Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-01-10
DREYFUS is DEGRADED.
French Officer Who Sold Army Sc
crets Subjected to Great
Humiliation.


GENTLY attached to the general staff Of the
army, who was tried by court-nartial,
, convicted of treason in disclosing import
ant war office documents to foreigners
and sentenced to deportation and impris-
onment for life in fortress was publicly
degraded this morning in front Of the
military school of this citp
| Dreyfus slept well and was awakened
at ) O'Clock in the morning, when he was
| informed that this was the day fixed for
| his degradation i'm public He displayed
no emotion until he was dressed in the full
Uniform of his regiment and prepared to
leave the Chcrche Midi prison, in which
he has been confined since his arrest, for
the military school. He then turned
deathly pale and his hand shook as he
signed the prison register. When this
formality was gone through two gend-
nrmes with pistols in their hands escorted
him to Il close military wagon, drawn by
four horses and escorted by II troop OF
mounted Republican guards. Ia this
wagon, surrounded by the guards with
drawn swords, Dreyfus was driven to the
| military school. The route to the prison
and to the school was lined by many
thousands of spectators and a large crowd
of people was gathered about the military
school, which rs a large establishment
near the lnyalides covering an area of
about twenty-siX acres. Behind the
school is the Place de Eontcnoy upon
which is a handsome monument erected
in memory OF the soldiers and sailors who
fell in the war of 1S1O-I.
| The arrival at the school of two out
riders, who preceded the wagon, caused
intense excitement among the persons
there assembled, and here and there groans
and Kisses were heard us the wagon
passed. When Dreyfus arrived at the
military school he was placed in an in>
provised cell Fully 5000 troops were
ranged about the quadrangle.
AT 8 o'clock Dreyfus was conducted
to the square and was led before Gen,
D'Ares, who was in command OF the
troops, and the sentence of the court-mar-
tal was read to the prisoner. The general
then briefly addressed Drcyfus, saying:
You are adjudged unworthy to bear
arms. In the name of the French people.
degrade you
Gen. D'Ares then gave Il sharp word OF
command, and Il non-commissioned officer
Of the Republican guard approached Drey,
| fuS the infantry presented arms the cav"
airy presented swords and there was
long, solemn roll from the massed drum
corDS.
Drryfus started back rs the non-comms,
stoned officer touched him and shouted.
Il am innocent! l swear it! Nive la
France
The non-commissioned officer then tore
on JJitN JUS cIdNlNiS anu al tlit otitl
distinctive marks of his rank rs Il cap
tain of artillery, ending up with break
ing the prisoners sword in two and throw
ing the two halves at his feet Drcyfus
| was th2n marched, barchcadrd, 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 ac-
cordance with orders previously issued,
his voice was drowned by the roll of
! drums.
AS Dreyfus passed in front of the place
occupied by the representatives of the
press he shouted: Tell the whole of
France that am innocent" This caused
some officers Of the army reserve who
were standing 10y to retoru: Down with
Judas! Silence. traitor.
1t was evident that Dreyfus felt these
words kccnly, for he turned sharply
around and faced the officers in Il threat |
ening manner. But before he could do
or say anything further he was seized
by the soldiers who We're escorting him
and forced to continue his Illuminating
march around the square.
| The crowd outside the school, on hear |
ing the prisoners voice when he protest
ed his innocence. raised fierce cries Of
death to the traitor! Death to the trail
| tori!
The cries of the populacc were accom-
panied by the shrill whstling peculiar to
a Partisan mob When the proceedings
taken to prison van and driven to an or
binary prison, escorted 10y a squad of
gendarmes. The troops marched back to |
their various barracks, the crowds outside
the military school cheerins, each detach-
w men; and shoY wing p atn' Ia France!
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
| Gcrmant'
1t is expected that Dreyfus will be in i,
| termed in the Hes du Salut. off the coast |
! of French Guinea, South America, which |
will be converted into Il penal settle
| mcnt.
The arrest of Albert Drcyfus in Octo-
| Der last caused a sensation throughout !
| France The assertion that Dreyfus sold !
| the plans of various strongly fortified !
! places to the German government has !
| been vigorously denied by representa-
| tives Of that nation. Similarly it has !
| been claimed and denied that papers re
| fered TO were sold to an agent of the
Italian government. The plans which
Dreyfus is alleged to have disclosed in
cude those relating to the mobilization
of the French army in case of war plans
for the mobilization of the Fifteenth
| army corps, covering the departments
OF the maritime Alps. Ardeche, Bouches
du Rhone Corsica, Gard, Vas, Naucluz
and Marscilles. rs well AS the plans for
mobilizing the French forces around Bri-
ancon. the Alpine Gibraltar. near the
italian frontier. The fortress of Brian
con- which is connected by underground
galleries with outlying Notifications is
Il most important place in view of the
possibility of an invasion of France
upon the part Of Italy.
Dreyfus is of Jewish-Alsatian eXtrac-
ton. He was horn in 1859 at Mulhouse.
whore his brothers own Il large cotton
spinning factory He was educated at
the polytechnic school, and in 1880 en-
tered the army as n sublieutcnant of
artillery. In 1889 he became lieutenant,
and in 1889 he was promoted to the rank
of captain. After time Dreyfus was
appointed clerk in the first bureau
of the general staff. which Office con-