The Red Cloud chief., 1899-08-18

~ w." w Wv hNohNh pttNot OtuCo
as official, and thereafter doubts woro
impossible.
Counsel mex asked Genegal Mercier
why the explanations Of the secret
dossier were not included in tho
dossier relating TO the revision. Tho
general replied that no considered
these explanations were given for his
personal use and that was why he dc.
stroyed tho document. At this M.
Demangc expressed q sense OF aston
ishment and asked General Mercier IL
he did not have ~reaions for Suppress
ing the document. Mcrcicr repudi-
ated the suggestion.
Dreyfus, at this point, rose from
his seat md asked leave to explain In
regard to tho assertion that he had
traced on q card the itcncrary of q
certain journey OF the general stat.
both tho itenerary and journey. he
asserted. were purely fictitious.
M. Casimir- Porler then said he de-
sired TO reiterato that he had never
promised anything to Dreyfus, adding
that IL was with M. Waldeck. Rous-
sea alone that he had spoken In re-
gard to tho condemned man. There-
fore, nj. Casimir- Perier reiterated his
protests ut the letters Of Dreyfus re.
ferring to negotiations
General Billot, ex-minister OF war,
was the next witness.
NJ. Demange invited General Biilot
TO explain the statements Of M. Bot
thou aud M. Poincare, the former
ministers, that the general was onoo
so dou btful Of the guilt Of Dreyfus
that he did not sleep for several
nights. General Billot acknowledged
the statements were true.
Answering questions Of the counsel,
the general said Colonel P%icquart's
revelations produced doubts Ia his
mind, but, he added, all the same his
convictions Of tho guilt Of Dreyfus
remained unchanged.
There was n great sensation whom
NJ. Demango mentioned the opinion
expressed by NJ. Barthou that General
Billot had been forewarned In regard
TO the forgery OF Lieutenant Colonel
Henry. The general acknowledged
that the Henry forgery was among
the factors arousiug his doubts
Continuing, General Billot said he
was Immensely surprised and deeply
affected by tho revelation OF the
forgery, He said:
! 81 never could have believed q SUI
perior officer could DO guilty OF
forgery"
,, M. Cavnignac. ex-minister Of war.
was the next witness called. Reply.
ing to the president OF the court he
said ho was the Hrst cabinet minister
to assume responsibility to DreyfuA
, He had closely followed the inquiry
Of the court Of cessation and stlll he
desired 70 associate himself with the
responsibility Of thoss Ehoi In 1924.
, projected the country and the army
against treasoH lS~cnsation.y -~.,
' NJ. Gavaignac admitted the possibil.
ity OF mistakes In human Testimony
= and said they ought to be taken into
, account when coudsmning o fellow
|, man. But, he asserted, no was oon
II: sceassrs w sas's Is st sdAsasBfphh safNss'
o ment In their testimony.
. It was impossible, according to M.
= Cavaignac, to credit that Esterhszy
4 was q traitor, even admitting that the
bordereau was written by him. Ester
hazy, he insisted, could only have acted
> as the intermediary Of an accomplish
The inquiry Of the court of cas-
: sation proved treason was really
i committed and he, M. Cavaignac, had
: not based his conviction Of The culps
bility OF Dreyfus solely upon the
0 handwriting Of the bordereau- In the
q scret dossier, he pointed out. there
Q were many elements for convictior
q and he proposed to discuss oil the sl
9 legations made by foreigners with tn
view Of excuipsting Dreyfus.
n For instance, he said there would bs
q official denials which would leav'
!. plenty Of room for tho truth to escape
q Besides II was quite possible that th'
70 accused was guilty Of Treason
u without having had direct relations
o with the agents of q foreign gov
l. ernmsnt and . certain Ambassador
10 had admitted that his military 1t
.. tache had sp,sd under the immunit,
y granted to diplomatic NJ Cavigns
n also found his belief strengthens
r by the contradictory statements q
the foreign diplomatists that Dreyful
e was we'll known at various chan
er c~ellories.
10 Colonel Jouaust then told Dreyfu
to rise and asked him II he had an,
remarks to make upon the evidence.
IT The prisoner. who during n. Cav
Mt iagnao's arraignment OF him. ha
al seemed nervous and sgitated, reptile
o in q low voice:
II am astoundsd that the man VIII
H. produced In the tribunal OF the chan
Der the Henry forgery can como her
a and base his convictions OF my culc'
bility on matters which the court
- cessation has already disposed Of
N i ~(Sensation.)
General Chanoine. former minists
70. OF war. and M. H~anotsux, forms
OF minister Of foreign affairs, also test