The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-11
WITH WRITING IN
TERMINATING LETTERS.
testimony of a Brother of Dreyfus,
Together With IL Kestner, Is
Strong Against the Count-Es-
terhazy In His Own Behaif-Col.
Picquart's Testimony.

&and the French army, was opened tnlS
4morning, under the presidency of Gen
=eIal de LuXer. Among those who flled
&the hal were Nine. DreyfuS, wife OF
Albeft Dreyeus, former captain OF the
=French artillery, now undergoing I'M
Eprisonment for life after having been
convicted OF selling important French
military plans to agents OF foreign
2power, with which Count EsterhaZy is
@ssid to have been connected; the
zbrother of Nine. Dreyfus, Senator Trai-
reuX, the former minister of justice,
and many officers and deputies.
s COUNT EsTERHAZY.
Count Esterhazy appeared in uni
8fcrm, and escorted by Republican
guards.
The clerk Of the court said the court
martial was held in order TO end the
contradictory rumors which had been
3Spread by the excited public. Thereupon
s III. Msitre La Boure, counsellor Tor
Mime. Dreyf2s, asked permission TO
4take part in the argument. The counsel
&fcr Nine. Dreyfus also asked to appear
during the proceedings.
The court rejected both applications,
and the taking of testimony COM
menced.
Counsel for the government said that
Ia public trial might be inimical to the
Sinterests OF the national defense and
demanded a secret hearing.
PUBLIC TRIAL.
8 The court decided. by a majority of
five to two. that the trial should be
spublic until the moment when publicity
Knight appear to prejudice the national
z5efense. The court having thus yielded
TO public opinion, the report of the In
<vestigation of Officer Major Ravarry
zwas read It completely whitewashed
Count Esterhazy, and was regarded as
Being a serious Indictment of Colonel
5Picquart, whose arrest, when this trial
lis finished, is anticipated.
Colonel Picquart, according to the In
ztransigeant, was. in the latter part of
November. sentenced to 80 days deten-
4tion IN : fortress He was an officer
summoned from the United States to
%Paris in connection with the Dreyfus
affair, and his statements were report
& ed to be the basis of the accusations
brought against Count Esterhazy. The
Report OF Major Ravary does not ad-
41uce much evidence, except the declar-
3ation OF the experts that the famous
SBordeau note was not written by Count
sEsterhazy. 1t contains the counts pro-
SLest against the calumnious imputa-
lions made by Colonel Picquart, who, it
appears, without authority, caused him
30 be shaoowed.
The report observes that the colonel
Ss The soul of the present agitation,
Lbnd that he is guilty of serious short
<eomings and indiscretions.
Upon one occasion it is pointed out,
EShen his superiors urged him not to
PERSIST, he exclaimed;
''Oh, they won't do anything up there,
but I will compel them to act"
The report continues with the state
znent that Colonel Picquart in 1896 was
surprised while examining secret doc
lments belonging to the general staff,
5ind concludes:
EVERY. step taken in this sad affair,
Which caused so much anguish to all
4,eally-- French hearts, is intended to OBJ
balm a reversal of a judgment legally
5anG justly pronounced. No tangible
. judicial PROOF of Esterhazy's guilt is
Forthcoming. nor is there adequate evil
Hence to support the charge of high
reason"
The court then adjourned until 2 i
o'clock.
PRISONERS TESTIMONY.
When the trial was resumed Major |
1sterhazy testified that he became |
|tware Of the plot against him through |
anonymous letters, which led to his !
meeting an unknown yelled woman. He
lad communicated the results of that /
meeting to General Billot, the minister |
# war, and President Faure, the judge, /
Out series OF easy questions to Ma ]
CT Esterhazy. to which the latter evil |
iently had already made answers
The major ended by following Major |
Savary's cue and accused Colonel Pic
quart of burgiarizing his residence and /
stealing letters.
identical HANDWRITING.
Matthew Dreyfus was then examined.
He was asked to state the basis Of has
accusation against Major ESterhaZy,
,.arlfad without heing n
pert, is was only necessary to compare
The writing in the Bordeau and Major
Essterhazys handwriting in order to
5e convinced that they were identical.
Contin uing, Matthew Dreyfus made a
learned archaeological statement.
Moreover, he pointed to the fact that
Major Esterhazy had subsequently,
ried to modify his handwriting, as a
Confirmation OF his suspicious.
In reviewing other suspicious actions
Of the major, NJ. Dreyfus quoted let
ter in which Esterhazy said: Il am in
such a plight that 1 can only recover
myself by crime.
..1,his." said NJ. Dreyfus, dramatic
ally. was written by an officer who
mas the honor to wear the uniform of a
French officer"
Counsel for Major Esterhazy there
1pon asked NJ. Dreyfus who was paying
The enormous costs of circulating pam
SnletS respecting MAJOR ESIernaZN TO
which NJ. Dreyfus replied: That is my
business; not yours.
This remark caused excitement
anong those present, and brought forth
shouts of miserable"
KESTNER TESTIFTES.
NJ. Observation-Disclosures, one of the vice
presidents of the senate, was examined.
he said that when he was condemned,
be believed Dreyfus guilty, and con-
tinued in the belief until Matthew
Dreyfus came and implored his aid
rhe senator then made personal in
guiry. because it must be admitted
that both military and civil tribunals
may make mistakes.
Matthew learned, continued Mr..
Kestner, that an opinion had
oaen. expressed at the ministry for war,
kat the Bordeau note was written by
Ma5or Esterhazy.
The senator further remarked: q
earned that distinguished officer,
aeac of the intelligence department,
aad been sent away. and letters were
shown me ccnfdentially, proving that
General DongAe was of the same opin-
on as Colonel Picquart.
NJ. Scheurer-Kestner then reviewed
his communications with Colonel Pic
1uart, the minister of war, with view
II re-opening the affair, and concluded
~ saying: T cannot say the Bordeau
tote was written by Major Esterhazy,
<=4,,,,, tho writing has a ]