The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-23

! The major added that during this in
| terview Picquart said he spoke in be-
| half of the minister of war. The wit
| ness added:
Col. Picquart's manner in speaking
] OF ESterhaZy left me so little doubt
/ that proofs of Esterhazy's guilt existed,
| that asked If he had been arrested. or
| was about to be taken into custody.
/ Col. Picquart replied that he had not
! yet obtained positive proof but had the
| gravest presumptions."
| DENIED BY PICQUART.
Here Col Picquart jumped up and
| denied mentioning espionage to Major
| Lerond or that he spoke in behalf OF
| the minister of war. But the major ad-
hered to his statements and asserted
| that Picquart's memory was playing
| him false.
At this juncture Col. Jouaust an
! nOunced that it was ESterhaZy'S turn
| to speak, but that as he was not pres
| ent the evidence which he gave be-
! fore the court of cessation would be
| read.
The clerk of the court accordingly
| read to an inattentive audience Ester
| hazy's deposition as published in April
last.
The reading of Esterhazy's deposition
| occupied an hour, during which the
| audience devoted most of it's attention
! TO M; Labori whose appearance denoted
| no d1mtnution of energy. The pallor
| which was noticeable in his face yes
J terday was replaced by a ruddy glow,
| though there were signs that he was
| suffering occasional excruciating twin
! ges.
After a brief adjournment NJ Labori
| asked that the three letters addressed
| by EsterhaZy to the president of the
! republic be read.
ESTERHAZY LETTERS.
| 1.-THE following are passages from those
! letters which were published early
! in April last:
| lin the first letter he CEsterhazy) said:
! My house is illustrious enough in the
Iz IF IL ,se<+-
/ of the great European causes for the
! government of my country to take
care not to allow my name to be
/ dragged in the mud. I address my
[ self therefore, to the supreme head of
| the army and to the president of the
| republic and I ask him to put an end
| to the scandal as he can and ought to
do. If I should to have the sorrow
! not to be listened to by the supreme
| head of my country. my precautions
/ are taken for my appeal to reach the
ears of my heraldic chief. the sOver-
! eign of the Esterhazy family, the en-
! perOr of Germany. He is a soldier
and will know how to set the honor OF
| a soldier, even an enemy above the
| mean equiVocal intrigueS of politics
| He will dare to speak out loud and
| strong to defend the honor of ten
| generations of soldiers. 1t is for you,
| as president of the republic to judge
| if you should force me to carry the
question into that region. An Ester
! hazy fears not anything, or anybody,
SECOND LETTER.
| lin his second letter Esterhazy said:
| Il am at bay and compelled to use all
| the means at my power. A generous
| woman who warned me of the horri-
bic plot woven against me by friends
( of Dreyfus, with the assistance of
| Col. Picquart, has since been able TO
| procure for me among other dOcu-
| ments, the photograph of a paper
| which she succeeded in getting of
that officer. This paper, stolen in a
1crF1 loc nj OfPrrT a 1f fc
| most compromising for certain diplo-
matte personages. If neither obtain
support, nor Justice and if my name
! comes to be renOunced, this photo
graph, which is today quite safe
abroad will be Immediately publish
! ed
THIRD LETTER.
\ lin the third letter Esterhazy said:
This document is protection for me.
| since it proves the scoundrel is Drey-
fus and is a danger for my country
| because its publication with the fac
simile of writing, will force France to
humiliate herself, or to declare war.
You who are above empty quarreIs
in which my honor is at stake, do not
leave me under the obligation of
| choosing between two alternatives
equally horrible. Compel Pontius Pi-
late of politics to make a clear pre-
| else declaration instead of manoeuv-
ering to retain the votes of friends of
BarabbaS.
| C''An letters that I have written will
SnOTLlY TeaCn the nanQS OF one OF my
relatives who has had the honor this
summer to receive two emperors.
What will the whole world think
when it learns of the cOwardly cold
cruelty with which 1 have been allow
ed to struggle in my agony without
help, without advice. My blood will
be upon your heads."1
GENERAL GONSE REPLIES.
General Gonse said he desired to re-
ply to Esterhazy's statements. Dur
| ing the course of his observations, the
general said Esterhazy'S allegation that
he was the right hand man of the gen
eraI staff was absolutely false.
The Mont Souris interview. Gonse
continued, occurred in July, 1898. But
he added, ''as Major Du Patty de Clam
and Lieutenant Colonel Henry left Gen
/ eral de Boisdeffre and myself in the
dark in regard to their movements, it
was only by chance heard it from M
Gribelin.
Anonymous letters received in Oc-
tober, 1897, announced that a campaign
was being organized against Esterhazy.
It was proposed to send Esterhazy an
anonymous letter, telling him to keep
quiet and do nothing, but the minister
of war refused to sanction it,
The general positively maintained
that ESterhazy was never instructed in
regard to what he should say at the
inquiry conducted by General PeIlieux
and, Gonse added, the assertions of
Esterhazy on this subject were utterly
devoid of truth.
General Gonse proceeded to refer to
his avoidance of Esterhazy during the
Zola trial.
7 considered him to be a comprom-
Using person. said the witness. "and
was not wrong. If Esterhazy was per
mitted to go free at the time of the
judicial inquiry, it was by order of Gen
eral Saussier, who would not accept
the advice of the general staff, nor of
the officers under him, however high
their rank. It was Major Du Patty de
Clam alone who compromised the en-
tire hea6OnaTterS staff hW his