The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-02
COULD NOT
BE DREYFUS
Major Hartman Gives Valuable
Testimony For Defense.
Backs Up Evidence of Captain
Freystaetter.
DOUBTS EXPRESSED
Regarding Witness Truthful
ness by De LOye.
Hartman Gives Him as Good as
He Sends.

He SENDS
Rennes. Sept. 2-There was a large
attendance and a big number of gen
erals at the Lycee this morning at the
opening of the last session of the fourth
week of the second trial of Captain
Alfred Dreyfus, charged with treason.
The interest centered in the testi-
mOny of Major Hartmann of the ar
tillery, which was interrupted by the
adjournment of the court Yesterday.
The major, who has done great service
for the defense. resumed his deposition
regarding artillery matters and the
bringing out of points and phraseology
in the bOrdereau, indicating that the
writer could not be Dreyfus. The wit
ness wished to enter into the question
of the Robin shell. But on General de
Loye Objecting to a statement on the
subject in open court, Major Hartman
asked to be allowed to give it behind
closed doors, saying it would only take
him a few minutes to call attention to
the point he had in mind.
The president of the court, Colonel
JOuauSt, decided to hear this part of
the witness testimony in camera at the
end of today's session, or at the be-
ginning of Mondays session.
In response to questions from NJ. La
bOri and Demange, counsel for defense.
MAYOR hartman SdlQ any OIlCeE alleilQ-
ing the Chaleons camp. could have OBJ
tanned sufficient information to write
notes on the covering of troops and
Madagascar matters.
NJ. Labor then recalled General Mer-
cierS attack on Captain F'reyStaetter,
on the latter's declaration that the Sc
cret doSSier communicated to the court
of 1894, contained a document concern
ing a shell for which General Mercier
called the captain a liar
FREYSTAETTER SUSTAINED.
Major Hartman affirmed that it was
quite possible that particulars about
a certain shell should have leaked out
in 1894
An interesting conformation between
General LIE Loye and Major Hartmann
followed, the general declaring he did
strictly to the truth. De LOye then
proceeded to point to what he said were
inaccuracies in Major Hartmann's tes-
timOny- He insisted that Dreyfus, in
the course of conversations with artil-
lery officers. could have secured infOr-
nation on the subjects mentioned in.
the bordereau to which the major re-
tOrted that If any artillery officer had
been questioned by Dreyfus, he would
already have come forward to say so,
as matter of strict duty.
Gen. De LOye questioned by NJ. La
bOri and NJ Demange said the inventor
of the Robin shell told him Dreyfus
never asked him for particulars about
his shell except on a minor point. The
nicaI witness to show Dreyfus could be
guilty, adding that it was not his bus
mess to say whether he believed him
innocent or guilty.
NJ. LabOri asked Gen. De Loye if he
knew whether the documents which
could have been betrayed by a traitor.
especially by the writer of the border
eau, were important, whereupon the
general turned to counsel and excited
ly cried:
Don't ask me, don't ask met"
DE LOYE WAS DISMAYED.
These exclamations created a sensa-
tion which was doubled when Gen. De
Loye added that there was sufficient in
the bordereau to establish that the
traitor knew the Importance of the doc
uments he was giving up. The witness
added: when 1 read the bOrdereau
was dismayed.''
Major Hartman in reply to Gen. De
LOye reiterated that the author of the
bordereau was ignorant of artillery
matters for If he meant the '12O' hy-
draulic brake he gave particulars of
what was long known, while if he
meant the 800 short he employed a
wrong expression.
Gen. MERCER here mounted the stage
and remarked that the writer of the
bOrdereau might very we'll employ the
term hydraulic brake, because that
was the term used by the Germans for
such brakes.
This ended the deposition of Major
Hartmann who certainly was very
The witness, NJ. Havet, a member Of
the institute took up the bOrdereau
from a grammatical point of view, de-
claring il to be his conviction after
studying closely the styles of Dreyfus
and Esterhazy that the latter wrote it
The witness entered into an interesting
analysis of the phraSeOlogy of the bor-
dereau. pointing out that certain phra-
ses in it We're met with in Esterhazy's
letters but never in those Of Dreyfus
He then traced the influence exercised
on Esterhazy by his linguistic acquire
ments, notably traces of German con-
struction-
CARRIERE CHECKMATED.
The government commissary. Major
Carriere asked NJ. Havet if he had been
present at sessions Of the court before
he had testified.
NJ Havet said: Yes" at which the
major with great severity said: You
have been guilty of a grave breach of
judiciary discipline
To this NJ Havet quietly remarked:
but I had not been summoned as Il
witness at the time 1 attended the ses-
sions."
Major Carriere sat down checkmated.
The letters exchanged between Col. |
Picquart and Gen. GOnse at the time
the colonel wanted a thorough investi-
cation into the case We're then read
and NJ Labori pointed out to Gen.
Gonse that these letters never alluded
to the alleged confession of Dreyfus
Gen. Gonse replied that it was be-
cause he always advised Col. Picquart
not to mix up the Esterhazy and Drey-
fus cases
Dreyfus. he added. had been con-
demned and his case could not be re-
opened, but they were bound to see if
there was not another traitor.
n lot