The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-18
TESTIMONY OF PlCQUART
HAD SMALL EFFECT ON THE JUDGES
S'edse Hammer Blows Are Needed
10 Overcome the Bnrcfaccd
Assertions of the Generals.

Rennes, August lS.--The trial by court
martial OF Captain Dreyfus was resumed
at 7.25 this morning without incident, Coll
onel Picquart continuing his testimony.
He spoke In the same Loud, fearless tone
and commenced by declaring that he
thought 1t unnecessary to reply to General
Roget's veritable arralgnment of him.
General zurinden, General Bllot, Gen.
eral Roget and General Mercitr were pres
ent.
General Roget, at the outset of Colonel
Picquart's remarks. interposed and said
he would reply to them. Colonel Plcquart
proceeded TO discuss the secret dossler as
the handspring of the condemnation OF
Dreyfus. He took up the consideration OF
the document, successfully referring to the
writer's and persons addressed as IA" and
B, occasionally treating of the "Cette
canaille de D." document.
New York, August 1.-THE Rennes cor
respondent of the Tribune, discussing yes
terdays proceedings in the Dreyfus court
martial, cables: Colonel's Picquarts
clear, penetrating voice, carrying with 1t
an honest ring absolutely convincing to
all English speaking spectators in the
court ROOM apparently did much to re-
move the unfavorabe impressions retained
by the court after Roget's wholesale af-
firmation of Captain Dreyfus guilt AMI
Esterhazys innocence. Colonel Picuuart.
lige Roget, former under secretary of the
third bereau OF the general staff. once
had Captain Dreyfus under his orders
and S1nnrvjSjOD and tho
were established by Colonel Plcquarts
evidence, which explained the military
technicalities of the staff mechanism
|. That contrary to the testimony of
Generals MERCER, Cavagnac and Roget.
Capai Dreyfus could not have access to
information about the notifications of
plans for assembling the "troupes de cou-
venture" Oroops in case of mobilization
to be thrown toward the frontier so as to
cover the mobilization which is one of
the subjects enumerated in the bordereau;
and.
2. That-also contrary to the evidence OF
Generals MERCER, Cavaignac and Roget
captain Dreyfus was by no metns the only
ofhcer, civil or military, employee who could
have obtained the other indicated docu-
ments mentioned in the bordereau. Colo
mel Picquart showed for instance, that the
alleged mysterious firing manual was not
state secret and that copies of II were
given to any officer undergoing staff In
structions who cared to ask for It,
Great astonishment was expressed at
another portion of Colonel Picquarts tes-
timony. which disclosed the fact that some
of the most important secret plans and doc
uments were intrusted to the sole care of
a few civil clerks and enlisted men and
kept in room at the war office, accessible
to visitors, where Colonel Won Schwarz-
koppen and other foreign military attaches
were received once a week.
These facts. developed with admirable
clearness in Colonel Picquart's testimony.
made a marked impression on the court,
which is. nevertheless. still under the
spell of the point blank, swashbuckler at
flrmations of the galaxy of generals.
All the points in favor of the defense
so far adduced by the testimony of NJ.
Bertuus and Colonel Picquart are purely
presumptive. The present phase of the
case. so far as can be ascertained by close
ly scruinzing the countenances Of the
members of the court martial and by OBJ
serving the question put to witnesses, Is
that evidence of a more sledge hammer
and crushing character than has yet been
presented will be required In order to con-
vince the court of Captain Dreyfus' inno-
cence. Much is expected from the contn-
uation of Colonel Picquart's testimony.