Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1899 — ASSUMES NEW PHASE. [ARTICLE]

ASSUMES NEW PHASE.

DREYFUS CASE NEARS INTERNATIONAL DANGER LINE. Labor! Makes a Startling Move by Requesting the Court to Call Foreign Diplomats aa Witnesses-A Reputed Scion of Servian Royalty Testifies.

Monday’s session of the Dreyfus court martial opened rather badly for Captain Dreyfus, as a surprise was sprung upon the defense In the advent of an Austrian political refugee, Eugene Cernuschl, who came out with a flat-footed denunciation of the accused, which, even though it may eventually be proved a pure fairy tale, is bound for the moment to exercise a malignant influence upon the French people. Cernuschl, as soon as he had delivered hia testimony and Labor! had asked to have him put on oath behind closed doors In order that he might be punished, if guilty of perjury, left the court room and was net seen again. Cemuschi’s testimony, which was in the form of a letter to the president of the court martial, Col. Jouaust, was most unequivocal. He claimed that on three distinct occasions, twice In France and once in Geneva, he was told by a high-placed foreign officer that Dreyfus had communicated treasonable documents to a foreign power. In the third instance Gernuschi said that the officer showed him documents emanating from Dreyfus and that this officer left France- hurriedly two days prior to the arrest of Captain Dreyfus. The allusion was evidently to Col. Schwartzkoppen, the military attache of the German embassy In Paris in 1894, whose movements were coincident with those described as the movements of the officer of Cernuschi’s deposition. The Introduction of a foreigner as a witness for the prosecution gave Labor! an opportunity to submit the most important request he has made throughout the trial. Labor! announced his intention, In view of the step taken by the prosecution in calling foreign evidence, to ask that inquiry should be made through the regular diplomatic channels as to whether the documents mentioned in the bordereau were actually commuaicated, and, if so, by whom. This involves an application to the German Government. The application would mean the lengthening of the trial for several weeks. A Vienna dispatch asserts that Eugene Cernuschi, who testified at the Dreyfus court martial at Rennes, France, is not connected with the Servian royal family, as claimed. His real name is Haducek. M. Labori Tuesday demanded that the court summon Col. Schneider, Coh Schwartzkoppen, Col. Panizzardi and other foreigners to testify for the defense and prove directly that Dreyfus had never had relations with foreign powers. The fact was also brought out that documents had been communicated to the president of the court without the knowledge of the defense. M. Labori made a strong protest, asserting that the great error of the first court martial was being committed over again.

The first part of Tuesday’s session of the court martial was secret. When the doors were opened for the public session, M. Labori read a brief statement to the effect that it was the consensus of opinion of the defense that while they had hitherto not called foreigners to testify, the Government having set the example, they would no longer refrain from doing so.

Then, returning to President Jouaust, Labori said: “We know the particularly delicate position of all concerned in this matter, but we must ask that you also summon witnesses outside of France for us. We want Schneider, Schwartzkoppen, Panizzardi and others to prove directly and emphatically that Dreyfus never had relations with foreign powers and never communicated to them the pieces mentioned in the bordereau. “We also ask that the Government secure through diplomatic channels documents bearing on the bordereau.” Maj. Carriere for the prosecution protested against the-moral and material difficulties of such action, and said it would not assist the defense anyhow. President Jouaust reserved his decision.

The court martial Tuesday heard the complete story of Esterhazy’s confession from the lips of Reporter Bassett, who was sent by the Paris Matin to London for the purpose of securing the interview. The witness testified to the already familiar story of bow and why the bordereau was written by the man now’ in exile. Esterhazy was quoted as saying that he was ordered to commit the crime by Col. Sandherr. This brought a protest in most theatrical style from Maj. Carriere, the Government commissary. -“I protest,” he cried, “in the name and memory of Col. Sandherr, against the insinuations introduced against him.” M. Labori, however, ignored this protest, which he styled “a ridiculous pretension.”