Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-01-07
..sILENcE TRAITOR"
Capt. Dreyus' Plea Of Innocence Thus An.
swered by the People.

PARIS, Jan. 6-Captain Alfred Dreyfui
of the Fourteenth regiment of artillery
recently attached to the general staff o.
the army, who was tried by court martial
convicted of treason in disclosing i'm
portant war office documents to foreigner:
and sentenced to deportation and I'M
prisonment for life in a fortress. wa:
publicly degraded Saturday morning II
front of the military school of this city.
Dreyfus slept well and was awakened
at o'clock in the morning when he wa;
informed that this was the day fixed fol
his degradation in public. He displayed
10 eLfotion until he was dressed in the ful
uniform of his rank and prepared to leave
the Cheriehe- Midi prison, in whiSh he ha:
been confined since his arrest for The mill
tary school He then turned deathly palt
and his hisnds shook as he signed the
prison register When this formality was
gone through, two gendarmes with reyol
vers in their hands escorted him to {
closed military wagon, drawn by fouI
horses and escorted by troop of mounted
republican guards. In this wagon, sur
rounded by the guards with drawn swords,
Dreyfus was driven to the military school
The route between the prison ana the
school was lined by many thousand OF
spectators, and Il large crowd OF people
was gathered about the military school,
which is il large establishment near the
Inyalitics and covering an area 26 acres.
Behind the school is the Place de Fonte-
noy, upon which is a handsome monu-
ment, created in memory of the soldiers
-b., fol -, tho nf 1SItf-T1
The arrival at the school of two outriders,
who prcc 1ded the wagon, caused intense
excitement among the persons there as
.semblcd, and here and there groans and
Kisses were heard as the wagon passed.
When Dreyfus arrived at the military
schools he was placed in an improvised
cell and detachments from every branch
of the garrison of Paris began assembly
ing on the Place de Fontenoy and by
9 IL IN. fully 800 troops were around the
quadrangle.
At9o'clock Dreyfus was conducted 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
general then briefly addressed DreyfuS,
saying:
Publicly Degraded.
"You are adiudged unworthy to bear
arms. In the name Of the French people
l degrade YOU
General D'Arras then gave a sharp word
of command and n non-commissioncd Of
ficer of the republican guard approached
Drevfus, the infantry presented arms, the
cavalry presented swords and there was a
long, solemn roll from the maSsed drum
corps.
Dreyfus started back as the non-com-
missioncd officer touched him and shouted:
81 am innocent. | swear it. Vive la
France"
The non n-commissioned officer then tore
off Dreyfus' epaulets and all the other dis
tinctive marks of his rank as a captain Of
artillery, ending up with breaking the
prisoners 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: Il am innocent, | swear it,
But every time the prisoner spoke, in
accordance with orders issued, his voice
was drowned by the roll of drums. AS
Dreyfus passed in front of the place cccu
flGu Dy UIle fcpTcs"uttttlfS' CD VI tHo pltSS ue
shouted. Tell tie whole of France that J
am innocent" This cacsed some officers
of the army reserve, who were standing by
to retort, Down with Judas; silence
traitor"
1t was evident that Dreyfus felt these
words keenly for he turned sharply around
and faced the officers in II threatening
manner. But before he could do or say
ANYTHING further, he was seized by the
soldiers who were escorting him and was
forced to continue his humilating march
around the square. The crowd outside
the school, on hearing the prisoners voice
when he protested his innocence, raised
fierce cries of Death to the traitor. Death
to the traitor"
These cries of the populace were accom-
panied by the shrill whistling peculiar to
a Parisian mob When the proceeding,
were ended Dreyfus was handcuffed, takcu
to A prison van and, escorted by a squad
of gcndarmcs.
The troops then marched back to their
various barracks, the crowd scattered,
cheering each detachment and shouting;
'sVivc la France; vive la armee; vive la
Patrie."
On the other hand, ths sight of the
prison van which was driven rapidly
through the crowds, evoked renewed .ries
OF death to the traitor; death to the