The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-02
THE DREYPUS REVISION.
Patty Du CLAIMS Testimony in the
Celebrated Case.
CONSPIRACY TO SAVE EsTERHAZY

Patty Du Clam Declares Himself 1.-THE
Most Disciplined Soldier on Earth"
and Declares He Acted Solely on Or
ders Of HIS Superior Oficers.
Paris, May 2.-The Figaro, continu-
ing its publications OF the testimony
before the court of cessation in the
Dreyfus revision inquiry, prints today
the deposition Of Lieutenant Colonel
Patty du Clam. who on April 10
deposed that, on being invited to reply
frankly to statements of Captain Cuig-
net, he had obeyed as soldier, with
out asking written orders from his
superior, eontenting himself with oral
ones.
Referring to his silence in the face
of accusations, and to his being placed
on the retired list, the witness asserted
that he was "the most disciplined of
soldiers" and had not merited the fate
meted out to him. He demanded to
be confronted with Captain Cuignet
and his other accusers.
In replying to numerous questions
he said that when General LIE Mouton
de Boisdeffre, chief of the French gen.
eral staff in 1894, wanted him to act
as a police officer in the Dreyfus af-
fair he asked to be excused and rec
commended Lieutenant Colonel Pic
quart for the task. General de Bois-
deffre refused to accept this suggestion.
Throughout the inquiry, the witness
affirmed, he had only acted on the adj
,,ion ,f tbo ovparto Il, a Mritinp NM
Bertiilion and Cochefort M. Bertil-
lion advised him to dictate lines to
Dreyfus, and M. Cochefort accompanied
him.
The report was presented In October,
1894. 1t did not draw the inference
of the guilt of Dreyfus, but merely
stated certain facts. In December,
1894, Colonel Sandherr sent him
(Paty du CLAIM dossier OF secret doc
uments to report upon and the report,
which was the result of his collabora-
ton with Colonel Candherr, went to
General MERCER, then minister OF war.
Coming down to the events Of 1895,
Colonel Patty du Clam said he was
ignorant of the doings Of the intel
ligence bureau during this period,
he indicated M. Deerion as being
the head of veritable manufactur
forgeries for Lieutenant Colo
Henry.
Colonel Patty du Clam said Cen
eral Gonse told him in 1897 that he
had infinitely investigated the affair
and had proved Esterhazys innocence
of treason Again in 1898 General
Gonse told him 1t was imperative to
save Esterhazy at any price, in order
to prevent his committal OF the ir.
reparable acts of suicide or flight, and
also to avoid diplomatic difficulties, as
war, owing to the lack of preparedness,
would then be disastrous.
It was decided, the witness contin-
led, to save Esterhazy, and MN. Gribe-
lin and Pauftin de Stmorel and the
witness were entrusted with the task.
Then, for the first time, the witness
acted, he declared, with Esterhazy,
whom he had only seen once in AL
geria, 10 years previously. He accept
ed the responsibility for what he had
done, but declared that he only acted
on orders. He admitted giving Ester
hazy draft of the article signed
"Dixi" and also drafts of letters ad-
dressed to the president of the re-
! public, the sending of which was au-
| thorized and covered by General de
| Boisdeffre after conference with
General Gonse.