The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-06
DEGRADED In PUBLIC
FRENCH OFFICER PUNISHED FOR
DISCLOSING ARMY SECRETS.
His EpauIets Torn on and sword
Broken-ro BE Confined in
Fortress for Life.


ard sentenced to deportation and imprison-
sment for life in a fortress, was publicly
degraded, this morning in front of the
military school of this city.
Dreyfus slept well and was awakened
at 5 o'clock in the morning when he was
informed that this was the day fixed for
his degradation in public. He displayed
no emotion until he was dressed in the
full uniform of mis- rank and prepared 70
leave the Cherche Midi prison, in which
he has been confined since his arrest. for
the military school. He then turned death
ly pale and his hand shook as he signed
the prison register. When this Formally
was gone through. two gendarmes with re-
volvers in their hands, escorted him to a
closed military wagon. drawn by four
horses and escorted by a troop of mounted
republican guards. In this wagon, sur
rounded by guards with drawn swords,
Dreyfus was driven to the military school.
The route between the prison and the school
was lined by many thousands of specta-
tors and a large crowd of people was
gathered about the military school, which
is large establishments near the Invalides,
and covering an area of about twenty-six
acres. Behind the school is the Place De
Pontenoy, upon which is handsome monu-
ment erected in memory of the soldiers
The arrival at this school Of two outsiders,
who preceded the wagon, caused intense
excitement among the persons there as
sembled, and groans and Kisses were heard
as the wagon passed.
When Dreyfus arrived at the military
school he was placed in an improvised cell,
and detachments from every branch of the
garrison Of Paris began assembling on the
Place De Fontenoy, and by 8 o'clock a. m.
fully 5000 troops were ranged about the
quadrangle. At o'clock Dreyfus was con-
Quoted to the square and was led before
General D. Arras, who was in command of
the troops, and the sentence of the court
martial was read to the prisoner. The gen.
eral then briefly addressed Dreyfus, saying:
"You are adjudged unworthy to bear arms.
In the name OF the French people, l de-
grade you"
General D'Arras then gave a sharp word
of command and a nonconmssioned of,
ficer of the republican guard approached
cavalry presented swords, and there was
long, solemn roll from the massed drum
corps. Dreyfus started back as the non
commissioned officer touched him, and
shouted
IT am innocent; swear it. vive la
France!'
The noncommissioned officer then tore
off Dreyfus's epaulets and all the other
distinctive MARKS of his rank as captain ail
oners sword in two and throwing the two
| halves at his feet Dreyfus was then
| marched, bareheaded, around the entire
square. in front of the troops. He was
| greatly excited and shouted more than
once:
II am innocent; I swear it,.
CALLED A TRAITOR.
| But every time the prisoner spoke in ac-
| cordance with orders previously issued his
| voice was drowned by the roll of drums. AS
| Dreyfus passed in front of the place occu-
| pied by the representatives of the press he
| shouted:
Tell the whole of France that am in
| nocent"
| This caused some officers of the army re-
| serve, who were standing by, to retort:
Down with Judas. Silence traitor!'
1t was evident that Dreyfus felt these
words keenly, for he turned sharply and
threa tenngly, but before he could say any
thing further he forced to continue his
humiliating march around the square. The
| crowd outside the school, on hearing the
prisoners voice when he protested his inno-
cence, raised fierce cries of;
Death to the traitor! Death to the trail
| tori
These cries of the popuace were accom-
panied by the shriil whistling peculiar to q
| Partisan mob. When the proceedings were
ended Dreyfus handcuffed and driven
| to prison escorted by squad of gem
| darmes. The troops then marched back to
their various barracks, the crowds outside
| the military school cheering each detach-
me-" GIVE eni la france France vive Armee. vive la
Patrer'
| on the other hand the sight of the prison
van, which was driven RAPIDLY through the
| crowds, evoked renewed cries of:
Death to the traitor. Death to the Ger
man.
| The arrest of Albert Dreyfus in October
| last caused sensation throughout France.
| and it found echo in Berlin, which at one
| time threatened to have serious conse-
auences The assertions that Dreyfus sold
| the plans of various strongly fortified
| places to the German government has been
| vigorously denied by representatives of that
| nation. Similarly. it has been claimed and
denied fe to
| plans which Dreyfus is alleged to have dis
| closed include those. relating to the mobil-
| zatiori of the French army in case of war,
| plans for the mobilization of the Fifteenth
| Army Corps, covering the departments of
| Rhonc Corsica. Gard, Var, vaucluse and
] Marseilles. we'll as the plans for mobiliz-
| ing the French forces around 9.,, Briancon'
| tier The fortress of Briancon, which is
connected by. underground galleries with
| self is most important place in view of
| the possibility of an invasion of France on
| satan extraction. He was born in 1859 at
MuIhouse. where. his brother owns large
cotton spinning factory He was $, e siSo
| tered the army sublieutenant of artil-
! iery. In 1882 he became lieutenant, and in
! tain After time Dreyfus was appointed
| clerk i'll the FIRST bureau of the general
|
secret documents of the War Office, such MS
| the mobilization arrangements and the de-
tails for the dispatch and concentration of
the troops in the event of war.
THE CAPTAINS ARREST.
! There are several versions of the events
| which led to the arrest of Captain Dreyfus.
! The most generally accepted is that short
| time after he left his position in the Gener-
| al Staff Bureau suspicious were aroused
| against him. An examination of the docu-
| mcnts to which he had access led to the
| discovery of the fact that several of them
| We're missing An investigation into the az
| fair was commenced by the military au-
| thorities, and it was discovered that Drey-
| fus had been in the habit of associating in
| very friendly manner with a certain
| Italian officer, whose name was not made
| public. Consequently, VI. Cochefort, chief
! of the detective services, instructed to
! commence an investigation, and he went to
Monaco. San Reno and the north OF Italy.
! following certain clews which he had OBJ
| tanned. M. Cochefort returned TO Paris on
| Oct. II last, and the arrest of Dreyfus and
his Incarceration in the prison of Cherche
| Midi followed, in spite OF his protestations
| Of innocence and the fact that no docu-
ments of discriminating nature were
| found at his residence when it was
| searched. But it is said that the chief of
| detectives surprised the Italian officer and