The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-18
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ton. This incident caused the witness
to wonder whether instead of trying to
make CeurS speak Henry and Lauth
had not done everything possible to i'm
pose silence upon him. Before the
Basic incident Col Ficquart had de-
cided to speak to Gen. de Bois0efre
about Esterhazy.
ESTERHAZY'S ANXIETY.
In answer to my request said the
witness, Gen de Boisdeffre wrote me
asking me to meet him at the train on
his arrival from Vichy. While driving
from the railroad station to the gen
erals hotel I told him all 1 had done
in regard to Esterhazy. I affirm that
General de BOisdeffre knew that this
question was to remain a secret be-
tween US and that I was not to men
ton it except 60 the minister of war.
Il knew Esterhazy was anxious to
enter the war office and L did not re-
gard his desire faVOrably. l commune
Gated my impressions to my chiefs. who
approved all my steps and the applica-
ton of Esterhazy was rejected.
His insistence, however, only in
creased my uneasiness regarding him
and 1 resolved to obtain specimen of
his handwriting. I was Immediately
struck with the similarity of his hand
writing and that of the bOrdereau and
forthwith I had the letterssof Ester
hay which were in my possession
photographed and showed the photo
graphs to Major Du Patty de Clam. and
L
between August u and September -
The colonel emphasized this point be-
cause NJ. Bertillon affirms he saw the
photographs in May, 1896. and made a
note of them whereas the letters were
not written on that date.
The conflicting testimony of Picquart
and Bertillon on this point had been
used to d1scredit the formers evidence.
Col P1cQuart, continuing, said Du
Patty de Clam on seeing the writing
forthwith declared it was that of
Matthew Dreyfus, the brother Of Capt.
Dreyfus.
The witness continuing said: You
know he maintained that the bordereau
is the joint work Of Alfred and Mathew
Dreyfus.
M Bertillon said: That is the writ
ing OF the bordereau'
NJ. BertilIOn tried to discover where
I had obtained the handwriting. but
the only information I impaired was
that it was current and recent hand
writing.
M Bertillon then suggested that it
was tracing and ended by saying that
If it was current hand writing, it could
only have enanated from some one with
whom the Jews had been exercising for
a year in initiating the handwriting of
the bOrdereau.
AT NJ. Bertillon's request left the
photographs with him. When he re-
turned them he said he adhered to his
opinion and earnestly asked to see the
original When I saw beyond a doubt
that the handwriting of the bordereau
was Esterhazy's and seeing that the
documents mentioned therein might
have been supplied by Esterhazy, that
the words I am going to the maneu-
Vers+ could perfectly we'll apply to Es-
terhaZy and that ESterhazy had secre-
taries at his disposal to copy a dOcu-
ment voluminOus as the firing manual
i resolved to consult the secret dOssier
TO see what part of the treachery might
be ascribed to Dreyfus and to assure
myself whether the dossier contained
anything indicating Esterhazy.
WITNESS WAS STUPEFIED
Il frankly admit I was stupefied on
reading the secret dossier. I expected
to find matters of gravity therein and
found in short nothing but a document
which might apply just as much to
ISsterhazy as to Dreyfus. an unimport-
ant document mentioning D'AvignOn,
and document which it seemed absurd
TO apply to DreyfuS, namely the "Cette
CanailIe de D" document. Lastly. I
recognized a report appended in the
handwriting Of Gueneo, which appeared
70 be at least as worthless as the Sec