The San Francisco call., 1904-03-04
IURISTS HEAR
DREYFUS' PLEA
Paris Court Begins Consider
alton of the Application
for Revision of the Case
SECRETS IN DOCUMENTS
Acknowledgment of the Re-
ported New Facts May
Clear the French Officer

PARIS, March o--1ne court Oh
Cessation began to-day the considera-
ton of the appeal of Alfred Dreyfus
for revision of his trial. Counselor
Chamberaud presided.
Though the general interest in the
case was not as great as in previous
years, yet the courtroom was crowded
with officers, soldiers and lawyers, and
a number of women. among whom
were relatives of Dreyfus. By their
side was former Colonel Picquart.
being in the hands of LAWYER Nor
nard. The report of NJ. Brier, report
er of the court, which was read, pre-
sented the two new facts upon which
the Minister of Justice. NJ. Vale. re-
commended a revision of the case
These were set forth as follows:
The secret documents include let
ter bearing the initial D. Now. by
an affidavit of October 6, 1903, signed
by NJ. Gribelin, keeper of the archives,
it appears that this document previ-
ously carried the letter IT" For
this latter was substituted a D. and
thus the altered document was pre-
sented to the court at Rennes.
According to the Minister of JUS
tice another letter, signed 'Alexan-
drine," which Agent A addressed
to Agent B., contained some words in
the handwriting of the late Lieuten-
ant Colonel Henry, who committed
suicide in prison after having confess
ed to committing a forgery in the case.
This letter relates to the organization
of French railroads. NJ. Gribelin swore
during the inquiry of the Minister of
War that this letter was false. 1t was
true, however, that the date of this
document was March 2S. 1895. when
Dreyfus was imprisoned on Devils Is
land.
The existence of a traitor in the
French War Office was revealed by
an alleged foreign diplomat. who act
ed without compensation. 1t is now
claimed that Lieutenant Colonel
Henry in 1897 caused a book of ex-
penditures to be recopied in order TO
remove all trace of payments to this
diplomat, who, it has developed, was
an employe of the Intelligence Depart
ment.
1t was claimed by those present in
court that if the new facts were ac-
knowledged by the tribunal the in
nocence of Dreyfus would be estab-
lished.
NJ Boyer made an exhaustive review
of the case, declaring he could not find
any proof to establish the existence of
the document which was clai ned to
have been annotated by the German
Emperor, which was transmitted to one
Of Dreyfus judges at Rennes. There
was no doubt, he added, of the trans
mission of the "AleXandrine" letter
with the false date The words in
Lieutenant Colonel Henry's handwrit-
ing had an unfavorable effect upon the
court-martial.
NJ. Boyer concluded by saying that
the letters used against the accused
were falsified prior to the proceedings
of 1899, but he added that this had not
YET been judicially determined upon.
Attorney General Baudouin said that
when he began his consideration of the
Dreyfus case he was satisfied that
judicial error had not been committed,
but as the investigation proceeded his
amazement increased.
One by one" the Attorney General
continued, "all the charges vanished,
leaving only accusations without i'm
portance or consistency.
when l examined the secret collec-
ton of documents in the case and saw
their miserable character, valuable
only because of the mystery cleverly
thrown about them, / concluded it was
necessary for justice to have the last
word and it is my conviction that
there is not one of US If in the army
and not an officer now in the army
who would not have succumbed had
he been under an accusation thus man.
aged
Fearing disturbances during the pro-
ceedings, the Government stationed
guards among the spectators and in
the corridors leading to the court, but
their presence was not necessary. The
crowd was interested, but there were
no demonstrations against the favor
able conclusions of the reporter and
Attorney General.