The record-union., 1899-09-07

it when he submitted to his superiors
the scheme of decoy letters which he
proposed To send to Major Ester
hazy in which was to be intro
duced the exact wording of the petit
bleu. Picquart, therefore, was a man
of untarnished honor when he was
prosecuted for forgery.
When the witness investigated the
real motives Of the prosecution, he
learned that PicQuart was accused of
making erasures in the petit bleu. All
the evidence showed that Picquart was
not connected with the erasures, which
thus constituted a new forgery and a
new device to squelch Picquart.
Il cannot believe" added the exMin-
ister of Justice warmly, that the num-
Der of persons who perpetrated these
forgeries Ewas very great. We have
discovered one source from which ema-
mated other forgeries. I have not far
to go to seek him.
M. Trarieux's remarks brought Com
mandant Lauth to his feet The com
mandant declared that he took no ex-
ception to PicQuart's instructions to
lock for traces of the tearing of the pc
tit bleu but when he saw the use Pic
quart wished to make of the petit bleu
he opposed the project.
Lauth proceeded to accuse Picquart
of the most profound contempt for the
officers Of his department and their
home life The day of the Cars en-
trance into Paris, Lauth added, Pic
quart introduced to the witness as
Madam Henry a woman unfit to be in
their society, and whom they had since
discovered to be the wife of a magis-
trate.
Lieutenant Colonel Picquart sprang
to his feet and vigorously protested
against the monstrous allegation.
General Zurlinden followed. He ex
planned that he posed both in the ca
pacity of Military Governor of Paris
and Minister of War. He had played
a most prominent part in the Du Patty
de Clam, Picquart and Esterhazy cases,
The proceedings in the case of Major
Du Patty de Clam had caused him great
anxiety. The witness wished for more
light with regard to the ground upon
which the revision of the trial of Cap
tain Dreyfus was demanded and the
charges emanating from the general
staff against Lieutenant Colonel Pic
quart. He thought it absolutely NEG
essary that the charge of forgery
against Picquart should be cleared ur
by the court. Lieutenant Colonel Pic
quart was then in the custody of the
civil authorities, but the Minister OF
Justice drove the witness to have him
arraigned before a court martial, not
for making an erasure in a document
which was in significant, but for for
gerry.
NJ Trarieux broke in upon the depo-
sition of General Zurlinden to re-
proach the witness with being respon-
sible for ten months groundless i'm
prisonment of Picquart, and an unwar-
ranted prosecution resulting in the dis
| missal of the charges.
After further explanations by General
Zurlinden, NJ. Labori asked permission
to speak.
Colonel Jouaust = Is it with regard
| to the evidence of NJ. Trarieux?
NJ. Labori = It is with reference tc
| the erasure on the petit bleu.
| Colonel Jouaust, sharply - In tha
case. no. We are trying Dreyfus, mo-
the Picquart case
! NJ. Labori = Allow me- Mr. President
| it is the question of document al
/ legged to be a device of PicQuart's
against Esterhazy, but which the de.
| fense maintain constitutes proof Of Els.
| terhazy's treachery.
| NJ. Labori requested that the lettetl
/ from the Minister of Justice to Genera
/ Zurlinden alluding to the deposition Of
/ the latter be read.
| General Zurlinden had asked that the
| Minister of Justice make a preliminary
! inquiry into, the. origin of the petit
/ Lieutenant-Colon Picquart was in the
/ foreign service at the time the erasure
! from the document was made, and that
/ the proposed inquiry was beyond the
scope of the common law, unless a civ.
! ilian participated in the suspicious pro-
! ceedings.
NJ. Labori pointed out that contrary
/ to General Zurlinden's intimation, the
erasure seemed even then to have as
| sumed considerable Importance in his
mind.
General Zuriinden replied: 1t was
myself who discovered the erasure.
! first thought it attributable TO an at
| tempt to remove a blot and therefore
! it did not possess in my mind the i'm.
| portance which others attached to- it
| NJ Labori = Was the erasuFe subse-
quent to the first photograph? 81
General Zurlinden. amid intense ex-