The San Francisco call., 1898-01-11
Blame for the Celebrated BOr- dereau Fastened on Colonel
 Picquart.
MUCH TESTIMONY TAKEN.
But It Is Already Indicated That Irn- prisOned Captain Dreyfus Win
 Not Be A ided.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PARIS. Jan. 10.-The trial by court martial of Major Count Ferdinand Wal ter Esterhazy, the retired officer of the French army who came into prulli- hence in the latter part of November through the publication by Figaro of number of letters which the Count Is alleged to have written refiecting in strong language on France and the French army, was opened this morning under the presidency of General De Luxer.
 Among those who filled the hall were Mime. Dreyfus, wife of Albert Dreyfus, the former Captain of the French ar tillery now undergoing imprisonment for life for having been convicted of selling important French military plans to agents of d foreign power. with which affair EsterhaZy is said U have been connected, also the brother of Mime. Dreyfus, Senator Traireux, the former Minister of Justice and Depu- ties.
 Count Esterhazy appeared im uniform and was 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 spread by the excited public. There | Dreyfus, asked permission to take part in the argument. The counsel for AN3- thieu Dreyfus also asked to appear during the proceedings. The court re- JecteG both applications, and the taking of testimony commenced. Counsel for the Government said that public trial might be inimical | to the interests of the national defense and demanded a secret hearing. i The court decided by a majority of ! five to two that the trial should be pub 1 lie until the moment when publicity might appear to prejudice the national i defense.
 ! The court having thus yielded to pub lie opinion, the report of the invesl?- gatioH officer, Major Ravarry, was read. It completely whitewashed Count Esterhazy and was generally re- garded as being a serious indictment of Colonel PicQuart, whose arrest when this trial is finished is anticipated. ! Colonel PicQuart, according to the lntralSlgeant, was in the latter part of 1 November sentenced to thirty days de- ! tention in fortress. He was an off cer summoned from the United States l to Paris in connection with the Drey- fus affair and his statements were re- ported to be the basis of the accusa- ] tionS brought against Count Esterhazy.
 The report of Major Rivarry does not adduce much evidence except the dec laration of the experts that the famous ! borderau (nOte) was not written by Count Esterhazy. It contains the ! Counts protest against the "calumni- ous imputations" made by Colonel Pic | quart, who, 1t appears. without author l ity, caused him to be Shadowed. The 1 colonel, observes the report. is the soul of the present agitation, and declares he is guilty of serious shortcomings and indiScretionS.
 Upon one occasion. it is pointed out when his superiOrs urged him not to persist, he exclaimed: oh, they won't do anything up there, but I will con- pei them to act"
 The report continues with the State- ment that Colonel Picquart, in 1S96 was surprised while examining secret documents belonging to the general staff. and concludes:
 Every step taken in this sad affair which caused so much anguish to all really French hearts. is intended to ob- tain a reversal of a Judgment legally and justly pronounced. No tangible proof of Major EsterhaZy's guilt is forthcoming, nor is there adequate evil dence to support the charge of high treason"
 The court then adjourned until 2 o'clock. When the trial was resumed Major EsterhaZy testified that he be- came aware of the plot against him through anonymous letters which led
 
 an. He had communicated the results of that meeting to General Billet. the Minister of War, and President Faure.
 The judge put series of easy queS- tions to Major ESterhazy, to which the latter evidently had already made an- swers. The major ended by following Major Ravary'S cue and accused Colo nel Picquart of burglarizing his resi- dence and stealing letters.
 Mathieu Dreyfus was then examined. ! He was asked to state the basis of his accusation against Major EsterhaZy and replied that, without being an ex- pert it was only necessary to compare the writing in the bOrdeau and Major
 Esterhazy's handwriting, in order to be convinced that they were identical. Continuing, Mathieu Dreyfus made a learned graphological statement. More r over. he pointed to the fact that Major Esterhazy had subsequently tried
 to modify his handwriting, as con- firmation of his suspicious. In reviewing other suspicious actions of the major. M. Dreyfus quoted a let ter in which Esterhazy said: T am in ; such a plight that l can only recover 1, myself by crime"
 This said M. Dreyfus, dramati- cally. was written by an officer who has the honor to wear the uniform of French officer"
 Here "Oh's'' were heard among the audience.
 l Counsel for Major Esterhazy there ; upon asked M. Dreyfus who was pay l ing the enormous costs of circulatine , pamphlets respecting Major Ester
 hazy," to which NJ. Dreyfus replied That is my business, not yours 7 This remark caused excitemen, among those present and brought forth
 shouts of miserable