Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-09-24


speech in a PARIS Courtroom-Comte
Esterhazy. En- Route for Paris, Dis
cusses His share I'm the Dreyfus Case.
Paris Sept. 22.-The trial of Colo
mel Piccuart and NJ IsobIois
lawyer. on the charge of re-
vealing documents concerning the ma
tional defense was to have begun yes.
terday before the correctional tribunal.
| The public prosecutor, however. asked
for an adjournment on the ground that
the prosecution of Colonel Picquart
on the charge of forgery and using
forged documents had been ordered by
the minister Of war. M. Labor, who
was counsel for NJ. zola during the
latters famous trial. Indignantly OPP
posed the adjournment, which he said
was an attempt TO hand over Colonel
Picquart into the clutches of the mill
itary authorities
Colonel Picquart then rose and made
a statement which caused a sensa
ton. He said: This is, perhaps, the
last time l shall speak in public
shall sleep, perhaps, in the military
prison of Cherche Midi Therefore
wish to declare that If / find there the
strangling cord of Lemercier Picard or
the razor of Colonel Henry, it will be
| murder. for l have no idea of COM
hitting suicide"
The judges decided to indefinitely adj
journ the case, and Colonel Picquart
was led away between policemen.
Never before was such a scene wit
80 f.,tI xr.ad
Picquart's declaration. The judges. Of
| ficers and audience appeared as though
paralyzed with emotion.
Lemercier Picard, the man referred
to by Colonel Picquart, was a detective,
understood to have been employed in
the Dreyfus affair, who was found
hanged in his lodgings about a year
ago, under circumstances which cast
some doubt upon the theory put for
/ ward that he had committed suicide.
The air is full of rumors of sensation
| al developments. Among other things
II was announced last night that Colo
mel Picpuart was already in the Cherche
| Midi prison. 1t appears, however,
that the authorities of the La Sante
prison refused to deliver him UP in
the absence of the necessary formali-
| ties, but there is no doubt that he will
| be in the Cherche Midi prison before
night.
The Dreyfusites are somewhat de-
spondent, the military authorities, who
] are responsible for the shelving of the
| Picquart trial, having apparently re-
| gained the upper hand, and 1t is feared
that Picquart win be kept in prison
and his trial indefinitely postponed in
order to keep his mouth shut.
The latest developments are that
General Pellieux will be transferred
from his Paris appointment to the
command of some provisional brigade,
his name having become too notorious.
A dispatch from London says: Comte
Esterhazy has been sojourning in Lon
don in the guise of an Italian count
He speaks Italian fluently. A repre-
sentative of The Daily Mail caught him
at Charing Cross as he was about to
start for Paris. In the course of the
interview Comte Esterhazy said he had
constantly pass-d the detectives de-
tailed to watch him while in Paris in
his present disguise. and that nobody
had recognized him.
But" he added II mistrusted
events. l told General Pellieux, after
the suicide of Colonel Henry. that it
would be impossible to stop things. and
that the movement would be formid-
able. The generals lost their heads.
| wrote to M. Cavaignac a long letter
acquainting him with the salient points
of the affair He refused to see me.
| My ruin had been determined upon. l
was thrown overheard and had moth
ing left but to go away and await de-
| velopments."
| 70
that he had vainly tried to convince
| General Pellieux that the Henry docu-
ment was a forgery, but that General
Pellieux had declined to listen to him.
There WERE" said Comte Esterhazy,
but three persons who knew the
truth of the matter-Sandherr Henry
and myself. The first two are dead.
and l alone hold the secret"
Comte Esterhazy complained bitterly
of the treatment of himself and Nine.
Pays, who is in prison in Paris He
declared that Judge D'Instruction
Bontulos had Madame Pays brought
from the st. Lazare prison and Of
fered her liberty if she would reveal
all she knew about the generals.
After reference to other phases of
the affair Comte Esterhazy said:
Il intend to publish a book that will
throw light upon the unhappy Dreyfus
story. Cavaignac made a mistake in
pursuing me, because he struck at the
same time his relation, Colonel Patty du
Clam. / may mention that / had al
ready declined a pension offered me
by General Bilot.
Comte Esterhazy affected a gay nom
| chalance, but just as he was taking
the train he said, in a sharp. nervous
tone. without pausing for breath: II
don't know whether / shall make use
of the documents in my possession. 1t
viii depend upon the march of events"
Elevator Explosion Kills Thirteen.
Toledo, o., Sept 21.--An explosion,
caused by spontaneous combustion, de-
stroyed the grain elevator of Paddock,
Hodge & Co. last night. Besides en-
failing a property loss Of $3.50. 900, the
fire resulted in the loss of 10 lives.
| Among the dead are two young chill