The record-union., 1899-08-30

could not say who received t. Very
few officers We're then aware that tfea-
son had been cormitted Witness
thought it necessary to enter these par
ticulars in reply ID the statements OF
his assistant, Major Lauth, before the
Court of Cessation.
At this point Major Lauth, rising IN
the center of the court, exclaimed: L
beg leave to speak, my Colonel.
Proceeding with his testimony, Col
'onel Cordier said ae believed the Ior-
cereau was handed to Colonel Sand
herr by Colonel Henry.
Cordier then explained what was "the
ordinary channel by which informa-
tion reached the War Office.
The ordinary channel" the witness
said, was a very clever spy attached
to the Intelligence Department, who
had the habit IF visiting great houses.
hut who preferred the company of
servants to the company of their mas
.ters''
Cordier then described the method or
piercing documents and shovel how
the bordereau was pasted together y
Henry, who was usually entrusted with
such work, like the passion of fortune
t6linS Dy carQS.
Men who have once pierced paper"
said the witness, amidst laughter, will
always continue to do So
Referring to the spy who had been
dubbed as the ordinary channel, Col
onel Cordier said the former did not di-
rectly receive documents from the En-
bassy from which they were alb
stracted.
A MO, T,yo ,1,;,, cd IN
intermediary, and, the ordinary chan
mel having been closed it was found
necessary to negotiate directly with the
intermediary, otherwise the woman,
with whom rendezvous We're usually
made in churches, but as "the ordinary
channels services We're still available
elsewhere, his pay was continued.
Possibly" continued the witness,
''the spy endeavored to renew this re-
lation with the Embassy. Such was
the situation at the moment of the re-
ception of the bordereau."
Dealing with the leakage discovered
by the military authorities Colonel Cor
dier said he ascertained it was occur
ring at Bouges. Witness recalled the
fact that an artifcer named Thomas
was sentenced for treason in 1894. The
foreign correspondents did not notice
his arrest and consequently a letter ad-
dressed to him was intercepted and !
reply was sent. This letter asked for
plans of a shell. The headquarters staff
obtained the plans and sent them to
Thomas correspondent. The latter
replied thanking Thomas and inclosing
bank notes, which We're credited to the
funds of the headquarters staff What
~ hanr1 cai tn heP qIsV f.
ness maintained that the leakage at
Bouges could not be ascribed to Drey-
fus.
This was also the opinion of Colonel
Sandherr. who frequently had recourse
to witness intimate knowledge in this
question of the futile efforts to dis
cover evidence against Dreyfus
Cordier. whose evidence greatly inter-
ested his hearers, described the various
leakages. He especially referred to d
very serious case designated as leak
age of ST Thomas Aquinas," in
which a clerk of the Church of st
Thomas Aquinas, Paris, was mixed up
in espionage and a serious leakage in
the Ministry of Marine. The witness
recalled how information of the leakage
of 1894 was received primarily. The
name mentioned was that of a gentle
man 45 years old and decorated, who
used to convey documents to the En-
bassy. which the witness described as
a house with a large garden.
Colonel Cordier emphasized the fact
that the above personal description did
not bear the slightest resemblance to
Dreyfus, but resembled much more
closely another officer whose name had
been mentioned, and who could no
longer be prosecuted or convicted.
The witness then referred to the spy
Guenees denunciations to the effect
that officers of the headquarters staff
were guilty of treachery, but the
Colonel explained that it was very diff
ficult to accept Guenee's statement as
gospel.