The letter , moreover , was returned the same evening to the officer who brought It. Replying to M. Laborl , Maurel said ho did not know General Morcler and had never seen him since the trial until .Tune last. Mlnil Already Mmlc Up , W. Laborl Can Colonel Maurel tell us to what he attributes the secret communication of itho dossier ? Colonel Maurel I have not the slightest Idea. Idea.M. M. Laborl Can you tell the name of tbo officer who 'brouchit ' you the private loiter ? Colonel Maurel It was Du Paty do Clam. ( Sensation ) . M. Laborl Were there many documents In this secret dossier ? Can you state what they were ? Colonel Maurel I only saw ono of them. I did not look at the others because niy mind was already made up. M. Laborl Had the other members of the court also made uo their minds ? Colonel Maurol Yes. Witness added that two members ot thn court confided to him on this subject. JI. Laborl Can you tell us how , knowing , as the judge , that It was your duty to seek conscientiously for Information and * o ex pect sincere communication : from the pub lic prosecutor , that is to say , communica tions setting forth all the points In the cose , both for and aatnst the prisoner , you could bo ot the oolnlan that your mind was legally made up after reading a single document ? ( Prolonged sensation ) . Colonel Maurel said ho failed to clearly grasp the question , and M , Laborl repeated his query , whereupon the witness replied that ho could not answer because If ho did he would have to speak of the first document In the dossier , "which convinced the court ot tbo prisoner's guilt. " lAt this point M. Laborl said ho would like to confront Colonel Maurel with Captain Froystaoter , another of the judces at the court-martial of 1894. But Freystaeter was not present , and Colonel Maurel promised to wait a few days and give the captain an opportunity of attending. A lively Incident followed. M. Laborl having asked leave to Interrogate General Mercler , the government commissary , Major Carrloro , took occasion to remark that while counsel bad the right to ask questions , he had no buslncts to draw deductions , to which tbo lawyer replied that he had al ways acted with a full knowledge of the re strictions imposed upon counsel and that bo had no need ot lessons from Major Carriers nnd Would not accept them. Mercler Uxpecti a noant. General Morcler was then recalled and It was noted that ho bad donned hte uniform for the flrst tlmo. The Impression thereby created was that the general , expecting a hot cross-examination , thought that his uni form would perhaps protect him. M. Laborl Bald ho desired to know if General Mercler admitted ordering Colonel Maurel to communicate secret documents to tbo court-martial of 1894. General .Mercler I knew I did not have the right to give formal orders to that effect , but I have moral orders in a manner sufficiently clear , ( Sensation. ) Counsel proceeded to closely question the general , referring to the "Dlxl" article In the Libra Parolo. Morcler replied that he was BO accustomed to violence from the press that ho paid no attention to that article. He added that ho paid no more attention to the eulogies of the Libre Parole than to the statements of other newspapers. Replying to further questions , the general said that when Dreyfus woa arrested he knew of no other proof against him than tbo bordereau. There were , therefore , only suspicions , but It was urgently necessary not to lose tlmo in arresting him la orier ' to stop tbe treasonable practices. M , Laborl here asked Colonel Jouaust to secure the evidence ot M. Papllland , editor of the Libre Parole , In regard to the "Dlxl" letter. In which tbe name ot Dreyfus was disclosed as that of the officer arrested for espionage. As Colonel Jouaust hesitated , M , Laborl Insisted upon the necessity for an examina tion of Papllland , "In order to reach the truth I am seeking for. The whole responsi bility for this case , " counsel added , "I be lieve really rests upon the late Lieutenant Colonel Henry and Colonel Du Paty do Clam. " Resuming the examination ot General Mercler , M. Laborl asked him several ques tions as to why he at the first ascribed the date of the bordereau to April. General Mer cler said that in 1894 he was only acquainted with the scncral reasons which existed for believing Drovtus guilty and had not paid much attention to the details. HcfnNCN in Annwer < lue tloii . The general refused to reply to many ot the questions. For Instance , ho declined to say whether ho had examined the proofs advanced against Dreyfus. M. Laborl In short , you considered It in the nature of n eecsatlonal