The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-19
DREYFUS FLARES UP.
Continued From First Page.)

1T has been said," continued Gen. De
Boisdeffre, that a secret package of
papers was shown the judges OF the
court martial of 1894 I positively as
sert that so far as am concerned,
never ordered Col. PicqUart to convey
any envelope to Col. Maurel. may add
that Col Picquart never doubted the
guilt of Dreyfus and never even eX-
pressed doubts of his guilt when he
took over the duties of chief of the in
telligence department The first in
structiOns gave him were to follow up
the Dreyfus affair and it is well known
what was the result of these instruc-
tons"
The general next described the inter-
view between himself and Col Picquart
when the latter first mentioned Ester
hazy, without, however, connecting him
with the Dreyfus affair.
Witness discredited Con. Picquart's
statement that the latter asked him
(Hitness) not to mention the inVeStga-
ton to Gen. GOnSe.
Gen. Gonse.' said Boisdeffre, ''is a
friend of thirty years standing. I have
always had the greatest confidence in
him and should certainly not have en-
tertained a request to leave him in 1g-
norahce of what was occurring"
INTERVIEW WITH PICQUART.
Gen. de Boisdeffre, whose evidence
was attentively followed, especially by
the members of the court martial, then
related the incidents of his interviews
with Picquart; how he sent Picquart
to see Gen. GOnSe and Gen. GOnse'S
subsequent letter to the witness, ad-
vising a continuance Of the investga-
tions regarding Esterhazy, but adding
that the affair must not be mixed up
with the DreyfuS affair.
AS Col. PicQuart persisted in trying
to hurry matters and was neglecting
his. other duties, the witness proposed
to the minister of war to send him, not
in disgrace, on mission to Tonkng,
but the minister of war, the general
asserted, found another mission for
him.
Everything, the general added. went
quietly for year, until M Scheurer
Kestner interviewed This was followed
by the denunciation OF Esterhazy by
Matthew Dreyfus and the inquiry into
Esterhazy's proceedings.
AT that time" the witness said, Il
was convinced of the guilt of Dreyfus
and this conviction is as strong today
as ever" (Sensation.)
Il regard it as an abOminable crime,
continued the general, ito have en-
deavored to substitute for him a man
of straw, however disreputable he may
have been and whatever his Offenses,
which in any case, would not lessen
the guilt of DreyfUs. My conviction is
the same as at the commencement of
the affair. Esterhazy, it is true, at
certain psychological and singularly
well chosen moment, confessed to hav
ing written the bOrdereau, but he has
made other statements. He is always
telling lies. What is certain is that he
could never have delivered the dOcu-
neDIS enumerated IN the DOTQoIeau.
Then the witness briefly referred to
the trial and acquittal of Esterhazy
and the latter's threats to proclaim
himself a tool of the general staff, after
which the general alluded to the Henry
forgery and NJ. Cavaignac's interroga-
lions of Henry.
You know the result said he, ap-
parently much moved. I will not tell
you what suffered at that moment.
AS soon as everything was ended, I
rendered my resignation, but was asked
to withdraw it. I was told every one
could make a mistake, but replied
that while every one was liable to err
every one had not the misfortune as
I had to assert to a jury that a dOcu-
ment was genuine when in reality it
was forged: that every one ought to
stand by ones word and that when a
man happened to experience such a
misfortune there was nothing left for
him but to go away and from that mo-
ment I have held aloOf." (SensatiOn.)
LEAKAGE CONTINUED.
Replying to the court, Gen. de Bots
deffre admitted that the leakage at
military headquarters continued after
the condemnation of Dreyfus. 1t ceas-
ed for year, but in 1895 a paper was
discovered proving to be a cOmmunica-
ton to a foreign government, a dOcu-
ment relating to the distribution of ar
tillery and showing that a foreign gov
eminent was perfectly acquainted with
the changes made.
Answering to a question put by
member of the court martial relative
to the conflicting testimony of Gen.
MERCER, the former minister of war,
and NJ. Casinir-Perier, formerly presi-
dent of the French republic, witness re-
piled that he certainly had an inter-
view with Gen. MERCER early in Janu-
airy during the course of which MERCER
remarked in regard to the representa-
tons of a foreign ambassador to the
president of the republic: 1T is not
going to happen this time either. You
can SlPRD in peace. The incident has
been settled"
De Boisdeffre declared he was no less
certain of what had been said in regard
to the confession of Capt Lebrun Re
certain the incident at the Elysee did
not occur January 5, 1895. 1t was, he
said, the 9Th or the 9TH. What is Ger
tain added Gen. de BOisdeffre, lis that
when it occurred, I remained personally
at the ministry of war"
NJ. Demange referred to Gen. Roget's
deposition to the effect that Dreyfus
was certainly intelligent, but that he
would not have wished to see him on
the headquarters staff and asked the
witness opinion on the subject
The general answered: Il can only
express the same opinion as Gen.
Roget"
NJ Demange: was not Esterhazy
with your knowledge assisted at the
court of inquiry by Major Du Patty de
Clam, who gave him advice?"
De Boisdeffre: 4 am absolutely not
aware of it,
Col. Jouaust, president of the court
martial, put the usual questions to the
prisoner, who replied: 4 have nothing
to say to Gen. de Boisdeffre," and re-
sumed his seat.
GEN. GONSE TESTIFIES.
After a brief suspension of the sitting
of the court, Gen. Gonse, who was un-
der chief of the general staff, was call
ed TO the witness stand He explained
the motives which Influenced his ac-
tions during the past few years and
said he believed he was animated by
the Hottest aims, namely, the protec-
ton of the army against the criminal
attacks made on it from all sides" In
this connection, General Gonse dwelt