General Gonse.--“I cannot answer these questions. They are traps.”
M. Labori.--“Ah! my general, they are traps? You permit yourself to
say the defence is laying traps for you? Those are words that are not
familiar here. I wait for the attorney-general to rise and enforce
respect for the defence.”
The attorney-general made no response, but half turned his back,
whereupon the president of the bar, M. Ployer, amid great tumult on
the part of the audience, advanced to the middle of the court-room.
In the absence of any response from the attorney-general, M. Labori,
addressing General Gonse in a loud voice, said: “In the name of the
entire bar” ...
But the clamor that arose prevented him from finishing his sentence,
and was so great that the judge ordered the guards to clear the
court-room. The order was executed, and the session was suspended.
When the session was resumed half an hour later, with the president of
the bar standing at the bar beside General Gonse, Attorney-General Van
Cassel rose, and said:
“The word uttered by General Gonse certainly exceeded his thought.
This is proved by the deference with which he has put himself at the
disposition of justice. If I did not intervene at an earlier moment, it
was because I am not in the habit of responding to a summons; but the
bar is familiar with my sentiments.”
M. Ployer.--“I thank the attorney-general for his words. I hope that
General Gonse will spontaneously give us the satisfaction demanded by
the entire profession and its chief.”
General Gonse.--“It is true that under the influence of excitement my
words exceeded my thought. It was not my intention to attack the bar.”
M. Labori.--“In my name, and in the name of the entire bar, I accept
the explanations of General Gonse. I regret but one thing,--that the
president of the bar deprived me of the pleasure of being the first to
accept General Gonse’s frank apology. I was not personally hit, and now
the defence is not hit either. The incident is closed.”
General Gonse then resumed his testimony, speaking as follows in regard
to his correspondence with Colonel Picquart:
“When Colonel Picquart came to me in the country in August, 1896, to
tell me that he was on the track of a traitor, I told him to pursue
his investigations and get at the light. He informed me that Major
Esterhazy had had confidential documents copied, and had tried to
question artillery officers. I told him that it was necessary, first of
all, to distinguish between the Esterhazy case and the Dreyfus case,
as the latter was not to be reconsidered. The letters that I wrote to
him had but one object,--to find out whether Major Esterhazy was guilty
or not. Colonel Picquart wanted him arrested. To this I was opposed.
I awaited sufficient proofs. I am astonished that Colonel Picquart
has made use of my letters, but I declare that I never dreamed of a
reconsideration of the Dreyfus case.”
_Testimony of Major Lauth._
General Gonse was succeeded at the witness-stand by Major Lauth,
Colonel Picquart’s subordinate in the bureau of information.
M. Labori.--“Is it true, as Major Ravary declares in his report on the
Esterhazy case, that Colonel Picquart kept for a month a card-telegram
addressed to Major Esterhazy, instead of immediately communicating it
to Major Lauth?”
Major Lauth.--“Not quite. Colonel Picquart kept the card only a week.
Then he asked me to photograph it, and remove all evidence of tear.
He also insisted that I should certify to the handwriting. ‘Never in
my life,’ said I; ‘this writing is utterly unknown to me.’ Colonel
Picquart tried to make me say that it came from a personage whom I
cannot designate, but from whom we had more than twenty letters. I
refused. At that time it did not occur to me that Colonel Picquart
wanted to make me an accomplice in a forgery. Nevertheless there was
an animated scene between us, and some of our remarks were heard by my
comrades through the partition.”