The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-29

plans Of the fortresses, had occurred at
| known as .tCette Canaille de D" he
explained was contemporaneous with
lit has been said.' continued the wit
ness, that L made mistake on this
point and confounded the document with
another containing the initial alone.
should like very much to see the docu-
ment in order to assure myself that 1t ha
not been tampered with. II is not, how
ever, of any Importance, except to show
i that General Roget's evidence concern-
ing me is false from beginning to end
+ (Sensation.)
but Colonel Cordier continued, showing
how the leakage of plans of fortresses
vas facilitated BY the earelessne9ss OF the
witness left the War Office.
ag9nst "a sne prevfs 81 srystalzzed %
1 the Colonel described the efforts to pry
into the prisoners life, and said the infor-
nation at first received was very bad
and constituted strong proof against the
1 prisoner Later, however, it assumed
quite a different aspect. It was admitted
that before his marriage Dreyfus was not
"'unimpeachable morally, nor was he en-
titled to wea wreath of orange bios
SONS" Q-aughter9
But, Cordier added, after his marriage,
/ Dreyfus was quite different.
! The witness also said that while Drey-
fus boasted of his conquests, he; Cordier,
| ed the most accomplished the least
| Qaughter)
Dreyfus, he continude Dragged a great
| deal and, probably now repented having
done so, and Dreyfus' inquisitiveness, ac-
cording to witness. was probably explain
long = remain sil on 'Sf the Headauarters STAN
and he desired to obtain all the informa-
tion which might be useful to him IN
| after life.
The Colonel then paid a tribute to the
memory of Colonel Sandherr, who ex-
| amined the immense mass of documents
.sSsatta Canailie de D. document,
| which seemed to the witness to date back
/ to antiquity. *.
/ Client the sole proof against Dreyfus,
namely, the bordereau He did not pc
| lieve the prisoner was guilty but the
/ convictng him changed the witness mind.
! His doubts, however, returned when ne
saw that the date of the bordereau re-
4 eeived in September had been fixed as
/ May Colonel Picquart's Investigation and
/! the infamous campaign against Picquart
! increased the suspicious Of the witness
| I'm 1894" declared Colonel Cordier, en-
phatically, Il had been reassured by the
| unanimity of the Judges and was alb
| solutely convinced of the guilt of Drey-
fas liz innoeence'1 Isow Great ,rI excitement5
Next the witness discussed the attacks
| on himself He said he was astonished
! at being accused of being -SOureo because
he was not given charge of the Intelii-
/ gence Department, in succession to Colo
| mel Sandherr, 'sas every one knew wish
| ed to quit the service simultaneously with
| my friend Sandherr."
| Replying to the President, Cordier de-
! clared that the approaches of the Drey.
| fus family to Colonel Sandherr were not
! attempts at corruption and that DreyIus
| brothers remark, Our fortune is at your
| disposal was only the expression of the
| family's ardent desire to save an inno-
] 4Asx1t%. rff
Witness~well remembered hearing that
| Esterhazy and Henry were in the Intelli~
gence Department togethr about tn year
i 1873, but, he added, Esterhazy had not
| since been employed there and If he had
| any relations with the department. they
must have been clandestine.
| Rplying to Colonel Jouausts request to
state what he knew regarding Henry's re-
lations with Picquart, Cordier said good
fellowship prevailed in the department un-
| til the appearance of Henry, who had
relations with the Supreme Chief and his
| colleagues suspected he might report what
he heard In the Office divisions and what
occurred in the department. Some sup
ported Sandherr and others supported
Henry Among the latter was Gribelin.
1t was then while the division was ramp
ant that the witness handed over his de-
/ partment to Colonel Picquart. Henry was
much incensed at being superseded by
junior officer, resolved to do everything
| to suppiant him, and, added the witness,
| the Henry forgery could have had no
| other object but to ruin Colonel Picquart
with the view of giving Henry his place.
| Maitre Labori asked the witness what
| he knew in regard to the arrest OF Drey-
| fus, and Cordier replied that his recol-
| lections on that point were not very def
| mite. He found difficulty In recalling the
names of those who were present at the
dictation scene but he was informed on
| several occasions as to what occurred.
! Il remember" he declared, that one
of the proofs advanced against Dreyfus
| was that during the scene he looked in a
mirror. That is going too far. If Dreyfus
| lokoed in the mirror it was because he
/ had seen another head besides his own
there. There was an arrangement Of
| mirros, and since it must be told l. will
| listening. Dreyfus, therefore, might have
| seen something sebides his own face in
| the mirror.
| M. Iaborl questioned the witness in
regard to the letter mentioned IN M. De la
Roche-Vernet's evidence referring TO the
/ spy &C. G. c." which was despatched to
| the War Office at the time of Picquarts
arrival Cordier explained that It was
| letter from an Italian lady with whom
| the Department at that time was in cor
| respondence through an Intermediary at
1 the foreign office.
II greatly respect italian ladies in gen
eral,' said Colonel Cordier, but not when
| Picquart not to make too much of the
lady,s offers saying to him
" There must be no petticoats.
| At this juncture M Labor informed the
President of the Court that he had re-
ceived telegram signed Pages, an
| nouncing the despatch of a letter relative
| to ahe relations between Colonel Sandherr
| and the Dreyfus family. Counsel added
| that he had, himself, received a telegram
as follows:
g Il declare Colonel Sandherr told me
| distinctly that neither before nor after
! the conviction was an offer of money
made to him..
Colonel Jouaust announced that he
would not read the letter because he
knew nothing of the writer and asked the
usual question to Dreyfus, who remarked
that he would refer merely to the scene
on October Is, preceding his arrest.
| 1T Was he said, so fantastic that
frankly confess understood nothing con-
/ nected with 1t. 1t was conducted under
such conditions that lido NOT know what
manner of brain could have conceived it,
| and when / left the extraordinary scene
member the facts and Details.
| Major Lauth having been permitted to
| speak said Colonel Cordier's leave of abb
| sence commenced September 13 and not
/ September 23 to which Cordier retorted
! that he was much surprised at contra
diction on such an unimportant point.
But nevertheless his original statement
was true.
! Continuing, the Major commented upon
! Colonel Cordier's testimony, especially
1 the statement that there were no anti
| Semites on the Headquarters Staff, re-
marking that there was only one exeep-
| ton and that this was Cordir himself.
| who was always expressing antipathy to
/ the Jews, especially when there was
question of introducing Dreyfus to the De-