move to have Dreyfus prosecuted and sentenced ? Did you examine previously the charges against DroyfUB ? General Mercler I only examined the nature ot the documents betrayed. M. Laborl Was It not necessary for that purpces to fix the date ot the bordereau ? General Mercler I do not think so. Fur ther , I declare M , Laborl U discussing the whole trial of 1S94. That may have some Interest from a historical point ot view. | But fllnce the court of cassation quashed , the judgment It seems to mo that It Is not for us now to rovcrt to the various features ot that trl.il. | M. Laborl pointed out the contradictions In the evidence of the officers of the head quarters staff regarding the importance | and nature of the contents of the bordereau. and asked General Merclcr where Dreyfus could have obtained particulars about tbo pneumatic brake. | The general hotly objected to being asked to repeat his evidence and M , Labor ) , equally warm , said : "I am only asking for definite statements. " . Mercler then said ho thought Dreyfus might have had cognizance of the brake at Bourgcs , adding : "In any case , he had a I batter chaaco to obtain such knowledge than Esterhazy could posplbl > have bad. M. Laborl General Mercler aays Dreyfus might have had cognizance. I desire to emphasize that expression. Wo shall now provo Dreyfus could not have had cognizance of the brake. Counsel proceeded to demonstrate how rigorously the secret of the construction ot the brake was guarded find asked why , In 1894 , the charges regarding the Robin melinite shells wore not dwelt upon. General Mercler That arises from tha simple fact that It was not known until 1896 or 1897 that Information on tha sub ject was being divulged. The oxlstcnco of , treachery In regard to tlho distribution ot heavy artillery among the army corps was unknown until 1895. The passages-at-arms between M. Laborl and General Mercler were followed with the keenest interest. Both men wore wary and mutually suspicious of each jithcr and there was considerable acerbity , Colonel Jouaust at times finding it difficult In pre venting the discussion from wandering out side legal paths. Dunlcn Knoivliii ? Esterltnxy. Continuing , M. Laborl asked why General Mercler did not have a report prepared re garding the confessions Dreyfus Is alleged to have made to Captain Lebrun-Renault. " Mercler The question of confessions was of no Importance , as a. revision of the 'case seemed Impossible. M. Laborl What does General Mercler think of Estcrhazy and the part he played ? General Mercler I do not know Esterhazy and I"do not think about him at : all. " M. * Laborl Did he know you at his trial In 1898 ? General Mercler No. Colonel Jouaust General Mercler was not minister of war then. M. Laborl This is most Interesting. Gen eral Mercler declares ho knows nothing of the trial of 1898. General Meroler I know nothing ot It. 1 leave that to the court-martial which tried Esterhazy. I have only to answer In court for my acts , and I refuse you the right to question mo about my thoughts. ( Sensa tion ) . Colonel Jouaust , addressing M. Laborl , said : "You are not reverting to the vi- dence of General Mercler. " M. Laborl My object In Interrogating the witness IB to revert to his evidence. General Mercler I protest against the word "Interrogatory , " for I am not a pris oner. oner.Note ( Note Interrogatory , In French law , gen erally applies to the examination of an ac cused person by a magistrate. ) UvadeM the Question. 'M. ' Laborl It la not a question ot inter rogatory. I used the word In the most respectful sense. Will General Mercler say what ho means by the charge preferred against tbe partisans of Dreyfus of having spent 35,000,000 francs. What was this sum used tor ? The amount Is simply ridiculous. General Mercler I might just as well ask you. ( Sensation ) . M. Laborl Do you mean to suggest that It was spent In advertisements and In buyIng - Ing consciences ? General Mercler I say nothing whatever. Counsel next wished to know why the bordereau was communicated to the court- martial of 1894 , when it was considered Im possible to show the other documents ot the secret dossier. General Mercler Because the bordereau was not dated nor signed and Its place of origin could be concealed. M. Laborl pointed out that tbe place of origin had been mentioned In court and then asked for explanations In regard to the perpetration of the 1894 ( orgery. The croEs-exormluatlon of General Mercler became more and more heated and so rapid that It was difficult to follow and many of the answers were confusing. Stir * Uu a Hornet's XcHt. As the questions of counsel touched upon tbe