The record-union., 1899-08-19

opened. Colonel Picquart incidentally
complained bitterly that while he was
still chief of the Intelligence Depart
ment, Henry's tool, Guenee, should be
allowed to make reports against the
witness. who had then established
connection between the reports OF
Guenee, the false deposition of Henry,
who had testified that he had seen the
witness seated in Maitre Leblois office
with the document containing the
words "Cette Canaille de D.. Each
new scheme was a complete develop
ment of the one preceding.
The next feature of Picquart's depo-
sition was his recital of the intrigueS
against him and the pressure exer-
cised by Henry with the view Of fixing
on the witness the blame for commu
nicating information to the newspapers.
Then turning to the mission on which
he was dispatched, Picquart described
the irritation he felt when he saw he
was being removed because he was no
longer wanted as head of the Intel
ligence Department. He explained
that if this grace had been frankly
avowed it would have been much less
painful to him. The Colonel also said
that during his absence his correspond
ence was tampered with.
Dealing with his mission to the Tunis,
which Picquart said ought to have
been entrusted to Commissary of Po-
lice, the witness declared it was then
that Henry, abandoning his under
handed intrigues, began a campaign of
open persecution. Henry wrote to the
witness accusing him of communicating
l.
ing the contents of secret documents,
and with attempting to suborn officers
in connection with the petit bleu. 1t
was then that Picquart learned of the
existence of the forged documents di-
rected against himself He entrusted
to a lawyer friend a certain letter from
General Gonse, at the same time ac-
quainting the lawyer with what he
knew of Esterhazy, and instructing the
lawyer how he should intervene if the
occasion demanded it. This lawyer,
M. Deblois, communicated with M.
Scheurer-K Kestner, then one of the Vice
Presidents of the Senate, and the rep
resentatives of the latter to Premier
Melines Government followed.
When Picquart's furlough was due
General Leclerie. commanding in
Tunis, was ordered to send Picquart to
the frontier of Tripoli. Leclerie com
mented to the witness on this abnormal
order, and Piccuart confided to the
General the probable reasons for it and
his belief in the innocence of Dreyfus.
Leclerie thereupon ordered Picquart not
to go beyond Cables.
In the meanwhile the campaign in
Paris was continued. Esterhazy ap-
peared among the witnesses and ac-
cusers.
incidentally remarking that the Judges
in 1894 were shamefully deceived in
having the document containing the
words .Cette Canaille de D" con-
veyed to them. Witness bitterly re-
cited the details of the various machin-
ations with the view of discriminating
him instigated by Henry and Ester
hazy and Du Patty de Clam.
Colonel Jouaust, President of the
court, having asked for explanations
on certain points, Picquart said: IF I
tell you all this, gentlemen, it is to
show what must have been the attitude
towards me of the members of the
court-martial which tried Esterhazy"
(Murmurs of assent.)
When he resumed his deposition the
witness said he regretted he had not
dict his aecusers at that court-martial.
"I have almost finished my task"
added PicGuart, but I ask permission