The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-17
The PiCqdart Case
and Dreytds Rffair
From the New York sun,

From the New York Sun,
n r MAY be remembered that, dur
II ing the investigation of the Drey-
III fus affair by the criminal section
u of the court Of cessation, that tri-
bunal ordered a suspension of all pro-
ceedngs, both civil and military,
against Colonel Picquart, in order that
it might examine the dossiers, or pa
pers, and decide which of the conflict
ing jurisdictions was legally seized of
the Picquart case. On the Sd of this
month it arrived at the decision that,
on the char forging a petit bleu,
or postal ga 'icquart must be tried
before Al G.. jrt. In reluctant and
tard" ,u. 10 this order, the ac-
cused N7s "a Monday of this week,
transferred from a military to a civil
prison. This is a victory for justice
and a grievous blow to the anti-re-
visionists, by whom Picquart Is hated
even more bitterly than Dreyfus him
self.
1t was when he was the head of Ia"
intelligence bureau of the War depart
ment, in the spring of 1896, that Col
onel Picquart became convinced that
Major Esterhazy was the author of
the so-called bordereau which had been
imputed to Dreyfus. His discovery did
not please his compromised superiors
in the War office, who endeavored to
get rid of him by sending him on a
dangerous mission in Tunis. Subse-
quently, he was brought before a court
martial, on the charge of having COM
m ifnt Tod e, III
the contents of petit bleu addressed
to Esterhazy by the German military
attache, and the outcome of the trial
was that he was turned out of the
army. His enemies then sought to
have him punished as a common male
factor for the same offence, and with
this view, commenced criminal pro-
ceedings against him i'm the correc-
tiOnal court.
While he was in a civil prison, await
ing trial on this charge, Colonel Pic
quart applied to the minister of JUS
tice in the Brisson cabinet, requesting
permission to give certain information
at his disposal. Being relieved from
the obligation of official secrecy, he de-
clared in letter, which has since been
laid publicly before the court of caSsa-
tion, that four documents mad been
secretly communicated to the Dreyfus
court-martial; that he had, suhsa-
quently, inspected these, and foun
that not one of them incriminatcd
Dreyfus. He added that no one could
have supposed they did, but for the
misleading comments of Colonel du
Patty de Clam. Among these docu-
ments was the paper of which Colonel
Henry confessed himself the forgar.
In concluding his letter, Picquart re-
quested the minister of justice TO obtain
confirmation of his declaration by ref
erence to General Mercler, General de
Boisdeffre, General Gonse. Colonel du
Patty de Clam and others. We may
here mention that every one of these
officers was required to give testimony
before the criminal section of the court
of cessation, but the outcome of the
examination as yet is unknown.
BY this letter Colonel Picquart gave
fresh offence to the general staff, and
when he was about to be tried in a
civil court on the charge of communl-
he was snatched away to military
prison, there to be tried for the alleged
forgery of the petit bleu before a court
martial. which might sit with closed
doors and iniliCt a long term of i'm
prisonment. The date of the new court
martial was fixed for Dec. IL, and for
some time the war office insisted upon
holding it, although the court of cas-
sation had not finished its investigation
Of the Dreyfus affair, which necessar-
lily comprised the case of Picuuart
Ultimately the general staff submitted
to the order Of the court Of cessation
postponing the court rt-martial and there
upon Picquart petitioned the supreme
civil tribunal to decide whether he
should be tried on the forgery charge
in the correctional court or before q
court-martial. This is the petition
which was decided in his favor on
March 3.
The charge of having forged the petit
bleu was not brought forward at Pic
quarts first COurt-martal. 1t was first
mooted in the Esterhazy court-martial
the friends of Esterhazy being unable
~ Ii''NNN IAiliI III any OlIcT way, III is
now alleged that the petit bleu has
been tamDered with in the war office
since Picquart left it; that the name
of Esterhazy,tO whom it was addressed
has been scraped OUT and again writ
ten III, but in a different hand. That
sort of fraud might have availed be-
fore a cOurt-martial organized to con.
yict, bur it will be exposed, no doubt
in trial before a civil tribunal. There
is reason, indeed, to believe that tho
general staff would never have started
the theory that the petit bleu was
forged, unless thcv had taken for
granted that they could prevent an ex.
animation Of the charge in a civil court
IL Colonel Picquart is tried promptly
and is acquitted of forging the petit
bleu, before the whole court of cassa-
ton shall arrive at a decision in the
Drcyfus case, that decision can hardly
fail to be in favor of Dreyfus. For, if
that postal card, addressed to Ester.
hazy by the German military attache
and acknowledging the reception OF
papers divulging the secrets OF the
French army, is pronounced genuine
disnterested people will believe that
the Dreyfus court-martial convicted the
wrong man.
QUESTIONABLE PHILANTHROPY