secret dossier and a certain document In 'bluo ' pencil , .General Gonso , General Rbget , M , Grlbelln and Major Lauth also participated In the discussion , which almost degenerated into a wrangle. The govern ment commissary , Major Carriers , protested against such discussion and Colonel Jouauat ordered eirence. The commissary said an attempt was being made to chow tbero was a fresh forgery which wo * used for purposes ot comparisons , to which M. Laborl retorted that Major Carrlere wu mistaken. The tendency of these cross-examinations , he added , was only to demonstrate the truth. Major Lauth said he believed a clue to the blue pencil document existed before the trlaf of 1894 , and M , Labor ! asked why , In that case , It was not produced at tbe trial , since It Incriminated the prisoner. General Mercler eald be did not know ot this clue and Major Lauth disclaimed all responsibility in the matter , as ho was not connected with the preliminary inquiry. General Gonse said tbe document bad been in tbe possession of Colonel Sandherr ( sensa tion ) and It was by him placed in the secret dossier for comparison with other papers , M , UaTTorl as ed for explanations in re gard to tbe commentary on the secret dossier and General Mercle-r admitted be destroyed it in 1897. General Genie , yho was questioned on the same subject , declared - clared that It was by order ot QIC oral de Bolsdeffre that he returned the com mentary to General Mercler. Answering further questions , Mercler eald the I'anlt- zardl telegram way not communicated to the court-martial of 1894. He was ordered - ' dered by General de Bolsdeffre not to in clude It in tbo secret dossier. ( Sensation. ) Counsel next discussed the three-page document , claiming that the false render ing of the Panlztardl telegram was to make It point directly to Dreyfus as the traitor. tMercler asked to bo allowed to convene with General Chamolh before attempting to explain , General Cham61n thereupon ad vanced and explained about the document , which had been handed him by General Merclcr. Ha said ho noticed Inaccuracies In It and resolved not to iwe It. Witness , however , had been carried away In testifyIng - I Ing and read a page of tbe document nnl it was after a friendly conversation with Maltro Laborl that ho read the cntlro docu ment In court at General Merclor'a request and returned htm the document. Trnord to Vnty Ac Clnin. General Merclcr acknowledged tbe accu racy of General Chamoln's statement , adding that It was Colonel Du Paty do Clam who gave him the document. ( Sensation. ) Counsel had the document re-read and re ferred to the two versions ot the two tele grams of November 2 , ono designating Dreyfus as communicating documents to Germany , M. Laborl pointing out that M. Palcologuo of the foreign office denied that the ministry ot foreign affairs had com municated this version and asked why Gen eral Morelcr had received It through Du Paty do Clam. At this juncture General Roget mounted the platform and expressed surprise nt this "Idle controversy being resumed. " ( Cries ot "Oh , ohl" ) The general asked that Major Maton , who assisted In deciphering the telegram , bo called , and counsel pro tested ngalnst the application of the word "Idlo" to any questions ho thought proper to ask. General Chamoln said that he communi cated the amount to General Roget , while enjoining absolute prhncy on the subject. When nskod If ho accepted responsibility far tha document , General Chamoln replied In the affirmative , adding , however , the ad- nilsslon that ho had made a mistake. Colonel Jouaust intimated that the court ought to take no notice ot the document In question. Dreyfus here gave a detailed story of how he employed his time at Bourges from Octo ber , 1889 , to February , 1890. He said that as ho wag preparing for his examination ho had no tlmo to go to cafes or to think ot anything outside of his duties. This was a reply to General Morclcr's assertion that ho could have learned the secret of the pneumatic brake there. The prisoner said : ' 'I ' was promoted cap tain September 20 , 1889 , and remained at Bourgcs from October , 1SS3 , to February , 1890 , when the written examination at the military college began , I was then called to Paris , obtained two months' leave anil wan married In April. I spent four months at Bourges. As I was preparing for ex amination I had no time to go to cafes or to think of anything outside of my duties. " General Rlabourg , who was commander of the Republican guard In Paris In 1894 , was the next -witness. Ho described the scene with Captain Lebrun-Renault , when the witness learned of Dreyfus' alleged