The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-20

ing continuance of the investigation
regarding Esterhazy. but adding tina
the affair must not be mixed up witt
the Dreyfus affair. AS Colonel Pic
quart persisted in trying to hurry mat
tiers, and was neglecting his other du
ties, the witness proposed to the min
lister of war to send him. not in dis
grace, to a mission TO Tonking, but tn,
minister of war. the general asserted
found another mission for him. Every
thing, the general added, went quiet,
for a year, until NJ. Scheurer- Kestnel
interviewed This was followed by tn,
denunciation of Esterhazy by Mathew
Dreyfus,. and the inquiry into Ester
hays proceedings.
Still Believes Dreyfus Guilty.
"At that time" the witness said. %
was convinced of the guilt of Dreyfus
and this conviction is as strong today
as ever. (Sensation.)
| i regard ii as an abominable crime
| to have endeavored to substitute fol
him man of straw. however disreput-
able he may have been and whatever
his offense, which in any case, would
not lessen the guilt of Dreyfus. My
| conviction is the same as at the COM
mencement of the affair. EsterhaZy, il
Is true, to u certain physiological and
| we'll chosen moment, confessed to hav-
| ing written the bordereau, but he has
made many other statements. He is al
ways telling lies. What is certain IS
that he could have never delivered the
documents enumerated in the border
eau
| The witness briefly referred to the
trial and acquittal of EsterhaZy and
the latter's threats TO proclaim himself
tool of the general staff, after which
the general alluded to the Henry for
gerry. and NJ. Cavaignac's interrogations
| of Henry.
rendered His Resignation.
You know the result" said he, ap-
parently much moved. 81 will not tell
you what l suffered at that moment
As soon as, everything was ended / ten
dered my resignation. but was asked to
withdraw it. 1 was told every one
could make a mistake. but | replied
that while everyone was liable to err.
everyone had not the misfortune as 1
had to assert to a jury that a docu-
ment was genuine when in reality it
was forged; that everyone ought to
stand by ones word and that when a
man happened to experience such a
misfortune there was nothing left for
him, but to go away, and from that
moment l have held aloof." (Sensa-
TOM
BoiSdeffre admitted that the leakage at
military headquarters continued after
the condemnation of Dreyfus It
ceased for year, but in 1895 a paper
was discovered proving the communi-
cation to a foreign government of a
document relating to the distribution
of the artillery and showing that a
foreign government was perfectly ac-
quainted with the changes made.
Answering a h.-
Der of the courtmartial relative to the
conflicting testimony of General Mer-
cler, the former minister of war and
Nj. Casimir- Perier. formerly president
of the French republic, witness replied
that he certainly had an interview
with General MERCER early in Janu-
airy, during the course of which Mer-
cler remarker in regard to the repre-
sensations of foreign ambassador to
the president of the republic
1t Is not going to happen this time
either. You can sleep in peace. The
incident has been settled"
Confession of Dreyfus.
De Boisdeffre declared he was no less
certain of what had been said in re-
gard TO the confessions of Captain Le-
Brun-Renault The general was also
perfectly certain the incident at the
Elysee did not occur Jan. 5, 1895. 1t
was said, the 9Th or eth.
What is certain" added he. lis that
when it occurred 1 remained personally
at the ministry of war
NJ Demange referred to General Ro-
gets deposition to the effect that Drey-
fus was certainly intelligent, but that
he would not have wished to see him
in the headquarters staff and asked the
generals opinion on the matter
express the same opinion os Gen.
eral Roget"
NJ. Demange-Was not Esterhazy.
court of inquiry by Major Du Patty de
Clam. who gave him advice?"
De Boisdeffre-I am absolutely not
aware of it.
Colonel Jouaust. president Of The
courtmartfal, put the usual questions to
the prisoner, who replied Il nave moth
ing to say to General de Boisdeffre. %
and resumed his seat.
Gonz On the Stand.
After brief suspension of the sit
ting of the court, General Gonz, who
was under chief of the general staff.
was called to the witness stand. He
explained the motives which influenced
his actions during the past few years
and said he believed he was animated
by the Hottest aims. namely, the pro-
lection of the army against the crimi-
nal attacks made on it from all sides"
In this connection General 'ionz
dwelt on the danger to France of the
system of espionage so cleverly organ
lied against her by foreigners and said
that in spite of Esterhazy's statement,
It was impossible for him to have writ
ten the bordereau, and still more i'm
possible for him TO have secured the
information contained therein. He
added that there were no traces of in
discretion discovered during the inves-
tigation against Esterhazy. Cuntinu-
ing, the witness deplored the fact that
the courtmartial of 1894 was held he
hind closed doors, adding:
Il regard it as a great misfortune.
The witnesses certainly said a great
deal more at the secret trial than they
would have done at a public trial. But
the judges had a better opportunity of
forming an opinion, even though the
public might maintain doubts. J de-
plore it keenly.''
After the witness had asserted that
while the name of Dreyfus was often
in the documents in the pos
session of the intelligence department,
his innocence was nowhere limited at.
Defends Du Patty de Clam.
The general then proceeded to defend
Du Patty de Clam from the insinuations
IF Colonel Picquart. and corroborated |
General Mercier's evidence in regard /!
70 the alleged confessions made to Cap !
ain lie Brun-Renault. Witness learned !
that Captain lie Brun-R enault |
.intimidated by the ceEsure of NJ. Cast |
MAR. did not dare to repeat these con-
'essions and gave only an incomplete |
account of the occurrences at the time !