Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-14

his time to the DreyfuS ana1r, winch time,
he added. ought to have been given to the
guardianship of the national defense.
NJ. Demange invited General Billot to ex-
plain the statements of MN. Barthou and
Poincare former ministers, that the general
was once so doubtful of the guilt of Drey-
fus that he did not sleep for several nights.
General Bllot acknowledged the state
ments were true.
Answering questions of counsel the gen.
eral said Colonel Picquarts revelations pro-
duced doubts in his mind, but. he added.
all the same his conviction of guilt of Drey-
fus remained unchanged.
There was a great sensation when NJ. De-
mango mentioned the opinion expressed by
M. Barthou that General Billot had been
forewarded in regard to the forgery of
Lieutenant Colonel Henry. The general
acknowledged that the Henry forgery was
among the factors arousing his doubts.
Continuing. Gen. Billot said he was i'm
mensely surprised and deeply affected by
the revelation of the forgery. He said: I
never could have believed a superior officer
could be guilty of forgery"
NJ. Cavaixnac Called.
NJ. Cavaignac. former minister of war,
was the next witness called. Replying to
the president of the court. he said he was
the first cabinet minister to assume re-
81 ensbility to Dreyfus. He had closely fol-
lowed the inquiry of the court of cessation
and still desired to associate himself with
the responsibility of those who in 1894 pro-
tected the country and the army against
treason. (Sensation1
Continuing. the witness said that among
the principal points upon which he based
his convictions was the confession to Capt.
Lebrun- Renaud, in support of which con-
tention he quoted passage from an al
legged letter of Dreyfus but which in reeli-
ty was part of Gen. Gonse's report Of the
minister of war on Col Du Patty de CLAIMS
report of the alleged confession.
NJ. Cavaignac admitted the possibility of
mistakes in human testimony, and said
they ought to be taken into account when
condemning Il felow-man. But asserted he
was convinced of the guilt of Dreyfus be-
cause his accusers were 80 entirely in
agreement in their testimony.
Internal Evidence of Treason.
The witness also said he found additional
proofs of the prisoners guilt in the techni-
cal character of the bordereau. and thought
the bOrdereau alone would establish the
fact that treason had eInanated from the
bureau of the general staff. and from an
officer who able to secure all the in
formation desired.
According to NJ. Cavaignac. even in his
attempts to hide his crime the accused had
allowed words TO escape him which indis-
putably established his guilt. Everything,
according to this witness, condemned Drey-
fus. and. ne claimed. in spite of the pris-
oner's denials, it was established that he
had been everywhere where 1t was neces-
sary to procure the information in question.
witty cd
that the prisoner had copied plans of the
proposed concentration of the army. Wit
nesses, he claimed. would testify in support
of this assertion.
NJ Cavaignac next discussed the denials
of Dreyfus. and said his excuses of lapse
OF memory was inadmissibe. Dreyfus, he
claimed was aware of the changes in the
bridge corps belonging to the artillery, and
also of the details of concentration.
Why. then. the witness asked, had ne de-
MED this knowledge?
1t was impossible. according to VI. Ca
vaignac. to credit that Esterhazy was a
traitor even admitting the borj.ereau was
written by him. Esterhdzy, he insisted
could only have acted the intermediary
Of aCcompliCe.
The inquiry of the court of casa ton
proved treason was really committed and
he. NJ Cavaignac, had not based his con-
victon of the culpability of Dreyfus solely
on the handwriting of the borIereau. In
the secret dossier. he pointed out. there
were many elements FOR conviction, and
he proposed to discuss all the allegations
made by foreigners with the view oi ex-
culpa:iu., Dreyfus.
After NM Cavaignac and Hanotaux
former minister of foreign affairs, had tes-
titled the court adjourned at noon until
Wednesday.