The Dreyfus Case. Paris, August 11.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 35, 17 August 1899, Page 2

The Dreyfus Case. Paris, August 11.

General Merciev's evidence mainly' consisted of mere statements of a pre^ sumptive character. He described the widespread system of espionage instituted by Colonel Schwarzkoppen. the; German attache, and intercepted letterswere produced. He said his acted discreetly.', M. Hanotaux, then Minister of Foreign Affair's, "undertook to ask the German Ambassador to stop Jibe espionage. Witness was .still «convineecl 'that Dreyfus " delivered "" the documents enumerated ' in the bordereau to the German Fmb'a'ssy. ' , ■ Dreyfus, addressing" the* witnessejaculated " eesign!V and^ahakin^'M* 'fist' at- General. Mercier, "exclaimed '•' You ought to blushu! " , The interjeation produced a sensation in court.

Witness, continuing, justified his action in cominunicafcmg secretly to the Court-martial the documents containing the expression " Canaille de D— " °because Frauce "was within an nee of war with Germany. Witness said he hful expected the Minister to a"k for his passports, and he directed M. BoihdfiftVe to prepaie for the mobilisation of the army. He was uncertain whether' Russia wo aid join Fiance, but the ground was mined, and countermines on the part of France were necebsary, hence his action m eommu nicfttm^'the documents to tho Court. At the close of (general Mevcior's. evicooce, M. Ferrer announced liiv inioution to rebut tne testimony given by the witness. 1 "G^ncial Meicier was hooted by the public. His evidence is regaidcd as a, h \=co. j^i-pvfns, in the course of a letter, si.i f .erl'lhd,t }A. CasiniirPerriec promised ttiroiigh Dro-vfus' counsel to ask for a public trial, tiusfcing to Dreyius' word not to divulge the evidence given m <saiueia.

Argnet 14. Geneial Mercior continued his cvi de.icp. He testified that Geneial J .vno.it iatonned M. Freycinet that England and Germany had contt.but?d°£l.*LOO,ooo iv subsidisui" L)fe\iusism. The statement caused ddi\-.ive l,,vghter. Witness averied thai Fun c 3 \va°not read} ior war in 1004. Their artillery were mferioi to that of Germany. I' 1 g'«^ing technical reasons for his belief in the prisoner's giult he never glanced at Dreytus. The latter waiohcd and listened with curiosity. Oential Mt-rcier turning half round said— '• If 1 had the slightest doubt I would be the first to say that I blundered in good faith." Dreyfus started to his feet, and with a gesture magnificent in irony and fire and sjoonUne' ons accents of wrath and hatred, said", '■ that is what you ought to say " Geueial Mercior continued " I would do eveiy thing humanly possible to lepair the blunder." "It is your duty," claimed Dreyfus with eyes flashing and tears starting. An outbreak ot applause greeted the remark. General Mercier by his evidence is greatly discredited, and his testimony is regarded as a confession of the illegality of the proceedings. M. Perier, confronted with General Meicior, stated that his conversation with Count Munster created an impiession that the incident was completely closed. Geneial Merjeier interjected, " Boibdeffie can corroborate the mobilisation order." M. Perier replied "I refuse to reply to General Mercier's insinuations." M. Labovi was walking to the Court when a ragged miscreant leaped trom behind a wall and fired, the. bullet lodging in the posterior region of the thoiax. The man shouted " I killed Dreyiiiß." A sentry and gendarmes stationed about the Court pursued him. M. Umage, a colleague of M. Labori W the defence of Dreyfus, announced that Labori's wound is not serious. Twenty five members of the Patriot's League have been arrested so far. Guenn and Max Kegis, ex-mayor of Algieis and a notorius Anti-Semite agitator, are still barricaded in their houses, and threaten recourse to revolvers and boiling oil if attempts are made to dislodge them.

August 15. M. Labori is weak and feverish. It is belie\ed that a plot was designed with tha ob]Qpt of stealing documents in the, possession of the defence. The assailant stole from M. Labori 1 s pocket a letter containing threats against him. The police, prior to the attempt on M. Laboii weie warned that General ' Mercier's life was threatened, and were thus put on the wrong scent, enabling M. Labon's assailant to escape. The Cabinet were hastily summoned after the attempt and devised special measures of safety. All the newspapers reprobate the crime and indulge in recuminatums. The * Nationalist organs attack the Government for -thenrecent arbitrary methods. Debats and other papers express apprehensions of a civil war. Le Temps says that perhaps the outrage is the one thing needed to restore Frenchmen to their censes* The Dreyfusites consider the

use of a revolver synonymous with a lost cause. The Dreyfusiies are confident of an acquittal. ' Tho Moderates deprecate the arrest as untimely ; while the Radicals applaud them.

Berlin, Aug. 14. The authorities here resent and repudiate the allegation that there was any idea of war in 1894.

London, Aug. 14. The Paris correspondent of the Times hints at the impending arrest of General Mercier. A sensation has been caused by the receipt of a Reutor's mpssage stating that M. Labc/n, counsel for Dreyfus, hcis been shot in the middle of the back at Bonnes. The wound is believed to be senous.