Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-20

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whereupon Major Carriere said Patty de Clam
had been on1cially informed that his presence
was necessary to the court-martial and 1t
was hoped he would be able to come as soon
as possible, but the government commissary
had heard nothing from him since this
notification was sent.
At the request OF NJ. Demange It was de-
cided to notify Patty de Clam that the court
martial was ready to hear his deposition.
There was a further thrill OF curiosity
when General de Boisdeffre, former chief Of
the general stan Of the French army, ad-
vanced to the witness box and took the GUS
tomary oath to tell the truth. The general
remarked that In view Of the exhaustive
evidence already given he would try to be
brief. He hurricdly reviewed the leakage
In the ministry OF war, the discovery Of
the bordereau, the arrest and trial OF Drey-
fus and the ~latter's alleged confessions, be-
fore the remon Of degradation, to Cap
tain Lebrun-R enault. Witness said he be-
lieved the Confessions were genuine. He
next referred to Colonel Picquart's appear
ance in the Intelligence department, al
though the witness had hesitated to appoint
him because he thought Picquart too self
confident and not sufficiently deferential
toward his chiefs.
at has been said" continued general de
Boisdeffre, that a secret package OF papers
was shown the judges of the court-martial
OF 1894. I positively assert that. so far as
| am concerned. | never ordered Colonel
Picquart to convey any envelope to Colonel
Maurel. ! may add that Colonel Picquart
never doubted the guilt of Dreyfus, and
never even expressed doubts Of his guilt
when he took over the duties OF chief Of the
Intelligence department. The first instruc-
tons l gave him were to follow up the
Dreyfus affair, and it is well known what
were the results OF these Instructions"
Discrcdits ricuunrt.
The general next described the interview
between himself and Colonel Picquart, when
the latter first mentioned Esterhazy, with
out, however, connecting him with the Drey-
fus affair. Witness discredited Colonel
Picquart's statement that he asked him
(witness) not to mention the investigation
to General Gonse.
General Gonse," said Boisieffre, "is a
friend of thirty years standing. l have
always had the greatest confidence in him
and should certainly not have entertained
was occurring"
General de Bo!sdeffre, whose evidence
was attentively followed, especially by the
members of the court-martial, then related
the incidents of his interviews with Pic
quart, how he sent Picquart to see General
Gonse and General Gonse's subsequent let
ter to the witness. advising a continuance
of the Investigations regarding ESterhazy,
but adding that the affair must not be mixed
with the Dreyfus affair. AS Colonel Pic
quart persisted in trying to hurry matters
and was neglecting his other duties AMI the
witness proposed to the minister OF war 10
send him. not in disgrace, on a mission to
Tonking, but the minister Of war, the gen.
eral asserted. found another mission for
him.
Everything, the general added. went
quietly for a year, until NJ. Scheurer-Kest
ner interviewed. This WAS followed BY the
denunciation of Esterllazy by Matthew Drey-
fus and the inquiry into Esterhazy's pro-
ceedings.
at that time" the witness said. II was
convinced OF the guilt Of Dreyfus and this
conviction is as strong today as ever" (Sen-
sation.1
Il regard it as an abominable crime
continued the general, "to have endeavored
to substitute for him a man Of straw, how
ever disreputable he may have been and
whatever his offenses. which in any case
would not lessen the guilt of Dreyfus. My
| conviction is the same as at the commence
ment of the affair. Esterhazy, it is true, at
a certain psychological and singularly well
| chosen moment, confessed to having written
the bordereau, but he has made many other
statements. He Is always telling lies. what
is certain is that he could never have de-
livered the documents enumerated III the
bordereau."
Then the witness briefly referred to the
trial and acquittal of Esterhazy and the
| %latter's threats to proclaim himself a tool
OF the general staff, after which the general
| alluded to the Henry forgery and NJ. Cav
aignac's interrogations Of Henry.
you know the result" said he, ap'
p~arently much moved. 81 will not tell you
what l suffered at that moment. AS eoor
as everything was ended I rendered M.
resignation, but was asked to withdraw 1t
I was told every one could make a mistake
but I replied that while every one was la
BILE to err, every one had not the misfor
tune, as l had, to assert to a jury that {
document was genuine when in reality !
was forged; that every one ought to stant
by ones word. and that when a man nap
pened to experience such a misfortune ther'
was nothing left for him but to go ava!
and from that moment l have held aloof,
(Sensation).
After a brief suspension of the sitting o.
the court, General Gonse, who was under
chief of the general staff, was called to thu
witness stand. He explained the motives
which Influenced his actions during the pas
few years and said he believed he was "ani
mated by the ~loftiest aims, namely, thu
protection of the army against the crimina
attacks made on 1t from all Sides
Caught the Prisoner Frying.
General Gonse denied that Esterhazy haC
received money from the Intelligence de
partment, and, describing the strange be
hayior' OF Dreyfus and his frequent act
of indiscretion,' the witness begged tn
court to summon the secretary of the min
istry of war, who surprised the prisoner pry
ing In the offices at a time when there wa
no business going on there.
The general defended Guenee and %referret
to another spy as an honorable man,
whose name he could not give, as havin.
furnished military headquarters with valua
BILE information.
Colonel Jouaust asked: SIS he in receip
OF regular monthly pay?'
General Gonse-He was paid when h
brought information.
Major Carriere-We have here two differ
ent versions.
General Gonse-I mean to say that, as h
watched others, he was paid his expenses
as we did not want him to be out OF pocket
After the witness had asserted that Will
the name Of Dreyfus was often mentioned 1
the documents in the possession of the In
telligence department, his innocence was no
were limited at. the general then pro