Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-08-18
rhe incident caused great excitement ir


of a dead man. and that of her child. 4"
tRenewed sensation).
After gazing ;steadfassly at NJ Bsrtul9s,
scended from the platform and took a
seat beside General Zurlinden:
NJ Bertqlus forthwith left the court.
witness stand. He protested most firmly
against all suspicion of having caused the
disappearance of any document relating 10
Dreyfus. Documents had disappeared, but
pearanee. He also repelled with scorn the
assertion that he had endeavored to put
author of the bordereau
-. 1T is true the witness continued, that
the name of Captain Dorval. being men,
toned to me as a dangerous man, 1 had
men, by whom Dorval was denounced? BY
his own cousin" continued Picquart, Ma
jor Du Patty de Clam" (Sensation.)
Colonel Picquart then next proceeded to
reply to the various attacks made upon
him.
These tactics" he said, "are evidently
pursued with the object of lessening the
value. of my testimony"
The colonel next outlined his connection
with Dreyfus at the Military college, ana
afterward at the ministry of war, where,
owing to the anu-Semite prejudices of the
general staff. he first appointed Dreyfus to
a department where probationers had no
direct cognizance of the secret documents
He then described the CONSERVATION in
the war Office when the treason was dis
covered, and the relief experienced when
IT was thought the guilty person had been
discovered. 1t was then the witness dis
covered the similarity between the hand
writing of Dreyfus and that of the bor-
dereau, and he had recourse to Du Patty
de Clam, who was supposed to have
graphotogical knowledge" daughter
Then the witness described what he char
acteriZed as the irregular steps" taken by
General Mercier to accomplish the arrest of
Dreyfus.
Referring to the dictation, the witness
earnestly and emphatically affirmed that
he saw no signs of perturbation in the
handwriting of Dreyfus on that occasion,
and. moreover, shortly afterward Patty de
Clam admitted he had not found a fresh
charge against Dreyfus.
Beyond the bordereau," added the wit
ness, there was nothing against Dreyfus
absolutely nothing"
HIS impression during the investigation,
continued Colonel Picquart, was that the
acquittal of the accused was probable as
the evidence was insufficient. Witness be-
lleved he had even told the minister of war
that the condemnation of the accused could
not be secured unless the court martial
had been shown the secret document which
lt had been agreed to submit to the court
Ihe IN, colonel next declared that, in 1894, he
dossier, but he believed. like all other Of
fcers. that it contained frightful proofs
against the prisoner. When he became ac-
quainted with its contents however he
found that his earlier Impressions We're en-
tirely wrong prolonged sensation)
Picquart then recalled the vehement pro-
tests of Innocence which tho prisoner had
not ceased to make during all phases of
the degradation. The witness declared he
was quite ignorant of the confessions Drey-
fus Is alleged to have made to Captain LIE
Brun-Renauit.
Continuing Colonel Picquart defended
himself against the charge that he had al
ways directed his efforts toward the re-
habilitation of Dreyfus He said he had
only directed the investiga tions made to
that end when he became aware that the
writings of Esterhazy and the bordereau
We're identical, and that, consequently. the
charges against Dreyfus no longer existed.
During the course of his testimony, Colo
mel Picquart asked to be confronted with
Major Du .Paty de Clam, and to be per
ities.'' when Patty de Clam is in the wit
ness box.
Regarding the Madagascar note. the wit
ness disputed its value and said he did not
believe it was a confidential note He add
ed that IL Dreyfus, in his capacity of a
probationer, had asked the witness for the
mediately. Therefore, he, Picquart, was
unable to understand the sentence in the
bordereau reading:
This document was very difficult to OBJ
tain"
Colonel Picquart then declared he had
never seen DIeyfus copy the smallest doc
ument in the war office. In the opinion of
the witness, the department where the
bordereau was discovered ought to have
been searched when the discovery was
made. This, he explained, was the depart
ment in which Paty de Clam worked, and
that was the department which was work
ing on the plan of the concentration of the
troops and the Madagascar expedition. He
added:
TT was in Major Patty de CLAIMS de.
partment that the search should have
been made, or, rather, in his private room
where he worked quite alone" (Sensa-
tion.)
Patty de Clam. continued the witness, had
been guilty of grave imprudence in having
contrary. to the regulations, had conf
taries. non-commissioned officers and even
private soldiers, whereas the custom was
that such work was done solely by officers
Later on, the witness said. he wondered
If it was not to avoid the risk of punish
ment that Patty de Clam advanced the
date of the reception of the bordereau at
the Intelligence department: so as to make
1t prior to the date of his Paty de Clam 81
arrival in the third department. (Sensa-
tion.)
At Has a. M. the court adjourned for
the day.
Colonel Plcuuart was magnificent to-day
as he marched into court. tall and strongly
built. dressed In a frock coat, and wear.
ing the ribbon of the Legion of Honor fr
through the courtroom like trumpet
blast, as he replied to the questions of the
president. giving his name. etc. His ad.
vent was like fresh breeze clearing away
the foul atmosphere of the previous sit '
tings. The colonel began his deposition In
the high, resonant voice of man de.
termined to abide by every word uttered
He was pale. but had look of grim de.
termination on his face. He looked the
members of the court-martial straight ir
the eyes and at once assumed a cold de-
Jouaust. the president of the court, just
such Difference as the latter could demand
but not a scrap more.
The strength of character of Colonel
PirnIfort a hn int tr
adopt in court was shown at the outset
when, having been already stonned by Col.
onel Jousaust from entering into certain
explanations, he came TO the reasons why
he entered the war Office, and declared: 81
am going to explain. in a few words why
! entered the war Office" adding. In reso,
lutte tone, land that will not be murh''
Picquart spoke palpably under the in
fiuence of strong emotion, but throughout
he maintained complete mastery over him.
self. He accompanied his statements with
energetic gestures and with an intonation
that brought out every point he wished
to make and he made many. as the inces-
SAINT murmurs of approval from the aud
ience showed.
From the beginning to the end the tes-
tfmony of the colonel was spoken without
hesitation, and his facts were arraved and
submitted In lucid, unequivocel language,
which was striking testimony to his finely
wrought intelligence. He was very effective
with some simple phrase. as, when repeat
ing the late Lieutenant Henry's theatrical
denunciation of the Dreyfus court-martial
he turned toward Dreyfus. and, pointing
to him with his finger, said:
Henry said it just as I am saying II
now" and everyone in court to-day had
the scene at once before their eyes. The
strongest point made by Colonel Picquart
was undoubtedly against Paty de Clam. or
the latter's motives in altering the date
of the bordereau.
Picquart's arguments and courag geous at
titude undoubtedly impressed the members
of the court-martial, and ELECTED con-
tiHual ripple of admiration from the audi
ence. But there was no demonstration,