confes sions to Captain Lebrun-Renault , tbe day after the prisoner's degradation. In conclusion , General Rlsbourg eulogized the service ot Captain Lebrun-Renault an.l said that bcforo the Incident of the con fession there was nothing agaJost him. Ho was an excellent officer , a good comrade and Incapable of Injuring any one. After being asked the usual question , Dreyfus protested against General RIs- bourg's evidence. "I am surprised , " the prisoner said , "thati he , Captain Lebrua-Renault , 'Could have , made the statements attributed to him. On ! the way from the prison ot La Sante Cap tain Lobrun-Renault shook bands with me , , a fact which Is in contradiction of his statej j ment. Besides , when such a terrible charge has ibecn hanging over a man who has re- ' elsted It for five years , witnesses should not ! come here merely to speak their beliefs , but ought to bring proofs , ' * positive proofs. Otherwise , I am completely nonplussed as to how I can reply. " ( Sensation. ) DrojfUK ClveMjtlic True Version. Dreyfus then proceeded to give the true version of his words on the occasion ot the alleged confession and dwelt " = his pro testations of innocence to Du Paty de Clam. The prisoner's remarks 'deeply impressed bis hearers. At the request ot M. Demange , General Morcler was recalled and asked to explain why , having sent Du Paty" de Clam to Drey fus to discover tbo amount of the Injury Droyfus had done ho bad not followed up his investigations. General Mercler I did cot feel called upon to do so. The prisoner again protested that the in quiry ought to be followed up "because It would have served to destroy the fiction of a confession , to which such Importance was now attached. " ( Sensation. ) Major Cure testified to a conversation be had with Colonel Plcquart in 1896 , when the witness save Esterhazy a very bad char acter. Billet , formerly a porter at the war office , deposed as to the visit ot M. Leblols to Colonel Plcquart , which , the latter has never denied. M. Jules Roche , a deputy and former min ister , testified to his acquaintance with Esterhazy in 1894 , when the witness was studying the question of the sufficiency of the effective strength of the arm ; , which had become more Important In consequence of the new German law of 1893 , adding 80,000 men to the German army. Esterhazy , It appeared , afterward visited M. Roche and wrote to him on various occasions until 1897. Ono letter referred to the fact that the late Lieutenant Colonel Henry was In debted to him. M. Roche also described the steps ho took to procure the admission of Estorhazy Into the war office. Replying to the government commissary , M. Roche declared that General Billet , who was then minister of war , told him he must ocase to interest himself In Estsrhazy. "not only for private and legal reasons , but for other reasons still more peremptory. " ( Sensation ) . M. Laborl Insisted upon having further details of General Billot's statement. The witness eald he could not recall the exact words ot the minister , but their effect then was such Uiat ho felt under a moral obliga tion to cease to Interest blmeolf In Ester- hazy. Ordern to "Wntoli EiterUuxy. After a brief suspension of the session M. de Verulne , special emissary of tbe min ister of war , deposed that Colonel Plcquart was ordered to have Esterhazy watched. Witness Informed General Qonse , and the latter was advised to continue tbe investi gation discreetly. On several occasions , witness continued , Estorhazy was seen en tering the German embassy , always quite openly , but dressed in civilian clothes. M. do Verulne saw Eeterhazy enter the German embassy October 23 , 1897. He stayed there an hour and drove to the Credit Fonder , whence be went to tbe office of La Patrie. M. Laborl What does General Rogct think of the part played by Eaterbary ? General Hegel I have said that the part played by Esterhazy escaped me completely. M. Laborl General Roget , however , spoke of the syndicate aa though it was a public institution. General Roget Exactly ; It Is a public in stitution. Everybody talks of It. M. Laborl But General Roget mentioned an offer of 000,000 francs to Esterhazy. I Insist upon asking General Rogct what he thinks of Esterhazy'a visit to Colonel Schwartzkoppen ( tbo German military at * tache ) October 23 , 1897 , the same day as the Interview in Mont Souris park , a. visit , during the course of which it is known Eaterhazy threatened to commit suicide If tbe Gorman military attache refused to de clare that ho ( Esterhazy ) was not the author of the bordereau , General Roget It is not for me to say what I think of it. M , Laborl ( resuming his seat ) Very good. ( Loud and prolonged laughter. ) Colonel Fleur , retired , testified to tbe numerous alleged Inaccuracies In Colonel Cordler's evidence before the court ot causa , tlon. Cordler told the witness that the dis missal of himself and Colonel Sandherr was the beginning ot a Jewish revenge and ivddcd that the Jewa had Influenced General do Bolsdeffe , Cordler also &ld that he had not doubted the guilt of Dreyfus. The wit ness dramatically added : "What was my stupefaction when , lattr , 1 heard Colonel Cordler express Ideas diamet rically oppcelte to those ho expressed to mo. Proceeding , Colonel Fleur repeated the tnttio Intending to Incriminate Dreyfus , when M , Demange Interrupted him , paying : This is nothing but cowlp. " M , Labor ) nsked that all the persona pen * tloned by Colonel Fleur bo cited to appear. The colonel protested dg ! .ist his evidence being dubbed "gossip , " and maintained the correctness of his statements. Asked It ho desired to reply to the wit- nres , Dreyfus , said ! He Will Not l\ei \ > l > - to Mr * . "I have nothing to say. 1 only reply to facts. I will not reply to lies. If you attach the slightest Importance to what has been said , I beseech you with all my heart to make a most complete inquiry for the most dazzling truth. That is what I ask of- you , my colbnel , nnd of the members of tbo court-martial , " Colonel Cordler , who was deputy chief of the bureau of Intelligence. In 1894 , was .called. He protested against the conditions under which ho was summoned , without be ing released from bis oath of professional : secrecy , and also protested nt the manner In which the summons was worded , "I am represented , " ho raid , "ns not being on the active list of the aray ami as if 1 had been retired on half nay. That Is un true. " The witness expatiated on the * crtf > s ot schemes which ho olalmrd he bad been the victim , to the nmusomnit ot the couri , until Colonel Jouaust Invltad him to curtail bis recriminations and proceed wjth bis testi mony , to which Cordter genially replied : "I nm coming to that , my olonel. I'll rcfich It In less Mian five minutes. You will set ) how I shall cut it abort. " Colonel Cordler , who Is said to bo fjlvpn t. > excessive drinking , c > iii3d shouts ot laughter by Inlerlrtrdtnc his remarks with the ex pression : "Full stop : that's all. " Even ihu judges joined in shrinks ot lauchtor t the colonel's testimony. As Colonel Cordler could only testify as to certain facts , since ho was not rclwsoJ from professional secrecy , Colonel Jouaust said he would ask iho mlnloter ot war 10 release Cordler from his oath and .that ho would then be recalled. M. GcorgevCharles-Alfrod-Marla-MlllIn do Grandmalson , denu'y from iho S&uniur district of Malne-Et-Lolrc , who Is cterced ns a royalist , though registered as a liberal republican , next appeared at the witness bar and repeated the testimony he had given bj- from tbe court of cassation. He recalled a conversation ho had dad with nn English friend , Mr. Charles Dakar , who said he was assured Dreyfus woe innocent , because ho had seen a letter from Colonel Schwartz koppen affirming the prlaonor's Innocence. Baker , It seems , also mentioned numerous documents showing .that certain French offi cers. Including Dreyfus , were spies nnd Ba ker asUed the witness to publish the docu ments , but without proofs of tholr genuine ness , as Emperor William did not wish to intervene. Not Ilccnnno He In a Jew. The witness , after protesting against for eign Interference in French affairs , repudi ated the Idea that a. French officer could be sentenced because he was a Jew. M. do Grand Maison concluded by saying : "I adjure the court to acquit the prisoner unhesitatingly , it It believes him Innocent ( laughter ) and to convict him if it believes him guilty. " iM. Demango bitterly complained that the witnesses of. the prosecution were allowed to air their personal opinions .and appeal to the gallery , to which M. de Grand Maison retorted : "Anyway , the defenders of Drey fus are being assisted by foreigners. Their case must be very bad to necessitate recourse - course to such help. " M. Laborl invited the witness to define what he meant by foreign intervention , par ticularly pointing out the alleged contradic tions in the statements of foreign person ages. Witness quoted the declarations ot the German minister of foreign affairs , Count von Bualow , according to one ot which he said the German government and embassy were not acquainted with either Droyfus of Esterhazy , while In another statement Von Buolow Implicated the German headquarters staff and