New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-20

| that a foreign Government was perfectly &C
| uuainted with the changes made.
| Answering the question put by a member or
Tho court martial relative to the conflicting tes-
| timony Of General Mercier and NJ. Casimir-
| Pcrier witness replied that he certainly had an
| interview with General MERCER early In jan
nary. during the course Of which General Mer-
| cier remarked in regard to the representations
Of foreign Ambassador to the President OF the
republic: at is not going to happen this Time
either You can sleep in peace. The incident
has been settled"
| General de Boisdefre declared he was no less
certain of what had been said In regard to the
confessions Of Captain Lebrun-Renaut' Ihe
! General was also perfectly certain that the IN
cdents at the Eysae did not occur on January
! z 1895 II was. he said. on the 9Th or Ith 'What
Is certain" added General de Boisdefre. is
that when It occurred remained personally
| at the Ministry of War
! M Demange referred to General Rogets depo-
sition to the effect that Dreyfus was certainly
/ Intelligent but that he would not have wished
! to sec him on the headquarters staff, and asked
the witnesses opinion on the subject. The Cen
| eral answered: II only express the same
| opinion as General Roget"
NJ Dcmange-Was not Esterhazy. with your
knowledge assisted at the court OF inquiry by
Major Du Patty de Clam. who gave him advice?
| General Bosdefre-I am absolutely not aware
OF it.
! Colonel Jouaust president OF the court mar
| tial put the usual questions to the prisoner,
who replied: 81 have nothing to say to General
De Boisdeffre" and Immediately resumed his
scat
! GENERAL GONSE TESTIFIES.
After n brief suspension Of the sitting Of the
court General Gonse, who was Under Chief OF
the General staff. was called TO the witness
/ stand. He explained the motives which inhu-
enced his actions during the last few years. and
said he believed he animated by the loft
lest aims. namely. the protection Of the army
against the criminal attacks made on 1t from
all sides"
General Gonse then dwe,t at length upon
the danger to France of the System of esplon-
age SO cleverly organized against her by for
eigners," and said that. in spite OF Esterhazys
statement, It was impossible for him to have
written the bordereau, and still more impossible
for him to have secured the information con-
tanned therein. He added that traces of in
discretion were discovered during all the pro-
ceedings against Esterhazy.
Continuing, the witness deplored the fact that
the court martial Of 1894 held behind closed
doors, adding: Il regarded IT as misfortune
as great misfortune. The witnesses certainly
said much more at the secret trial than they
would have done at a public trial. But the
judges had better opportunity Of forming an
opinion, even though the public might retain
doubts. l deplore 1t keenly."
General Gonse then denied that Esterhazy had
received money from the Intelligence Depart
ment and. describing the strange behavior OF
Dreyfus and his frequent acts of indiscretion,
the witness begged the Court 70 summon the
.r;-1
the prisoner prying in the offices at time when
there was no business going on there
The General defended Guenee. and referred to
another spy as an honorable man. whose
name he could not give. having furnished
Military Headquarters with valuable informa
ton.
Colonel Jouaust-He is in receipt Of regular
monthly pay?
General Gonse-He was paid when he brought
information. .iiaad;
Major Carrfere-we have here two different
versions
General Gonse-I mean to say that. as he
watched others, he paid his expenses, as we
did not want him to be out Of pocket.
The witness asserted that while the name Of
Dreyfus was often mentioned in the documents
in the possession Of the Intelligence Department,
his innocence nowhere limited at.
DEFENDS DU Patty DE CLAM.
The General then proceeded to defend Major Du
Patty de Clam from the nsinuations Of Colonel
Pcquart and corroborated General Mercers
evidence in regard to the alleged confessions
made to Captain Lebrun- Renault. The witness
learned, however that Captain Lebrun Renault,
'intimidated by the censure OF NJ. Casimir- Pc
rier" did not dare to repeat these confessions,
and gave only an incomplete account Of the oc-
currences at the time Of the prisoners degrade
ton. There was no truth the witness said. in
Colonel Picquarts statements In regard 10 his
General Gonses) excitement on January 3.
The General said he only learned Of the Ambas
sadors actions on January q.
The General denied other statements made by
Pcquart and referred to the alleged number Of
arrests ordered by Picquart 'unfounded
charges of espionage.
At this tuncture considerable comment
aroused by the fact that contrary to the pro-
visions Of the law requiring the testimony to be
verbal and without notes. General Gonse, adj
justing his eyeglasses. proceeded to consult a
large notebook, and frequently refreshed his
memory
Dealing with the Henry forgery, General
Gonse declared: II can say it already
known: General Roget spoke to about 1t at
least eight days before Henry confessed" This
caused stir in the courtroom.
One Of the judges asked II the witness knew
that document relating to the conveying OF
troops was for twenty-four hours in the hands
OF the prisoner. and II he knew that imaginary
sketches executed by the prisoner had been de-
livered abroad.
General Gonse-I could not give positive
answer to that question.
Q.--Are there proofs that the documents men
toned in the bordereau delivered abroad?
A-There were direct proofs but their dis
patch certainly announced
Proceeding. the witness disputed Magistrate
Bertulus's account of the interview with Henry.