Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-29
COMES DR[YFUS WAY
Evidence Before the Court Martial
at Rennes Very Favorable
To the Prisoner.
Col. Cordier. Former Deputy Chiei
Of Intelligence Department,
On the Stand.
Once Confident Of Capt. Dreyfus
Guilt Now Convinced of His
Innocence.

Rennes, Aug. 29.-Col. Cordier, for-
merly chief of the intelligence depart
ment of the war Office. having been re-
leased from his oath of professional Sc
crecy, since his former appearance, was
the first witness in the Dreyfus case to-
day. He testified that he first became
aware of the existence of the bordereau
when shown it by Col Sandherr, chief
Of the intelligence department, in the
first week of October, 1894. Investiga-
ton resulted in suspicion pointing to
Dreyfus as the author. Witness believed
the bordereau was handed to Sandherr
by Henry, who received it from a wom-
an who got it in the embassy to which
| it had been sent. The war Office discov-
cred leakage of information occurring
at Bourges. Witness, however, declared
the investigation showed these leakages
could not be ascrlbed to Dreyfus. Sand
herr was of the same opinion. At that
time it was discovered certain man
ments to the embassy. This man did
not resemble Dreyfus, but another Off
Ger whose name had been mentioned,
but who could no longer be prosecuted
and convicted. Witness went into ex-
plantations at great length touching the
work of spies, whose duty was not alone
to secure information but to furnish in
formation to Germany. He declared the
| leakages of information were the result
of carelessness at headquarters and
| that they continued as long as project
| ed with.
Cordier declared that investigation
showed Dreyfus' life was not spotless
previous to marriage, but very different
afterwards. He attributed Dreyfus' in
quisitiveness at headquarters merely to
a desire for useful information. In 1894
| witness regarded the borderau, the sole
evidence against Dreyfus, as insuffi-
Client, but the unanimous verdict of con-
viction changed his mind. His doubts
returned. however. when he discovered
the date of the bordereau, received in
September, had been fixed as May. The
| infamous campaign against Picquart
/ increased his doubts. Now he was alb
solutely convinced of Dreyfus inno-
cence." (Great excitement.) Witness de-
clared the Henry forgery could have
had no other object but the ruin of
Picquart, with view of giving Henry
his place.
| AT the conclusion of Cordier's testi-
mony Maj. Lauth, Col. Fleur, Archivist
Gribelin and Gems. Roget and Mercier
arose in turn to deny parts of his evi-
dence, but the points raised We're not
material to the issue.
| Ex-Premier de Freycinet was the
next witness. He was expected to throw
| light on the alleged collection of 35,0OO,-
900 francs for Dreyfus defense, assert
ed by Mercier; but Freycinet had only
the most general remembrance of a
| conversation on the subject with Gen.
lamont. The remainder of F'reycinet' 8
| deposition consisted OF patriotic
| speech, exhorting his hearers to work
for pacification of the country. and es-
pecially to avoid doing anything to
weaken the confidence Of the army in
it's generals. A couple of unimportant
witnesses followed and the court ad-
| iourned