New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-30

| bio raIations With the Embassy Such was the
situation at the moment OF the reception OF 'he
bordereau.
Dealing with the leakage discovered by the
military authorities. Colonel Cordier said that
he ascertancd that Il was occurring at Bourges'
| Witness recalled the fact that an artihcer
| named Thomas was sentenced for treason In
1894 The foreign correspondents OF Thomas
did not notice his arrest. and. consequently. a
| letter addressed TO Thomas was intercepted and
a reply was sent. This letter asked for plans
| Of a shell The Headquarters stan obtained
the plans and sent them to Thomas's CORE
spondents The latter replied, thanking Thomas,
and inclosng bank notes. which were credited
TO the funds OF the Headquarters staff.
| LEAKAGE NOT ASCRIBED TO DREYFUs
Whatever has been said to the contrary Wit
ness maintained that the leakage at Bourges
| could not be ascribed TO Dreyfus. This also
was the opinion OF Colonel sandherr who fire.
| quently had-recourse to the witnesses intimate
knowledge Of this question in the futile efforts
TO discover evidence against Dreyfus The wit
ness described the various leakages. He es-
pecialy referred 10 a very serious case desig-
mated as leakage OF ST Thomas Aquinas" IN
which clerk OF the Church OF ST. Thomas
Aqulnas. Paris. mixed up IN espionage. and
a serious leakage in the Ministry OF Marine.
The witness recalled how information Of the
leakage Of 1894 received primarily The
name mentioned was that Of a man, forty-hve
years OF age. who wore decorations, and used
10 convey documents 10 the Embassy. which
the witness described as a house with a large
garden This personal description did not bear
the slightest resemblance TO Dreyfus. but re-
scmbled much more closely another officer,
whose name had been mentioned and who
could no longer be prosecuted or convicted.
The witness then referred TO the spy Guenee's
denunciatiOns to the effect that officers Of the
Headquarters STAFF were guilty Of treachery
But the Colonel explained. It very difficult
10 accept Guenees statement gospel. He
regretted Guenee's death, as. he said, the Court
would have been edited by his testimony in re-
gard to the manner in which many things were
fabricated
Referring next 10 what he STYLED the huge
undertaking Of Richard Cuers. Lajouk & Co"
the Colonel declared that the object was nothing
less than recruiting German spies for the ser
vice of the French Government He said the
organization would have been Of the greatest
utility in the event Of war. and said regrets
were frequent during the last in regard to
the lack Of spies Cuers, he pointed out. spoke
French admirably and. therefore. It could not
be maintained that only German could be
sroken at the interview at Basic between Cuers.
Henry and Lauth.
one Of Cuers's special services continued the
witness. was furnishing Germany with false in
formation He therefore, was sometimes obliged
10 say that he had succeeded in suborning a
French officer. and in this way Cuers was in
duced To declare that he had obtained the col
laboration Of an officer Of the Headquarters
staff Proof Of this could he found at head
quarters in the dOsscr N false documents de-
livered to Germany. These documents added
Colonel Cordier. ARE no doubt in all the better
order because the archivst. NJ. Grbelin. wears
blue spectacles" Gaughter)
Colonel Jouaust called the witness TO order,
and the remark was withdrawn. witness declar-
ing amid peals Of laughter: 1T escaped me,
Monsieur e President; l withdraw the specta-
cles"
Cordier then described the events prior 10 the
arrest Of Dreyfus and showed that only sin
gle real leakage namely the plans Of the
fortresses, had occurred at the time Of his ar
rest The document known as "cette canaiIe
de D." he explained, was contemporaneous
with this leakage.
ROGET ACCUSED OF FALsEHOOD.
ut has been said" continued the witness,
that l made a mistake this point, and con-
founded the document with another containing
the initial alone. should like very much 10 see
the document in order to assure myself that It
had not been tempered with 1t is not. how
ever, Of any Importance, except to show that
General Roget's evidence concerning me is false
from beginning 10 end" (Sensaton)
General Roget asked leave to speak but
Colonel Cordier continued showing how the
leakage Of plans Of fortresses was facilitated by
the carelessness Of the headquarters staff. and
maintaining that the leakage was still occurring
when the witness left the War ONCE.
Revertng to the manner in which the sus-
ricons against Dreyfus crystallized. the Colonel
described the efforts to pry into the prisoners
lfe ard said that the information at first re
oeived was very bad and constituted strong
proof against the prisoner Later. however, It
assumed quite a different aspect. 1t was ad-
mitted before his marriage Dreyfus not
"unmpeachable morally, nor was he entitled 20
wear a wreath of orange blossoms" Oaughter)
But" Cordler added. after his marriage Drey
fus was quite different" The witness also said
that while Drevfus boosted OF his conquests he.
Cordier. was Of the opinion that those who
boasted the most accomplished the least
G>aurhter)
Dreyfus he continued. Dragged n great deal.
and probably. now repented having done so,
and Dreyfuss inquisitiveness. according 70 wit
ness was probably explained by his knowledge
that he would not long remain on the Head
quarters staff. and he desired TO obtain all tho
information which might be useful to him in
after life
The Colonel then paid tribute to the memory
Of Colonel Sandherr, who examined the i'm
mense mass Of documents relating 10 espionage
and unearthed the "cette De canaille de D."
document. which seemed to the witness to date
back 10 antiquity.
In 1894 the witness regarded insufficient
the sole proof against Dreyfus, namely the bOr
dereau He did not believe the prisoner