embassy In connection with Ester- hazy. M. Laborl eald the German government might very well not know Dreyfus , but Esterhazy might be known to the German espionage bureau. Counsel insisted that General Rogct bo recalled to explain certain Inconsistencies , but Colonel Jouaust refused to recall the general , and he also refused the icqucst of General Roget to be allowed to t > peak. In ( ieritiuii Ki'.Incr' * Ilixmi. M. Mertian do Muller , a friend of M. do Beauropalre , followed. Ho described a visit which he made to Emperor William's palace at Potsdam and said that at ono point the guide announced that they were about to enter tbe emperor's room. At the bottom of the room witness noticed bis majesty's bed and was admiring the canvases on the nail when ho remarked a small table , upon which was an army list and a newspaper , the Ltbro Parole , bearing a postage stamp. Written on the newspaper in blue pencil , the witness asserted , were certain words In German regarding the meaning of which M. de Muller was certain. They were : "Dreyfus has been arrested. " M. Demanso You are quite certain you were In the emperor's bedroom ? M. do Muller I should think so. But bis name was not written on the door. Regarding the German word moaning "ar rested , " the witness when crora-oxamlned , could not positively say he had distinctly read or understood it. M , do Muller , who Is a paralytic , left the wit nose box assisted by an UEhor. Colonel Flour and Colonel do Grande- malson momentarily reappeared on the scene , but Colonel Jouaust , evidently wearying of tbe prolonged trial , quickly called the next witness. Colonel Picquart'u former orderly in Tunis , a man named Savlgnaud , testified to posting letters from Plcquart to M. Scheurer-Kest- ncr , the former vice preildent of tbe senate , who has taken eo much Interest In tbe Drey fus case , in May and June , 1897 ; but M , Laborl pointed out that M , Scheurer-Kestner absolutely denied the receipt of letters under those dates , The court at 11:45 : a. tn. adjourned for tbe day. Imurler Mnr Vlnlt Chicago. CHICAGO , Aug. 24. Secretary La Polnte of the Canadian Veteran's association of Chicago received a letter from Premier Laurler of Canada today In response to n letter ot inquiry , in which the Canadian premier said that he would In all proba bility acccept the Invitation to attend the fall festival in Chicago In October , when the formal invitation was received by him. Premier Laurler also etated that tbe gov ernor general and most of the members of the Canadian cabinet would accompany blm , CASTOR IA Tor Infants and Children. IIIQ Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Slcnaturo of THE FIELD OF ELECTRICITY Storage Batteries Jumping to the Front in Public Favor , A PIPE CINCH ON ELECTROLYSIS Elrctrlcltr n the Fnrm , In the Smrltrr nnit lit the Hole of lnoen- illnrj lionn ; Dlntniu-c Sample < if Dcnr Talk. * The local battle over the priority of pat- onta on storage batitorlcs having oamo to nn end , maker * of storage batteries are con fronted with n remarkable condition. They arc unable to supply the demand for their wares. The storage battery plant , says the Philadelphia Record , Is by no means a cheap Installation ; for it costs moro In the first i place than the engines nnd dynamos neces-1 eary for developing nu equal amount ot electric power , Mevertheless. there are so many uses to which the Rtoraco battery lends Itself advantageously that in the loin run It is economical , On trolley lines , ' 1 whtic the demand for current varies greatly at different periods of the day , tbo storage i i bat/tery / has been found extreme ! * ' useful ; for during the slack hours the surplus current - ' rent mar bo shunted Into the battery , and during the busy tlmo this stored up current may bn again supplied to the feed wires , thus relieving the engines and dyanoms of excessive strain. vv I In hotels , clubs and other places having independent electric plants for lighting , run ning elevators , etc. , the storage battery Is an invaluable adjunct , rcllovlns the engine and rnclncer of much of the night work. It Is reported that the storage battery sys tem is about to bo applied to the propul- Blon of ferry .boats , In place nf the eteam engine , and that In a few months tlmo elec tric ferry boats will be plying bark and forth between Philadelphia and Camdcn. Whether this bo true or not , It would seem probable that the ferry boat Is peculiarly well suited for this means of propulsion. Commenting upon the subject the Electrical Review ( July 26) ) says : "Tho steam ferry boat Is generally worked under conditions that make It almost im