The record-union., 1899-08-30

RENNES, Aug. 29.-Neither side was
pleased with the outcome of to-day's
proceedings before the court-nlartial
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 tes-
tify that the bordereau was received
directly by the late Colonel Sandherr.
Had the expectation been realized, the
testimony would have been a strong
point in favor of the accused, because
it would have been "a reply to the anti
Dreyfusards, who have all along con-
tended that Henry received the bor-
dereau and forwarded it to Sandherr,
which he would not have done had the
bordereau been written by his accom-
plice, Esterhazy, for in that event
Henry would have recognized the hand
writing when he received the border
eau from the German Embassy, and
would have suppressed it, instead of
forwarding it to Sandherr.
Colonel Cordier, however, testified to-
day that he was absent from the In
telligence Department when the bor-
that it was received by Henry Nat
urally this statment elated the anti
Dreyfusards, but they had no good rea-
son TO congratulate themselves upon the
remainder of Cordier's testimony, as it
was wholly in favor of Dreyfus.
The appearance of General Mercier
to question Colonel Cordier came as a
surprise in the audience, who had sup
hot Of Iac CT a xy'C
when Mercier was confronted with Cap
tain Freystmetter, he would remain
quiet But Mercier is game to the
death. His action to-day is interpre
ted as intended to show that he is not
going to throw up the sponge. 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. There ap-
pears, however, to be a good reason
why the Government will not take any
such serious step until the trial is
over
Colonel Jouaust, President of the
court-martial, could adjourn the trial
indefinitely, if Mercier, who is an i'm
portant witness, were arrested. If the
trial were adjourned for more than
forty-eight hours, it would lapse, and
the proceedings would have to be gone
over again from the beginning.
To-days attendance was the largest
since the opening of the trial Every
body was on the qui vive to hear the
testimony of Charles de Freycinet, SEN
ator, formerly Premier, former Minister
of Foreign Affairs and former Minister
of War This adrot politician, the
white mouse" of French politics, sat
upon the fence as we'll as he could. His
expression of a fear that the Dreyfus
agitation would injure the discipline of
the army greatly annoyed the Drey-
fusards as calculated to influence the
Judges against the accused. But he
followed it with eulogy of the pion
eer of the Dreyfus campaign, NJ.
Scheurer- Kestner former Vice Presi-
dent of the Senate, whose friendship,
he said. he held in the highest estem.
NJ Labor then secured another con-
cession favorable to Dreyfus by get
ting NJ. de Freycinet to admit that he
could not recall a single fact going to
prove that money had been sent into
France from abroad to promote cam
paign in favor of Dreyfus. The gen
eral feeling, however, was that his ap
materially helped the accused.
THE TESTIMONY IN DETAIL.
RENNES, Aug 29-General Mercier,
the former Minister of War. and most
of the other Generals interested in the
case were present in the Hall of Lycee
this morning when the second session
of the fourth week of the trial by
s.oourt-nartial Of Captain Alfred Drey-
Io
son, was opened. There was no spec
ial incident
Colonel Cordier, Deputy Chief of the
Intelligence Department, under the late
Lieutenant Colonel Henry, and who
since his previous appearance in court
had been released by the Minister of
War. General De Marquis de Gallifet,
from his oath of professional secrecy,
was the first witness called to-day. He
testified to the effect that the late Col
onel Sandherr and not Lieutenant Col
onel Henry, received the famous bor-
dereau.
The witness deposed strongly in favor
of Dreyfus. and he kept the court and
even the Judges in roars of laughter by
his comicaI manner and witticisms, as
he is a short, stout man, with a jolly
face. and a very red nose. The Colonel
declared that his belief in the guilt of
Dreyfus was first shaken when the date
of the bordereau was given as May He
was now convinced Dreyfus was inno-
cent.
Colonel Cordier then spoke up strong
ly for Colonel Picquart as a conscienti-
Gus soldier, and an honorable man, and
threw light upon the situation which
existed in the offices of the Intelli-
gence Department of the War Office.
He explained that Henry was jealous
of Picquart, because the latter was Civ
en- charge of the statistical section,
which Henry had hoped to get for
himself.
/ryordier expressed the belief that it
was because of Picquart that Henry
committed his forgery.
The evidence of Colonel Cordier was
delivered in a loud voice. accompanied
bv humorous asides. He several times
mentioned the ambassador of Germa-
nv. which caused the President of the
court, Colonel Jouaust, to intervene