The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-05-02
DREYFUS
REVISION |
Patty Du CLAIMS Testimony in the
Celebrated Case.
CONSPIRACY TO SAVE EsTERHAzY

Patty Du Clam Declares Himself "the
Most Disciplined soldier on Earth
and Declares lie Acted Solely on Or
ders OF His superior Omcers.
Paris, May 2.-The Figaro, continu-
ing its publications OF the testimony
before the court of cessation in the
Dreyfus revision inquiry, prints today
the deposition Of Lieutenant Colonel
Patty du Clam. who on April 19
deposed that, on being invited to reply
frankly to statements of Captain Cuig-
net, he had obeyed as a soldier, with
out asking written orders from his
superior, contenting himself with oral
ones.
Referring to his silence in the face
of accusations, and to his being placed
on the retired list, the witness asserted
that he was the most disciplined OF
soldiers" " and had not merited the fate
meted out to him. He demanded to
be confronted with Captain Culgnet
and his other accusers.
In replying TO numerous questions
he said that when General lie Mouton
de Boisdeffre, chief of the French gem
eral staff in 1894, wanted him to act
as a police officer in the Dreyfus af-
fair he asked to be excused and rec
ommended Lieutenant Colonel Pic
quart for the task. General de Bois-
deffre refused to accept this suggestion.
Throughout the inquiry, the witness
affirmed he had only acted on the ad-
vice of the experts in handwriting, NM.
Bertillion and Cochefort. M. Bertil-
lion advised him to dictate lines to
Dreyfus, and M. Cochefort accompanied
him
The report was presented in October,
1894. 1t did not draw the inference
Of the guilt of Dreyfus, but merely
stated certain facts. In December,
1894, Colonel Sandherr sent him
(Paty du Clam) a dossier of secret doc
uments to report upon and the report,
which was the result of his collabora-
tion with Colonel Candherr, went to
General Mercier, then minister of war.
Coming down to the events Of 1896,
Colonel Patty du Clam said he was
ignorant of the doings Of the intel
ligence bureau during this period, but
he indicated M. Deerion as being at
the head of a veritable manufacture of
forgeries for Lieutenant Colonel
Henry.
Colonel Patty du Clam said Cen
eral Gonse told him in 1897 that he
had minutely investigated the AFFAIR
and had proved Esterhazy's innocence
of treason. Again in 1898 General
| Gonse told him It was imperative TO
save Esterhazy at any price, in order
to prevent his committal of the ir
reparable acts of suicide or fight, and
also to avoid diplomatic difficulties, as
war, owing to the lack of preparedness,
would then be disastrous.
| It was decided, the witness contin-
ued, to save Esterhazy, and NM. Gribe-
lin and Pauffin de Stmorel and the
| witness were entrusted with the task.
Then, for the first time, the witness
acted, he declared, with Esterhazy,
whom he had only seen once in AL
geria, Is years previously. He accept
ed the responsibility for what he had
done, but declared that he only acted
on orders. He admitted giving Ester.
hazy a draft of the article signed
"Dixi" and also drafts of letters ad-
dressed to the president of the re-
public, the sending of which was au.
thorized and covered by General de
Boisdeffre after a conference with
General Gonse,