The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-15

Perier. who thanked the counsel for
his expression of regret and explana-
! ton.
BilIot on the stand
General Bilot, former minister of
war, was the next witness. He sat
! with crossed legs and gave his evidence
| in a conversational manner He said
he would be Il years of age tomorrow.
! Like everybody else. he added, he had
some knowledge of the Dreyfus affair
| before taking the war portfolio While
| feeling deeply on the subject, he re-
| NAMED aloof from the matter until he
! entered the cabinet. In the early DAYS
/ of his administration, the witness con-
tinued, NJ. SCheurer-k estner Ga former
! vice president of the senate). asked him
whether he ought not to investigate the
Dreyfus affair. NJ. Scheurer- kestner
the general pointed out. had made SINH
| lar representations to NJ. de Freycinet
and got the same reply from both that
neither of them We're very Consersant
with the affair. General Billot dwelt at
length upon the action taken by NJ
Scheurer- kestner. to whom he recon-
mended prudence.
NJ. Scheurer- Kestner finally commu-
niCated to General Billot his conviction
of the innocence Of Dreyfus, but the
general found the evidence insufficient
and asked him to investigate the mat
ter further.
The general dealt with the role of
Colonel Picquart whom he said. he
holds in the highest esteem.
He is intelligent said General Bill
lot, and gave me valuable information
about the organization of a neighbor-
ing army and its artillery. This infor-
nation showed the necessity of CON
tinuing the reforms in our artillery
.AyRF. Il I,. I,%
General Mercipr.
Il. who am neither an engineer nor
an expert in Handwriting" added Cen
eral Bfllot, saw in that direction the
grand work he had accomplished"
After this General Billot referred to
Colonel Picquart's proposition to en-
trap EsterhaZy, whom he suspected but
General Bilot forbade this. He added
that Colonel Picquart's action was
without authorization. General Billot
referred to the eminent services Colonel
Picquart rendered the army leading ia
his being entrusted with a confidential
mission to the East and afterwards to
Tunis, He theoretically protested
against the allegation that he had de
sired to send Colonel Picquart to a
place from which he would never re-
turn. He explained his devotion to the
country and army and anxiety re-
specting the secrets of the national de-
Tense often entailed exceptional meas
ures, like resignation and going to dis
tant points whence it was possible to
return with a superior rank. (Sensa-
tion).
After justifying his course toward
Colonel Picquart General Billot ex-
planned what he had done in connection
with Esterhazy. He then renewed his
protests against the attack the defend
ers of Dreyfus made upon him during
the trial of M. lola, and concluded
with expressing regret that while in
power he was obliged to devote most
of his time to the Dreyfus affair. which
time, he added, ought to have been
given to the guardianship of the ma
tional defense.
Was Once Doubtful.
NJ. Demange invited General Billot to
explain the statements of NM Barthou
and Poincaire, former ministers, that
the general was once so doubtful of
the guilt of Dreyfus that he did not
sleep for several nights. General Bill
lot acknowledged the statements were
true.
Answering questions of counsel. the
general said Colonel Picquart's revela-
tons produced doubts in his mind, but
he added. all the same his conviction Of
the guilt of Dreyfus remained un-
changed.
There was a great sensation when
NJ. Demange mentioned the opinion ex-
pressed by M. Barthou that General
Billot had not been fOrwarned in re-
gard to the forgery of Lieutenant Col
onel Henry. The general acknowledged
that the Henry forgery was among the
factors arousing his doubts.
Continuing, General Billot said he
was immensely surprised and deeply
affected by the revelation of the forg-
cry. He said: ..'N
Il never could have believed a su-
perior officer could be guilty of forg-
cry"
General Cavaignac, former minister
of war, was the next witness called.
Replying to the president of the court,
he said he was the first cabinet min
lister to assume responsibility to Drey
fus. He had closely followed the in
qulry of the court of cessation, and
still he desired to associate himself with
the responsibility of those in 1894, who
protected the honor of the army
against treason. (Sensation)
Continuing, the witness said that
among the principal points upon which
he based his convictions was the con-
fession to Captain Lebrun-Renault, in
support Of which contention he quoted
a passage from an alleged letter of
Dreyfus. but which in reality was part
of General Gonse's report of the min
lister of war on Colonel Du Patty dc
CLAIMS report of the alleged confession.
He Is Convinced.
NJ. Cavaignac admitted the POSSIBLE
ity of mistakes in human testimony,
and said they ought to be taken into
account when condemning a fellow
man, but he asserted he was convinced
of the guilt of Dreyfus because his ac-
cusers We're so entirely in agreement
in their testimony. The witness also
said he found additional proofs of the
nriSnnpr'S tarhnir4l
acter of the bordereau, and thought the
bordereau alone established the fact
that the treason had emanated from
the bureau of the general staff and
from an officer who was also able to
secure all the information desired Ac-
cording to NJ. Cavaignac, even in his
attempts to hide his crime. the accused
had allowed words to escape him which
indisputably established his guilt.
Everything, according to the witness,
condemned Dreyfus, and he claimed in
spite of the prisoners denials, it was
eSta bliShed he had been everywhere