The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-25

my colonel. to present it to me-"
! The prisoners remarks deeply i'm
pressed his hearers.
At the request of NJ. Demange, NJ.
MERCER was recalled and asked to ex-
plain why, having sent Du Clam to
| Dreyfus to discover the amount of the
injury Dreyfus had done, he had not
| followed up his Investigations.
Gen. Mercier-'I did not feel called
| upon to do So"
Col. Jouaust-Tell us, general, why,
when you We're apprised of the con-
fession, you did not send some one to
| Dreyfus to try and get substantiation
and discover what he had not told Du
| Patty de Clam.
Gen. Mercier-Dreyfus had written
me that he had refused to discuss the
| confessions with Du Patty de Clam,
and / took no further steps.
| Col. Jouaust-But since the prisoner
seemed to have begun making avowals
| of his guilt, why did you not follow
| the matter up?
!. Mercier-I might, perhaps, have
thought of it, but it did not occur to
me.
The prisoner again protested that the
inquiry ought to have been followed up,
because, it would have served to de-
stroy the fiction of confession to
which such importance is now at
tdCneQ. NSenSdrlon.)
Continuing, Dreyfus said: "WiIl you
permit me, my colonel, to make a small
remark with reference to the fiction of
my confessions? l remained in the
prison Of La Sante for two or three
weeks and saw NJ Demange during
that period, and also then and while l
was at the lie de Re I wrote to the
minister of war and others. I believe
the letters l wrote are contained in the
secret dossier. I believe I also wrote
to the head of the state. How is it |
was never asked about the legend of
my confession, which l was in a posi-
ton to destroy Immediately? I never
heard a word of it. 1t was only four
years later, in January, 1899, when in
terrogated by the commissioners sent
by the court of cessation, that 1 heard
of this fiction.
What I do not understand is that
while I was still in France no one
spoke to me of this fiction, which could
have been disposed of, before the egg
was Matched, by proving it a false le-
gend and nothing more
NJ. Jules Roche, a deputy and former
minister testified to his acquaintance
with Esterhazy in 1894. Replying to the
government commissary, NJ. Roche de-
clared that Gen. Billot, who was then
minister of war, told him he must
y,
mot only for private and legal reasons,
but for other reasons still more peremp-
tory" (Sensation.)
NJ. Labor insisted upon further de-
tails of Gen. Billot's statement The
witness said he could not recall the
exact words of the minister, but their
effect then was such that he felt under
a moral obligation to cease to interest
himself in EsterhaEv.
After a brief suspension of the ses-
sion, M. De VaruIne, special commits
sary Of the minister of war, deposed
that Col. Picquart was ordered to have
Esterhazy watched. On several oc-
casions, witness continued, Esterhazy
was seen entering the German embas-
sy, always quite openly, but dressed in
civilian clothes. M. De Veruine saw
Esterhazy enter the German embassy
Oct. Is, 1897 He stayed there an hour
and drove to the credit fon-ier Ga
financial institution, whence he went
to the office of La Patrie
M. Labori-What does Gen. Roget
think of the part played by Esterhazy?
Gen. Roget have said that the part
played by Esterhazy escaped me COM
pletely.
NJ. Labori-Gen. Roget, however,
spoke Of the syndicate as though it was
public institution.
d
institution. Everybody talks of it.
NJ. Labori-But Gen. Roget men
toned an offer of 100000 francs to Es-
terhazy. l insist upon asking Gen. Ro-
get what he thinks of Esterhazy's visit
to Col. Schwartzkoppen (the German
military attache), Oct. %, 1897, the
same day as the interview in Mont
Souris park, a visit during the course
Of which 1t is known Esterhazy threat
m ri 10 ha
military attache refused to declare that
he, Esterhazy, was not the author of
the bordereau?
Gen. Roget-It is not for me to say
what I think Of it,
M. Labori resuming his seat, said:
Very good. Cloud and prolonged
laughter.)
Col. Fleur, retired, testified that Cor
der told him that the dismissal of him
self and Col. Sandherr was begin
ming of q Jewish revenge, and added
that the Jews had Influenced Gen. de
| Boisdeffre. Cordier also said that he
had not doubted the guilt of Dreyfus.
The witness dramatically added;
What was my stupefaction, when, la
ter, heard Col. Cordier express ideas
Numerically opposite to those he ex-
| pressed
Col. Fleur repeated the tattle intend
| vi.
! Demange interrupted him, saying:
This is nothing but gossip"
! Asked if he desired to reply to the
witness, Dreyfus said: 81 have moth
| ing to say. / only reply to facts. 1 will
not reply to lies. If you attach the
slightest Importance to what has been
| said beseech you with all my heart to
make a most careful inquiry of the
most dazzling truth. This is what L
ask of you, my colonel, and of the mem
| bers of the court martial"
| Col. Cordier, who was deputy chief Of
the intelligence department in 1894 was
called.
| He is said to be given to excessive
| drinking, and caused shouts of laugh
ter by interlarding his remarks with the
| expression full stop, that's ALL" Even
the judges Joined in shrieks Of laughter
at the colonel's testimony.
| NJ. Georges Charles Alfred Marie
Millin de Grandmaison, deputy from the
| Saumur district of Maine ct Loire. next
| appeared at the witness bar He re-
! called conversation he had with an
English friend, Charles Baker, who said
| he was assured Dreyfus was innocent
because he had seen a letter from Col.
| Schwartzkoppen affirming the prison.
er's innocence. Baker, it seems, also
mentioned numerous documents show
| ing that certain French officers, not in
Guiding Dreyfus, were spies, and Baker
asked the witness to publish the docu-
ments, but without proofs Of their gem
| uineness. as Emperor William did not
1 wish to intervene. Witness, after pro-
testing against foreign interference in
French affairs, Iepudiated the idea that
a French officer could be sentenced be-
cause he was a Jew.
M. de Grandmaison concluded by say
| ing: II adjure the court to acquit the
prisoner unhesitatingly, if it believes
him innocent Qaughter), and to convict
him If it believes him guilty"
! M. Demange bitterly complained that