The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-22

was known that measures were in pro-
gress against Esterhazy.
question of Saving :" him ave We're false boards
and blue spectacles resorted to?
NJ. Gribelin-You had better ask Patty
de Clam when he comes in. Oaughter)
Do not imagine 1t amused me. tRenewed
laughter)
:. Replying to further questions, NJ, Gribe-
lin denied that he had ever opened let
ter addressed to Picquart.
Counsel then wanted to know why the
letter signed '''speranza" was not sent
to Picquart, since all his letters were
opened at the Ministry of War.
NJ. Gribeln-As I never opened letter
addressed to Colonel Picquart, L do not
Colonel Picquart asked permission to
question witness.
When | left the Ministry of War"
forward my letters to the addresses he
knew Since the letter signed 'Speranza
was not sent me, must ask M. Gribelin
If he did not receive instructions from his
chiefs TO intercept it."
NJ Griebelin-No, l never had such an
order.
Picquart, after protesting against the
manner in which his correspondence was
tempered with, expressed surprise that
the question o. the. employment of secret
service money should be constantly mixed
up with the Dreyfus case with which, he
added, 1t had nothing whatever to do
He also denied he had given NJ. LIE Blois
the slightest information regarding the
secret dossier and said the only document
of the dossier revealed. and that was not
by himself, was the ''cette canaille D"
document, which had been utilized by the
enemies of Dreyfus. There was also the
''liberateuf' document which was deliv-
cred to Esterhazy, who used it to levy
the most shameful blackmail on the Gov
eminent.
Colonel Lauth followed. He traversed
the ground covered by his evidence be-
fore the Criminal Division of the Court
of Cessation in regard to the circum-
stances under which Henry communicat-
ed the bordereau. He said that when the
bordereau reached the. Intelligence De
partment Henry was absolutely the only
officer who knew the agent who furnished
it and was the only officer known to the
agent. Henry. he explained, had appoint
ments with the foreign spy in question
only at 8 or o'clock at night at the va
Henry to hand the papers received to
Colonel Sandherr the same evening.
Therefore he took them home and
brought them back to the Office in the
morning. Very often these appointments
were kept on Saturday, and Major Lauth
believed the packet containing the Dor
S eptebei a. anu was ''A'l - ''ie '''ie'
lone morning said Lauth. 'ft may
have been September "a. or another date.
though 1T cannot matter much, | arrived
at the Office and was about to enter the
room in which l actually work, when Col
rider. called to me and took me into his
room. Captain Mather arrived simulta
neously. We had scarcely entered when
Colonel Henry showed the packet re-
ceived, and exhibiting some pieces he had
pasted together, said: 1T is frightful.
Just see what L have found in this
packet
1--WE walked to a window and all three
began to read the contents of a paper,
which was none other than the bordereau.
We discussed who could be the author.
II must add that NJ. Gribelin entered
the room and was informed regarding. the
document. AT the same time the. Dor
yr1C nj d.
herr half or three-quarters of an hour
later, when he arrived"
Next discussing the petit bleu. Major
Lauth said it reached Colonel Picquart
inclosed in a packet early in March In
cidentally the witness mentioned the mis-,
sion to Nancy on which Henry went, and
said that While he was absent his wife
came to the Intelligence Department to
ask for his whereabouts, as she knew
nothing of his departure.
'It was the same with all officers of the
department" Said Lauth. "Our famil-
les never knew where we. were going
when we We're sent on mission. and it
was through the department that they
correspondent with us That proves that
things were not conducted in the Fourth
Bureau as alleged by Colonel Picquart
and the officers were not so negligent and
careless as he has asserted
Witness maintained this also disposed
of Picquart's assertion that Henry was in
the habit of working at home in the pres
ence of servants. AS a matter of fact,
he added, the officers were very reserved
x,
ness proceeded to speak of Picquarts
orders to destroy all evidence of the petit
bleu having been torn. and to determine
the office of origin by affixing q postmark;
1.-The spy Cuers,'' said Lauth, entered
into relations with the Ministry of War
with the ayowed purpose of revenging
himself on his Government. He refused
to accept payment beyond his fare to
Basic. Cuers was evidently an agent
provocateur, who had been sent to us.
But we were never able to get anything
of the slightest value from him. 1t was
said" said Lauth, that we bullied him
to prevent him from speaking. | wish the
person who made the statement to come
here and repeat it. The truth is we bull
lied him, not to prevent his speaking, but
because he refused to say anything which
was not known, and that means the same
thing. IaughterO
Major Lauths extremely long deposit
ton was listened to in profound silence
against him in the course of the Taver-
hier inquiry when Picquart represented
the writer of the Henry forgery.
II declare" said Lauth that if by in
spring or writing it had share in any
way whatever in the preparation of the
Henry forgery / should have avowed it
the day Henry committed suicide. I am
not even now afraid of the razor nor the
rope of LIE Mercier-Picquart. nor even of
a broken glass omelette."
After controverting further statements
of Pcquart. Major Lauth, in conclusion
on the newspapers" held quite aloof from
the press campaign organized in re-
spouse to the action taken by the friends
of Dreyfus.'
After a short adjournment the court re-
assembled and the Judges questioned Ma
ior Lauth. They asked his opinion of the
Schneider letter of November 80 1897. Wit
ness replied that it was authentic and
enanated from Agent Pierre Replying to
M Demange, witness said he never saw
the photograph certain newspapers as
serted he took, representing Picquart and
Schwarzkoppen strolling arm in arm at
Carlsbad.
81 suppose it was I who took it," the
witness added ironically.
NJ Demange-I do not accuse you
At the instance of M. Demange Colonel
Picquart again described the alterations
of the petit bleu and declared that the
last time he saw it. the day before he
w cd hic mil fha