The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-30
M. CORDIER DlSAPPOINTS
THOUGH HIS EVIDENCE CHIEF
LY FAyORS DREYFUS.
ROGET AND CoRDIER AT DAGGERs DRAWN
De Freycinet Admits He Knows Of No
Foreign Money Contributed for the De-
fense Of Dreyfus. Mercier Again
Qohe liz n,r,oI,
Bobs Up Gamely.


Rennes, Aug. 29.-Neither side was
pleased with the outcome of today's
proceedings before the court martial
that is trying Captain Dreyfus. The
Dreyfusards expected that Colonel Cor
dier, who was Deputy Chief of the In
telligence Department under the late
Lieutenant Colonel Henry. would testi-
fly that the bordereau was received di-
rectly by the late Colonel Sandherr
Had this expectation been realized, the
testimony would have been strong
point in favor of the accused because
1t would have been a reply to the anti
Dreyfnsards, who have all along con-
tended that Henry received the border
eau and forwarded it to Sandherr, a
thing he would not have done had the
bordereau been, as the Dreyfusards as
sert, written by his accomplice, Ester
hazy, for, in that event, Henry would
have recognized the handwriting when
he received the bordereau from the Ger
man Embassy and would have sup
pressed it, instead of forwarding it to
Sandherr
Colonel Cordier, however, testified to-
day that he was absent from the Intel
ligence Department when the bordereau
arrived and that he believed it was re-
ceived by Henry.
Naturally this statement elated the
anti-Dreyfusards, but they had no rea-
son to congratulate themselves upon the
remainder of Cordier's testimony, as
it was wholly in favor of Dreyfus.
On the other hand, the procession of
generals and officers of the general staff
who demanded an opportunity to con-
front Colonel Cordier was a good piece
of tactics from the point of view of the
anti ti-Dreyfusards. because all the points
they contested We're not of the first im-
portance, yet their very appearance on
the stage and the contradictions of some
of Cordier's statements left a disagree
able impression.
The appearance of General Mercer to
question Colonel Cordier came as a sur
prise to many in the audience, who had
supposed that after last saturdays
scene, when MERCER was confronted
with Captain Freystaetter, he would re-
main quiet. But MERCER is game to the
death.
The part he played in 1894 lays him
open to arrest, and this is a constant
topic Of discussion in the cafes and at
other meeting places in Rennes. Col
onel Jouaust, President of the court
martial, could adjourn the trial in
definitely if Mercier, who is an import
ant witness, We're arrested. If the trial
We're adjourned for more than forty
eight hours, it would lapse, and the
proceedings would have to be gone over
again from the beginning.
Today's attendance was the largest
since the beginning of the trial. Every
body was on the qui yive to hear the
testimony of Charles De Freyeinet,
Senator. former Premier, former Minis
ter of Foreign Affairs, and former Min
lister of War This adroit politicians,
the white mouse" of French politics,
sat upon the fence as well as he could.
{ His expression of a fear that the Drey-
fus agitation would injure the dis
cipline of the army greatly annoyed
the Dreyfusards, as calculated to- m
fluenee the judges against the accused.
But he followed it with eulogy of
the pioneer of the Dreyfus campaign,
NJ. Scheurer-Kestner, former Vice
President of the Senate, whose charac-
ter he said he held in the highest es-
TEEN.
NJ. Labor then secured another con-
cession favorable to Dreyfus by get
ting VI. De Ereycinet to admit that he
could mot recall a single fact going 10
prove that money had been sent into
France from abroad to promote a cam
paign in favor of Dreyfus.
The general feeling, however, is that
his appearance on the witness stand
has NOT materially helped the accused.
Following are the proceedings III de-
tail.
The appearance of Colonel Cordler.
formerly Deputy Chief of the lntelll-
gence Department of the War Office
as the first witness at the Dreyfus
court martial today, aroused great IN
terest as, since his previous appearance,
the Colonel has been released by the
Minister of War from lis oath of pro
fesSional secrecy
Colonel Cordier said that the day
after he returned to Paris from a va
cation in 1894 Colonel Sandherr. who
appeared greatly distressed, handed him
n copy Of the bordereau on foolscap pa
per. Sandherr and Cordier animateiy
discussed the bordereau, Sandherr con
sidering il ample evidence Of treason
The document was photographed, and
an investigation was opened resulting IN
suspicious against Dreyfus being arors-
ed Prior to this there was 10 pre-
sumption of Dreyfus' guilt
Colonel Cordier said he believed the