Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-05
BASSET ON STAND
Paris Reporter Who Secured Confess
sion From Count Esterhazy.
LATTER REFLECTED ON SANDHERR
Gen. Roget Defends the Name of
Gen. Roget Defends the Name of
the Latter Officer.
LABORrS REQUEST REFUSED

| the political refuge and reputed scion OF
Servian royalty, who appeared yesterday
before the Dreyfus court-martial wit
ness for the prosecution, was not examined
by the court during the time it sat behind
closed doors today.
The examination of the secret espionage
| dosser mentioned by Capt. Cuignet during
yesterdays sitting Of the court martial oc-
cupled the greater part of todays secret
session of the court.
When the open session of the court-mar-
| tial began NJ. Labori presented a formal ap-
plcaton to the court for order upon
Maj. Carriere, the government mmissary,
to request that nterested foreign govern
ments. through diplomatic channel, COM
municate to the court various documents
relating to the bordereau. NJ. Labori ex-
plained the purpose of the application n by
citing the fact that the court in
an extremely delicate situation. and added
that he had pointed out to Mai Carriere
Col Schwartzkoppen and Signor Panzzardi
as witnesses he deemed necessary to sum-
| mon. NJ. Labori said he thought this step
would worry nobody and that it was in
conformity with precei dents.
Major Carriere replied that he did not
think the government could ask another
government for the restoration of docu-
ments He suggested that the defense
should obtain and submit the papers semi
officially to the court. He saw no objection
| to hearing Gel. Schwartzkoppen and Signor
Panizzardi If they consented to come.
NJ. Palelogue said that while NJ. Laboris
request appeared quite logical and just,
there We're diplomatic considerations which
made it inadmssible for the government to
take such initiative as was proposed by
counsel for the defense.
caiI ba Ia
the matter later. and meanwhile proceed
with the taking of evidence.
Reporter Basset Called.
The first witness who was called to the
bar today the reporter Basset. whom
the Matin sent to London to interview Ma
| jor Count Ferdinand Walzn EsterAazy.
The witness deposed that Esterhazy con-
| fessed to him that he wrote the bordereau
under orders from Colonel Sandherr who
| was then chief of the secret intelligence
! bureau. The order. Esterhazy said. was to
catch the traitor at headquarters general
staff, whom Esterhazy afterward said was
Captain Dreyfus.
Major Carriere here burst out with an
extraordinary protest against Major Ester
| hays insinuations against Col. Sandherr.
Il protest. he cried. ''in the name and
| memory of Col Sandherr against the in
situations introduced against him..
NJ. Labori, however, ignored this protest,
which he styled "a ridiculous pretension."
NJ. Labori then called upon General Roget
to testify regarding letters he had received
from Major EsterhaZy since the opening OF
this trial.
General Roget today looked the ghost Of
his former assertive self. His face was
careworn and showed little of that fight
ing spirit which first characterized his ap-
pearance upon the stage. He replied that
he only opened one letter from Major Es-
terhazy, which he had forwarded to Colonel
Jouaust. General Roget added that he had
declined to receive other letters.
NJ. Labori then asked Colonel Jouaust
to have the letters read. Colonel Jouaust
at first declined, but NJ. Labor insisted so
firmly that Colonel Jouaust after wrang
ling awhile. gave way and consented that
the letter should be read later. Colonel
Jouaust explained that he opposed ;he
reading of the letters because they only
contained personal attacks upon various
parties and would only lead to a prolonsa-
ton of the trial.
Roget Reads Esterhazy's Letter.
General Roget then read the one Ester
hazy letter which he admitted having
opened. In this letter Major Esterhazy
said he could not prove the existence OF
the alleged syndicate organized in the IN
terest of Dreyfus, and complained that
the general staff had refused to give him
a fair hearing.
NJ. Labori then put a series of questions
intended to bring out the fact that the
general staff had made use of Major Is
terhazy even after he was known to be
unreliable.
"a l, haI r,nt
Major Esterhazy's avowals to be of any
value.
M I,abori sought to question General
Roget more closely on his statement that
none of the generals of the general stan
had any relations with Major Esterhazy'
but Colonel Jouaust declined to allow fur
ther discussion. This led to another scene
between the president of the court-martial
and the counsel for the defense, NJ La
bori declaring that General Roget. who
came more as public prosecutor than as
witness, refused to reply to probing ques-
tions.
A little later NJ. Labori pushed the Ques-
ton on General Bfllot what is known as
the liberating document.
General Zurlinden then came upon the
platform dressed in the uniform of his rank
and with his inseparable eyeglass. He spoke
n few words respecting the general stan
belief in Major Esterhazy.
NJ Demange asked General Roget his
opinion of Major Esterhazy.
II have an absolute conviction, replied
General Roget. amid cries of oh from
the audience, that Major Esterhazy is a
stranger to treason.
General Roget then delivered short dis
course in reply to the statement of M.
Des Fonds Lamothe on Saturday that the
phrase in the bordereau Il am going to the
maneuvers'' showed that Dreyfus could not
be the author of the bordereau- General
Roget maintained that NJ. Lamothe was
wrong.
Dreyfus Makes Explanation.
Captain Dreyfus arose and in a clear
voice emphaticaly insisted that the circu-
lar of May II, 1884. announcing that the
probationers would not go to the maneuvers
was written in the clearest language, which
the court would see IL 1t were read. He re-
iterated that he had never asked to go to
the maneuvers. for he was absolutely COM