The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-30

| NiiSii ilC oppcdltu DIT lIle WllItSS
strutting about the stage in disdainful
attitudes. His evidence, however, was
not very striking, nor was that of Col
onel Fleur, or Archivist Gribelin, who
also contested minor points of Corder' S
deposition.
MERCER to the Witness Bar.
Finally General MERCER, who evident
ly confronted the prisoner in order to
demonstrate the baselessness of the sto-
ries of his intentions to flee and to show
his determination to fight to the last,
confronted Colonel Corder. The gene
rails remarks were of small impor-
tance, the most interesting being his
\ repetition of Colonel Sandherr's opin-
ion of Matthew Dreyfus. when the pris-
| oner's brother went to see the colonel to
ask for justice in behalf of Captain
! Dreyfus MERCER admitted Sandherr
said:
Matthew Dreyfus impressed me as an
| honest man who was prepared to make
| any sacrifice to save his brother"
De Freycinet a Witness.
M De Freycinet, the former minister.
| of war, former minister of foreign at
fairs and premier, followed Colonel Cor
| der on the witness stand
| The court room was packed to its ut
most capacity as the distinguished
statesman began his deposition.
1t was evident the public was anxious
to see the former minister at the witness
| bar.
He is venerable looking man with
| scanty snow-white hair and moustache,
and was dressed in a blue serge suit.
| tie, and gave his testimony seated, and
| in low voice.
The witness was expected to speak
about the thirty-five million francs sup
posed to have been contributed abroad,
mainly in England and Germany, to the
Dreyfusian war chest.
NJ. de Freycinet began by expressing
the pain which he experienced at the
troubles his country was undergoing,
and later he said he remembered a con-
versation with General lamont at
which there was a reference to money
coming from abroad in support of the
Dreyfus agitation, which while dis
interested in France. might not be so
abroad
The statesman, however, did not re-
member the details of the conversation,
nor could he say if an amount was
mentioned.
M. de Freycinet then alluded to his
fears that attacks on the chiefs of the
army might be prejudicial to disci-
pline," adding:
Might not those attacks lead to the
disappearance of discipline, and what
then would be the result if we found
ourselves in difficulties with a foreign
country"
In short, M. de Freycinet delivered a
patriotic speech rather than a deposit
ton, concluding with the words:
"All the world will accept your YER
dict, which will open an era of reconcil-
iation.'
The members of the court martial
treated M. de Freycinet with the great
est of Difference.
The president of the court, Colonel |
Jouaust, declined to put to the witness
some questions from Maitre Labor, |
leading counsel for the defence, on the |
ground that they had no direct bearing |
on the case.
One of these questions referred to M. |
de Freycinet's personal opinion on M.
the former vice
president of the senate, who has inter
ested himself strongly in behalf of
Dreyfus. Although the colonel refused !
to put the question, the witness replied |
that M. Standardization was his
friend and that he had a high opinion
Of his character.
M. de Freycinet was then conducted
to the witness seats, where he sat for
I few minutes beside General Billot,
chatting with that officer. He then left
The court.
The testimony of two minor witnesses
concluded the days proceedings.
TESTIMONY IN DETAIL.
The appearance of Colonel Cordier,
ormerly deputy chief Of the intelligence
department of the war office, as the
irst witness at the Dreyfus court-mar-
ial to-day aroused great interest, as,
ince his previous appearance, the colo |
lei has been released by the minister
f war from his oath of professional Sc /
recy. Speaking in firm, audible tones,
he colonel testified that on September S
3, 1894 he left Paris on a fortnights
cave of absence, and that nothing was
hen known in the statistical depart I
nent of the war office of the discovery |
f treason. The day after he returned
o Paris, Colonel Sandherr, who appear ,
d greatly distressed, handed him a ,
opy OF the borQereau ON foolscap pa
er. Sandherr and Cordier animatedly
discussed the bordereau, Sandherr con- :
idering it ample evidence of treason.
he document was photographed and '
n investigation was opened, resulting !
n suspicious against Dreyfus being l
reused. Prior to this there was no |
resumption of Dreyfus' guilt.
1t was on October that the suspi-
ions of the prisoners guilt became def
lite. Witness said that he believed I
hat the bordereau arrived at the war T
flee after September "a He could not
ly who received it. Very few officers q
ERE then aware that treason had been n
Witness thought it neces-
ary to enter into these particulars in c