possible to show high efficiency , especially when the course of the boat Is short. The fires must burn while the boat IB standing nt either end of Us journey , and whire It Is making half speed. H must be provided with engine nnd boiler capacity for Its highest tpeed , and thcso can only bo used a part of the time. With an electrical equipment the charging may be done whllo the boat is In Its slip nt tbo end ot each trip. Batteries worked near their furl charge limit are highly efficient , and such boats may bo expected to show a consider able saving In coal ; but this Is by no means all that will bo gained by displacing their steam machinery with accumulators nnd motors. All space on the main and upper decks required for working beams , smoke stacks , etc. , will bo saved ; attendance will bo lessened , vibration diminished , and the i control gear put In the plfot house , so that the steersman < may also operate the motors. In this way the boat will bo under perfect control , without the possibility of a mis understanding in signals between the pilot nnd englncman. " When the flrst trolley cars were con structed the motors alone cost moro than entire new cars of much larger size and very mush better design cost today. At that tlmo tbo motors wnro .mado In small lots ; now they _ ere manufactlrcd in 1m-1 menso quantities at ono time. The , status of the storage battery business today resembles that of the dynamo and motor Industry ten or twelve years ago , and' it Is now about to come forward'wlth leaps and bounds. How < o Prevent Klectrolynln. The injury caused by the fugitive electric currents upon gas qnd water pipes In cities where electric street railway systems ore BO widely diffused and electric lighting Is well nigh universal bos engaged the attention of many scientific men throughout the coun try. The evil Is not BO serious nowadays as it was several years ago. Modern meth ods ot providing for the return of the cur rent have lessened its vagrant disposition. Nevertheless the trouble continues to some extent. In St. John. N. B. , it has been the prac tice for neary half a century to close tbe joints in city water pipes not with melted load , as In most other places , but with pine plugs. The experiment was tried In 1851 , and again In 1857. On both occasions It worked so well that the same policy was pursued two years ago. The object In view was merely to secure economy. But mention of the fact reminds the public of the in sulating qualities of wood and of the prop osition made last year by Harold P. Brown that two or more lengths of wooden plpo by Introduced Into the mains In every dis trict where trouble was to be anticipated. Electricity will not enter a Hue of plpo If It cannot get out again. An obstacle which would prove effectual at any given point along a system of metallic conductors would dissuade a current from going Into It In the flrst place. Hence , if tbo wooden plugs Interfered with the conductivity of the pipes It is hard to sea why they would not protect them from Invasion , And If the cur- rente would not attempt to travel along the pipe at all no electrolysis or corrosion would ensuo. Electricity In Farming. An enterprising farmer near St. Johns- ville , N. Y. , baa had an electric plant erected on his farrn ( the motive rower for the machinery required being furnished by two falls In a creek which courses through bis land. It Is not to bo supposed lhat the tiso of modern electrical Inventions will con- tlnuo to bo confined to the cities and towns. The quicker transportation furnished by the railways to the eoll tillers brought about more profitable farming and the adoption ot improved farm machinery nnd the Mrady extension of the trolley lines Into country districts Is awakening the farmer to a rcalltatlon ot the possibilities of electricity ns an agency which may bo successfully utl- llicd In practical work on the farm Itself , Innovations , It U true , arc usually tardily accepted by the agriculturist nnd there are many backwoods corners throughout Iho United States In which oven Uio now com mon thresher has not yet displaced the flail , I but as a class the American farmers are ' Intelligent and they are fast becoming pro gressive. What , then , should hinder the use of electricity by agriculturists If there | bo natural advantage * to rcndnr Its nilop- tlon feasible ? Under ouch conditions rural I honufl may bo lighted and the whole do- | mcetlc economy revolutionized by the em ployment of this wonderful force. In like manner the farm may bo moro economically manngcd by the relegation to the rear of the horsu and the ponderous nnd costly traction engine , with tbo swift and moro effective power ot electricity to take their places. I'.leotrliItcntlnir of .street Cnrn. ' The electric heater Is becoming n gctienU favorite with both managers ot street rail ways and the riding public. It Is cleanly , It straws no ashes or coal about the car ; It takes up no seating capacity ; It distributes Its heat equally throughout tbo car and the warm air from It keeps the floor dry , anne no stove can. There Is no need to remove it each spring and. replace It each fall ; It Is always In place , ready to too put In service when the weather becomes suddenly chilly or damp. Heating a car electrically costs jiioro than stove heating , but there Is on many lines what strikes an electrician as a criminal wast6 of the current going through the heaters. The switch Is set nt the gauge considered desirable from the temperature at the moment the car leaves the terminus , which may bo extremely cold. Before the car has returned from Its trip there may bo a rise of ten to twenty degrees In the ottt- eldo temperature and the car may become Insufferably hot. The conductor Is not al lowed to niter the switch according to the change In temperature and current is wasted and the passengers swelter. Cars should not bo kept too warm , specially lu city service , ns people seldom remove 'wraps on entering , and any temperature above CO or 55 de grees F. becomes oppressive. As Is pointed cut by C. F. Uebolackcr , the heat duo to the presence of people lu the car reaches quite an appreciable amount. There may bo a difference of IE to 25 degrees F. between the temperature Inside and outside of a loaded car In service , even with no heating apparatus In operation. It Is perfectly safe for ordinary temperate climates to supply heating apparatus capable of raising the temperature of the empty car In motion 35 degrees F. Even If the external tempera ture should fall to zero , this will glvo EO to 65 degrees F lusldo a loaded car , and this Is ample for comfort. ISlcctrnlytlc Copper. A largo amount of the copper produced In the country is now refined electrically , and Is known as electrolytic copper. Some of the western works turning out this product , Bays Electricity , especially where water Is ob tainable , are very lartjc. Ono of them at Great Falls , Mont. , has nlno dynamos of a total of about 2,500 liorso-pciwer to make current , all driven by the Missouri , which here rushes through a deep gorge. The cop per ere Is ground up and coat Into pigs , and the pigs are then hung in largo tanks filled with a solution consisting chiefly of copper sulphate. A heavy electric current at low pressure Is passed through the series of tanks , decomposing the copper pigs , and the metal Is electrolytlcally transferred by the solution of these shoots of copper hangIng - Ing in each tank , so 'that ' practically the sheets are copperplatcd. The. metal Is very pure as a result of this process , and the impurities and other metals fall to tbo bottom tom of the tanks OB a slime. This refuse is rated at a value of $2,500 a ton , and H is sald that the gold and silver obtained from It pays the whole cost of Uho electric pro- COFB. In the case of the company operating this plant the sales of copper , gold and sil ver In 1898 were nearly $7,500,000 , nnd the net amount available for dividends was about $3.600,000. CRUTCHES The best quality of maple crutch , per pair , $ J.50. CRUTCH TIPS 25C A Pair , Postage , Sc. The Aloe & Pcnfold Company , Deformity Brace Manufacturers , 1408 rarnam Street , Omaha. Something New in Omaha The latest society fad posters mount ed upon colored mats terrible cre ations yet just the thing now 1200 new Imported posters Just received no two alike will bo sold nt GOc cnch- these nre the productions of celebrated French , Italian and German artists there has never been a time when siidi a display of the genuine poster was BCCU as now at our store. A. HOSPE , W el br e anr 30tb tinilneM mmmtf ' * verimrr Oct. 33rd , ISO * . Music and Art 1513 Douglo * No More Cramped Feet The Now Man Fashion Shoes for women folks do the business Not only because they glvo the room for the toes to Ho on the solo ofthn shoe as nnturo intended they should but because they are the most fashionable for women's foot covering. Ono of the most sale able of these boots Is a dark tan- darker than usual at $3.00 this ono is duplicated In a black viol , also $ : i.OO At $4.00 per pair , is the moat extensive line of all. All the different shades of leather in this price shoe , from the yel lowest yellow to the blackest black , Drexel Shoe Co. Omaha' * Cp-lo-ti t * lhv HVMLM , UIO FAUNAJ1 STttEEf.
