The age-herald., 1899-08-30
CORD|ER'S TESTIMONY FOR DREYFUS
 CREATED AN IMMENSE SENSATION
Witness Said He Once Thought the Prisoner Guit, But He is
 Now Profoundly Convinced of His Innocence

tfgatton was opened, resulting Tn suspl- cions aginst Dreyfus being aroused. Prior to this there was no presumption of Drey- fus' guilt.
 The Suspicion Becomes Definite
 It was October that the suspicious of prisoners guilt became definite.
 Witness said he believed the .bordereau arrived at the war office afetr September 24. He could not say who received 1t. Very few officers were then aware that treason had been committed. Witness thought it necessary to enter these particulars in re- ply to the statements of his assistant Ma Jor Lauth, before the court of cessation. At this point Major Lauth, rising in the center of the court. exclaimed: 'I beg leave to speak, my colonel"
 Proceeding with his testimony, Colonel Cordfer said that he believed the bordereau was handed to Colonel Sandherr by Colo mel Henry
 Corder then explained what was the Cor dinary channel' by which information reached the war office
 Very Clever Spy
 'The ordinary channel" he said, twas very clever spy attached to the intelligence department, who had the habit of visiting great houses. but who preferred the com pany of servants to the company of their masters"
 Cordier then described the method of pfecing documents together by Henry, who was usually entrusted with such work. The witness said pecing documents pos sessed fascination for the men engaged up- on such work Hike the passion of fortune tall ir,ur hxr. -5. pieced paper" said the witness amidst laughter, always continue to do so.''
 Referring to the spy who has been dubbed as the Ordinary Channel,' Colonel Cor der said the former did not directly re- ceive the document from the embassy from which they were aibstracted. A woman, he explained. served as an Intermediary, and the Ordinary Channel having been closed 1t was found to be necessary to negotiate directly with the intermediary, otherwise with the woman, with whom rendezvous were usually made in churches. But as the Ordinary Channel services were still available elswhere, his pay was continued. Possibly, continued the witness, the spy endeavored to renew his relations with the embassy.
 Such was the situation at the moment of the reception of the bordereau.
 Dealing With the Leakage
 Dealing with the leakage discovered by the military authorities, Colonel Cordier said he ascertained it was occurring at Bourges. Witness recalled the fact that an artificer named Thomas was sentenced for treason in 1894 The foreign correspond ents did not notice his arrest, and conse- quently a letter addressed to him was in- tercepted and reply was sent. This let ter asked for plans of a shell. The head quarters staff obtained the plans and sent them to Thomas correspondents. The lat- ter replied, thanking Thomas, and enclos- ing bank notes which were credited to the funds of the headquarters staff.
 Whatever has been said to the contrary, witness maintained that tine leakage at Bourges could not be ascribed to Dreyfus. This was the opinion of Colonel Sandherr who frequently had recourse to witness intimate knowledge of tkis question in the futile efforts to discover evidence against Dreyfus.
 Cordier, whose evidence greatly inter- ested his hearers, described the various leakages. He especially referred to very serious case designated as leakage of St. Thomas A. Quinas." A rector of the Church of St. Thomas was mixed up in espionage and serious leakage in the min istry of marine. Witness recalled how anlformation of the leakage of 1894 was re-
 
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