The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-12
OPERA BOUPPE TRIAL.
lola Has Little Opportunity to In
troducs Evidence. 4.,
PICQUART HIS BEST WITNESS.

But Even the Colonel who Was Pun
ished For His BeliefIn Dreyfus' Inpo-
cence withholds Full Particulars on
Account of "Professlonal Secrecy."t
Paris, Feb. 12-There were the usual
crowds about the assises court Of the
Seine yesterday when the fifth day of
the trial of MN. lola and Perreux
commenced. NJ Zola and Colonel Pic
quart were greeted with hostile cries
on their arrival. The court was throng-
ed. There are still 60 witnesses to be
examined, and therefore the case will
continue most of next week.
The first witness was General Pei
leux. The general testified that Gen
eral Saussier, the former military gov
crnor of Paris, desired public trial for
Major Esterhazy, but General Billot,
the minister for war; ordered that the
trial be in secret. Nevertheless, the
witness added, the court martial re-
fused to keep the entire proceedings
secret, therefore it was impossible to
contend that Major Esterhazy was &C.
quilted by order of the authorities.
The Dreyfus papers, added Colonel
PellieuX, We're sealed after the con-
viction of Captain Dreyfus in 1894, and
were not opened until quite recently,
when the witness opened them in order
to re-examine the writing of the bor-
dereau. The papers had since been
sealed up, and had not been reopened.
Colonel PellieuX also said he desired to
enlphatically deny the statement of M.
lie BlOis that NM. LIE Blos and Henry
held two hours conference with him
in a private room.
General Pellieaux also said: IF the
members of the court martial who
spilled their blood on battlefields while
others were no one knows where had
been heard here. they would have in
dignanty repudiated the accusations
against hem. l, their chief, will be
their muuthpiece, and l affirm that the
court martial was regular"
On General Pelieux leaving the
stand NJ. Zola rose and exclaimed:
There are several ways of serving
France. You, general, made your cam
pasns, but will bequeath to posterity
the name of Emile Zola, and posterity
will be my Judge"
Colonel Pcquart was then called and
narrated how he had acquired frag-
ments Of a Geographic card in 1896, and
concluded therefrom that Major Ester
hazy was corresponding with suspicious
characters. His chiefs ordered him to
| continue his investiga tons and he pro-
cured some of Major T3sterhazys hand
writing, which, compared with certain
| documents, led to the conclusion that
| Major EsteThazy was improperly using
| official papers.
Colonel Picquart was the best wit
ness for M. lola thus far heard. He
made an excellent impression upon all
present in court. His evidence was
very damaging to his superior officers
and favorable to Dreyfus and it also
showed him to have beeen the victim
of persecution since he began his en-
deavor to probe the truth AT the con-
cluslon of his evidence Colonel Pic
! quart met with an enthusiastic recep-
ton from the public.
Colonel Picquart emphatically denied
| General Pellieux's statement that he
| had divulged an espionage affair to
| outsiders. lie candidly admitted send
\ ing an agent to Major Esterhazy's
apartments, but he pointed out that at
! the time Major Esterhazy's fiat was
advertised to let, and his agent only
brought him an unimportant letter,
which, however, served for a conf
| rarison Of handwriting. The agent,
| however, reported That number of
| letters had been burned in fireplace.
Colonel Picquart added that he COM
/ municated his suspicious of the guilt
! of Major Esterhazy to his chiefs who
thew had addition a
dcncc Of the guilt Of Dreyfus beyond
what he himself knew.
Colonel Plcquart said he knew a gu
periOr officer whose name was mighty,
! mentioned furnishing documents to
| foreign power, adding that he did not
wish to further disclose secrets while
! he tthc coloneD was still investigating.
lie continued: The newspapers began
an agitation, and INTERPRETATIONS com
menced in the chamber, adding to my
difficulties. Then I vas sent to Tunis,
where all letters reached me opened.
When | was summoned back to Tuns,
to attend the Estelhazy inquiry, Gen
eral PellieuX treated me as the real de-
f'ndant, refusing to listen to my
charges against Major Esterhazy."
Cob mel Picquart pointed out that
while tho anti-Dreyfus papers publish
cd fac SMILES Of the bordereau they
did not publish fac smile of the let
J ter written by Dreyfus at Major du
CLAIMS dictation, AS it would have
been too embarrassing the witness
implying that a comparison would have
tended to show that Dreyfus was not
the author Of the bordereau.
The witness concluded with stating
that the intrigue of the officials of
which he had been the victim had been
aimed 10 prevent him from demon
strating the guilt of Major Esterhazy.
NJ Labore then questioned Colonel
Picquart regarding the secret docu-
lnent, and the witness said:
II knew of the existence of the Sc
cret document, but I only saw it when
General PelIieuX showed 1t to me-"
The witness could not give any fur
Their particulars on account Of "profes-
sional secrecy"
! General Ptlleux was recalled and
denounced Colonel Picquart for search
ing Major EsterhaZy's rooms, where
upon NJ. Laborie quickly retorted: But
You yourself had Colonel Picquarts
rooms searched"
| This sally was greeted with loud ap.
plause, and when quiet was restored
a heated alteration occurred between
NJ. Laborie and General Pelieux.
Major Ravary was the next witness
NJ. Laborie approached him with i'm.
properly conducting the Esterhazy in.
CURRY to which the major replied
Military Justice is not conducted like
yours"
NJ. Zola's carriage on leaving the
Palais de Justice was followed by G
knot Of people, shouting Death Il
lola" who could be heard through thu
carriage windows eXclaiming. "Tht
towards" The police dispersed {
thousand people who were burning
pro-Zola journals. Many arrests wer,
made, but the persons arrested vert
quickly liberated.
Cures Group, sore throat, pulmonar