The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-06

of unimportant remarks between M
Demange and Gen Roget, Senator
Trarieux, formerly minister of justice,
was then recalled to the witness stand
After a deSultory discussion of the
character of Lieut. Col. Plcquarts
former orderly, Savignaud, who had
testified for the prosecution which
seemed to show that Savignaud had
more or less maIigned his former mas
ter. NJ. LabOri questioned NJ. Trarleux
with regard to the petit bleu-
NJ. Trarieux replied that he had ex-
amined the petit bleu which had been
the cause of the accusation against
Lieut.. Col Picquart-
If the witness had not known in the
first place that the genuine document
received Picquart at his house the day
the latter was to be arrested
The witness had not accused Com
mandant Lauth any more than others.
Lauth had not believed the document
might have been tampered with until
after he was asked to conceal the traces
of its having been torn. He must have
yielded to the influence of the plotting
rampant at that time.
Pfcquart against the charge of tamper-
ing with the petit bleu, the original
genuineness of which proved by the
very use to which Picquart had put it
when he submitted to his superiors the
scheme of decOy letters which he pro-
posed to send to Major Esterhazy, in
which was to be introduced the exact
wording of the petit bleu.
ATTEMPT TO SQUELCH PICQUART.
PicQuart therefore was a man of un-
tarnished honor when he was prose-
cuted for forgery. When the witness
investigated the real motives of the
prosecution he learned that Picquart
was accused of making erasures in the
petit bleu. All the evidence showed
that Picquart was not connected with
the erasures which thus constituted a
new forgery and a new device to
squelch PicquaFt.
It can not believe" added the ex-
minister of justice warmly, that the
number of persons who perpetrated
these fOrgerieS was very great. We
have discovered one source from which
emanated other forgeries. have not
far to go to seek him.
M. TrarieuxS s remarks brought Com
mandant Lauth to his feet The COM
mandant declared that he took no ex-
ceptiOn to PicQuartS instructions to
look for traces of the tearing of the
petit bleu but that when he saw the
use Picquart wished to make of the
petit bleu he opposed the project.
Lauth proceeded to accuse Picquart of
the most profound contempt for the
officers of his department and their
home life. The day of the czar's entry
into Paris, COmmandant Lauth assert
ed. PIcquart introduced to the witness
as Madame Henry a woman unfit to be
in their society and whom they had
since discovered to be the wife of a
ma agiStrate.
Lieut.. Col. Picduart sprang to his
feet and vigorously protested against
the monstrous allegation.
Gen. Zurlinden followed. He explain
ed that he deposed both in the capacity
of military governor of Paris and min
lister of war. He had played a most
prominent part in the Du Patty de Clam,
Pfcquart and Esterhazy cases. The pro-
ceedings in the case of Major Du Patty
de Clam had caused him great anxiety.
The witness wished for more light
with regard to the ground for the revis-
ion of the trial of Captain Dreyfus was
i7er ri 4nH nd n mai
from other officers of the general staff
against Lieut.. Col Picquart.
WANTED MORE LIGHT.
He thought it absolute necessary that
the charge of forgery against Picquart
should be cleared up by the court.
Lieut.. Col. Picquart was then in the
custody of the civil authorities, but the
minister of justice drove the witness
to have him arraigned before court
martial, not for making an erasure in
a document. which was insignificant
but for forgery.
NJ TrarieJx broke in upon the depo-
sition of Gen Zurlinden to reproach the
witness with being responsible for ten
months grOundless imprisonment of
Picquart and an unWarranted prOsecu-
/ tfon resulting in the dismissal of the
charges.
After further explanations by Gen.
Zurlinden, NJ. Labor asked permission
to speak.
Col. Jouaust-Is it with regard to the
evidence of NJ Trarieux?
NJ. Labori-It is with reference to the
erasure of the petit bIeu.
Col. JOuauSt-( -(Sharply)-In that case
no. We are trying Dreyfus, not the
PicQuart case.
NJ Labori-AlIow me, Mr.. President,
it is the question of a document alleged
to be device of Picquart's against
Esterhazy, but which the defense main
tains constitutes proof of Esterhazy's 3
treachery.
M Laborf requested that the letter
11a i0f nf fn
Zurlinden alluded to in the deposition
of the latter be read. Gen Zurlinden
had asked that the minister of justice
make a preliminary inquiry into the
origin of the petit bleu to which the
minister replied that Lieut.. Col. Pic
quart was in the foreign service at the
time the erasure of the document was
made and that the proposed inquiry
was beyond the scope of the common
law unless a civilian participated in
the suspicious proceedings.
NJ. Labori pointed out that contrary
TO Gen. Zurlinden's intimation the eras-
ure seemed even then to have assumed
considerable Importance in his mind.
Gen. Zurlinden replied: Tt was my
self who discovered the erasure. I first
thought it attributed to an attempt to
remove a blot and therefore it did not
possess, in my mind the Importance
which others attached to it
NJ. LabOri-Was the erasure subse-
quent to the first photograph
LETS PICQUART OUT.
Gen. Zurlinden, amid intense excite
ment admitted that the Tavernier in
ouiry showed that the petit bleu had
not been scratched when it reached the
statistical section of the intelligence
department and that consequently the
erasure was not the work of Lieut.. Col
Picquart.
NJ. Trarieux again entered upon a
long statement in the course of which
he said Major Esterhazy was acquitted,
not judged.
Col. Jouaust stopped NJ Trarieux.
saying he must not speak that way of
judges.
NJ. Trarieux replied that he had not
referred to judges but to La Chose
Juge.