The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-19


Previous to this the utmost efforts had
been made to prove the contrary and
to show that PicQuart knew Ester
hazy before the discovery of the petit
bleu.
The colonel emphasized this point
with view, as he explained, of show
ing how certain newspaper has trav-
estipd the facts, and he created mild
sensation by adding:
Il shall have occasion to point out
other similar examples
Esterhazy's Bad Character.
The witness then rebutted the charges
against him of unnecessarily delaying
the prosecution of Esterhazy. He said
his object was to avoid arousing sus-
picion in regard to an officer who, per-
haps, was entirely innocent
What a mistake" he added, would
have been averted in 1894 had they act
ed in the same way in regard to Drey
fus'
This remark caused murmurs of ap-
proval in court.
What the witness gathered about Es-
terhaZy's character, he continued, Gre
ated the worst impression on him, but
he could not connect Esterhazy with
any act of espionage. Therefore he did
not mention his suspicious. An agent,
however. was ordered to watch Ester
hazy, who had completely compromised
himself through his relations with an
English company, of which he had
agreed to become a director.
That could not be permitted in the
case of French officer said Picquart
Moreover, Esterhazy gambled, led n
life of debauchery and lived with Mile.
Pays"
Leakage at Headquarters.
Turning to the leakage at headquar-
ters, tne Witness qescrloed the nesollh-
tioHs oi MAJOR Lautn WIN the SPY,
Elcharo Cuers, az BASE, showing now
iaskage "a ana Row he Picn,,art 'D ryas IN IN
duced to allow Lieutenant Colonel
Henry to accompany Major Lauth to
Basle. Picquart also described the
vague replies of Henry when question
ed on the subject of F,sterhazy before
his departure and the futilitv of the
visit to Basle because Of Cuers' refusal,
when he saw Henry. to impart the
promised information This incident
caused the witness to wonder whether
instead OF trying to make Cuers speak
Henry and Lauth had not done every
thing possible to impose silence upon
him. Before the Basic incident, Colonel
Picquart had decided to speak to Gem
eral Boisdeffre about EsterhaZy.
I'm answer to my request" said the
witness, General Boisdeffre wrote me,
asking me to meet him at Basle on his
arrival from Vichy. While driving from
the railroad station to the generals
home | told him all had done in regard
to Esterhazy. ! affirm that General
Boisdeffre knew this question was to
remain a secret between us and ! was
not to mention it except to the minister
of war. l knew Esterhazy was anxious
to enter the war office and did not re-
gard his desire favorably. I communi-
Gated my impression to my chiefs, who
approved all my steps, and the appli-
cation of Esterhazy was rejected.
r.,, r.,o u.,a,r;.;,
. .
ms lisis.eiieei no"eser, ulls m
ereas9u my ulea re sarulns mn,
anu l resolVeu 70 ootaih speci'llel
VI ms I'd ny" il'ihS' vas liiil.euiatels
nuruGh VIII the saisiitaIiis III 4s oi mls hahu
forthwith I had the letters of Ester
haZy which Were in my possession pho
tographed and showed the photograph
to Major Du Patty de Clam and M. Ber-
tillon, the handwriting expert, between
Aug. 20 and Sept. 8.
The colonel emphasized this point be-
cause M. Bertillon aff1rmS he saw the
photographs in May, 1896. and made a
note of them, whereas the letters were
not written on that date. The conflict
ing testimony of Picquart and Bertil
Ion on this point has been used to dis
credit the formers evidence.
Colonel Picquart continuing. said de
Clam, on seeing the writing. forthwith
declared it was that of Mathew Drey
fus, the brother of Captain Dreyfus.
You know he maintained that the
'bordereau is the joint work of Alfred
and Mathew Dreyfus.' M. Bertillon
said that is the writing of the border
eau NJ. Bertilon tried to discover
where I had obtained the handwriting,
but the only information | impaired
was that it was current and recent
handwriting. NJ, Bertillon then sug
gested that it was tracing, and ended
by saying that if it was current hand
writing it could only have emanated
from some one whom the Jews had
been exercising for year in initiating
the handwriting of the bordereau.
Es.,.s p.,;
Al M. beflllioh request l lelt the
piio'os aphs WIN MN. Nheh lie re-
turhed 'henl ne sdlu ne aunefed 10 nus
opihioH, anu earnestly asheu 70 see tie
orlSlnal. w men saw beyond doupt