The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-22

truth. The general remarked that in
view Of the exhaustive evidence already
given he would try to be brief. He
hurriedly reviewed the leakage in the
ministry Of war, the discovery OF the
bordereau, the arrest and trial Of Drey-
fus and the latter's alleged confessions
before the ceremony of degradation, to
Captain Lebrun-Renault Witness
said he believed the confessions were
genuine. He next referred to Colonel
Picquart's appearance in the intelli-
gence department, although the wit
ness had hesitated to appoint him be-
cause he thought Picquart too self-con-
fident and not sufficiently deferential
towards his chiefs.
''It has been said" continued Gen.
eral de Boidsdeffre, that a secret pack
age Of papers was shown the judges of
the court-martial of 1894. l positively
assert that, so far as l am concerned,
I never ordered Colonel Picquart to
convey any envelop to Colonel Maurel."
The general next described the in
terview between himself and Colonel
Picquart when the latter first men
toned Esterhazey, without, however,
connecting him with the Dreyfus af-
fair. Witness discredited Colonel Pic
quarts statement that the latter asked
him (witness) not to mention the in
vesigation to General Gonse.
General de Boisdeffre, whose evidence
was attentively followed, especially by
the members of the court-martial, then
related the incidents of his interviews
with Picquart, how he sent Picquart
to see General Gonse, and General
Gonse's subsequent letter to the wit
ness, advising a continuance of the in
vestigatiOns regarding Esterhazey, but
adding that the affair must not be
mixed up with the Dreyfus affair AS
Colonel Picquart persisted in trying to
hurry matters he was neglecting his
other duties, the witness proposed to
the minister of war to send him, not
in disgrace, On a mission to Tonking,
but the minister Of war, the general
asserted, found another mission for
him.
ESTERHAZEY'S CONFESSION DE-
NOUNCED AS A LIE.
Everything, the general added, went
quietly for year, until NJ Scheurer-
Kestner interviewed. This was follow
ed by the denunciation of Esterhazey
by Matthew Dreyfus and the inquiry
into Esterhazey's proceedings.
eat that time" the witnes said, "I
was convinced of the guilt of Dreyfus
and this conviction is as strong today
as ever" (Sensation) 'T regard it
as an abomniable crime continued
the general, "to have endeavored to
substitute for him a man of straw,
however, disreputable he may have
been and whatever his offense, which,
in any case, would not lessen the guilt
of Dreyfus. My conviction is the same
as at the commencement of the affair.
EsterhaZey, it is true, at certain
physiological and singularly we'll chos-
en- moment confessed to have written
the bordereau, but he has made many
other statements. He is always telling
lies. What is certain is that he could
never have delivered the documents
enumerated in the bordereau"
Then the witness briefly referred to
the trial and acquittal of Esterhazey
and the latter's threats to proclaim
himself a tool of the general staff, af-
ter which the general alluded to the
Henry forgery and M. Cavaignac's in
terrogations Of Henry.
"You know the result" said he, ap-
parently much moved. 'I will not tell
you what 1 suffered at that moment
AS soon as everything was ended 1
tenedered my resignation, but was ask
ed to withdraw it, I was told every
one could make stake, but I re-
piled that while ever one was liable
to err, every one haG not the misfor-
tune, as I had, to ass - to jury that
a document was genuine when in reali-
ty it was forged; that every one ought
to stand by ones word, and that when
man happened to experience such q
misfortune there was nothing left for
him but to go away and from that mo-
ment I have held aloof." (Sensation).
LEAKAGE AFTER DREYFUS' I'M
,PRISONMENT.
Replying to the court, General de
Boisdeffre admitted that the leakage
at the headquarters continued after
the condemnation of Dreyfus. It ceased
for year, but in 1895 a paper was dis
covered proving the communication to
a foreign government of a document
relating to the distribution of the ar
tillery and showing that foreign gov
ernment was perfectly acquainted with
the changes made.
Answering a question put by men,
ber of court-martial relative to the
conflicting testimony of General Mer-
cier, the former minister Of war, and
NJ Casimer Perier, formerly president
of the French republic) witness replied
that he certainly had an interview with
General Mercier early in January dur
ing the course of which Mercier re-
marked, in regard to the representa-
tions of a foreign ambassador to the
president Of the republic: "It is not
going to happen this time either. You
can sleep in peace. The incident has
been settled
At the conclusion Of General de
Boisdeffre's testimony, Dreyfus on be-
ing asked the usual question replied
that he had nothing to say.
GENERAL COME ON THE STAND.
After a brief suspension OF The sit
ting of the court, General Gonse, who
was under-chief of the general staff,
was called to the witness stand He ex-