The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
AND COLA.
One's Enort for Dreyfus Proves q Boomerang
10 rho Other CraEyf

One's Enort for Dreyfua Proves q boomerang
IL rho Other Crnzyf
Tho case OF Lieut.. Col. Plcquart promises to
DO quite as interesting as that Of Commandant
Esterhazy. Picauart is at present n prisoner in
Mont Vnlerien, awaiting his trial by court-mar-
tial for conspiracy against a brother officer in the
person of tho lately acquitted commandant.
Picquart was chief of the secret service in tho
War Ministry, and used all tho means in his
power to run down Esterhazy. As carly as 1896
he professed to DO convinced of the innocence Of
Dreyfus. But the record which he had drawn
up with so much care has so far turned against
himself. There seems to be no end to the side
shows of this extraordinary Dreyfus affair. and
certainly not tho least startling is the one pre-
scented by the Eclafr. which In advance sums up
the case against Lieut.. Co. Picquart:
BLAMED by his superior officers for ~continu.
ing on a wrong track which was likely to lead
him to trouble, he resolved to play his last card.
This last card was the much.talked of carte
t~Gicgramme. which was expected to prove con-
clusively tho guilt of Esterhazy. How did it
come into Picquart's hands3 That is his secret.
Doubtless 1t is also the secret of NJ. Leblois and
Of NJ. Matthew Dreyfus. Picquart's explanation
of the mystery Is that 1t was found In the same
waste basket from which the famous bordereau
was taken. 1t was one of the exhibits in the
trial OF EsterhaZy. It was addressed to Mon.
siour 10 Commnndant Esterhazy, rue do Ia Bien.
faisance. Paris 1t read rs follows:
"'SIR I expect, before any explanation. that
you will send mo moro details on the question
in suspense. Send them to me in writing. SO
that I may know whether I can continue my re-
lations with the house of r.. c.
According to Picquart this document was in
tho handwriting Of Herr Won Schwarzkoppen,
tho military attache Of the German Embassy at
Paris. 1t was destined to prove that after the
conviction of Dreyfus leaks continued to exist
in the War Ministry. In other words. as the
Same work was still going on it could no
longer. of course, be done by Drcyfus, but
must be the work Of an, officer whose
But. unfortunately for picquart. the little docu.
ment was wanting in all the characteristics of
man for whom it was intended, and it bore no
stamp IL 1t had been stamped. Picquart might
have contended that he had intercepted it in
the mail OF the suspected officer. He endeav-
ored to induce an officer to have the necessary
stamp made. When the officer refused to do so
very difficult thing to mako a stamp, and that
he would try to make one himself. This was
testified to before the ~cOurt-martial.
But there was another significant scene in
the history OF this mysterious paper. Picquart
asked G9in,na E Laulh to yopch dor the or.
it came from the place where Picquart wanted
to locate. its origin. The commandment indig-
tween him and tho Lieutenant.Co Colonel, which
was witnessed by other officers"
1t should bo membc that when this paper
was put in evidence .Esterhazy spoke OF its in
PRODUCTION as II perfectly idiotic proceeding.
Any one. he said, might procure the blue paper.
write anything ON II, and address 1t to the Presi-
dent OF the court; but that it never passed
through the regular service was proved by the
absence of the official mark. Moreover, said he.
could any sane man believe for a moment that
an attach6 of an embassy in correspondence
with a traitor would openly send him a dam.
aging document with tho traitors full name
and address on it2
SO far the :. little blnc," as the paper in ques-
tion IL called. has turned out to be a boomerang
for Lieut.. Col. Picguart.
The Matin prints an interview with NJ.
Ftlennc Charavay, one of the experts who tes-
titled at the recent trial. Speaking Of The al
legged letters OF Count EsterhaZy. NJ. Charavay
said that no and his colleagues, after q careful
eXamint tion, camo to the conclusion that the
letters were not In the handwriting of Ester
haZy. and were evidently the work OF u forger.
What do you think of Zola's lettcrf' asked
the reporter.
ut proves nothing" said NJ. Charavay. "Zola
may call US idiots and bribc.takers as often as
he likes. Icertainly shall not reply to him, be-
cause II appears to me that II man who writes u
long open lotter. all made up of furious asscr.
tons and violent phrases. without a particle of
proof, needs medical