Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-01-09
DREYFUS is DEGRADED.
French Officer Who Sold Army Sc
Crets Subjected to Great
Humiliation.


army, who was tried by court-martial
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 city.
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 in public. He displayed
no emotion until he was dressed in the full
uniform of his regiment and prepared to
leave the Cherche 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-
armes with pistols in their hands escorted
him to close military wagon, drawn by
four horses and escorted by a troop of
mounted Republican guards. In 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 large crowd
of people was gathered about the military
school, which is a large establishment
near the Invalides covering an area of
about tWenty-siX acres. Behind the
school is the Place de Fontenoy upon
which is handsome monument erected
in memory of the soldiers and sailors who
fell i'll the war of 1S7O-71.
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 as the wagon
passed. When Dreyfus arrived at the
military school he was placed in an I'M
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.
DAres, who was in command of the
troops, and the sentence of the cOurt-mar-
tial was read to the prisoner. The general
then briefly addressed Dreyfus, saying:
You are adjudged unworthy to bear
arms. In the name of the French people,
| degrade you"
Gen. D'Ares then gave 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 a
long. solemn roll from the massed drum
corps.
Dreyfus started back as the non-commis,
stoned officer touched him and shouted!
Il am innocent! | swear it! Nive Ia
Francer'
off Dreyfus' epaulcts and all the other
distinctive marks of his rank as a cap
tain of artillery, ending up with break
ing the prisoners sword in two and throw
ing 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! l 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 by to retorU: Down with
Judas! Silence, traitOr!'
1t was evident that Dreyfus felt these
words keenly, for he turned sharply
around and faced the officers i'll Il threat
ening manner. But before he could do
or say anything further he was seized
by the soldiers who were escortlng 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 populace were accom-
panied by the shrill vhistling peculiar to
a Partisan mob. When the proceedings
were ended, Dreyfus was handcuffed,
taken to a prison van and driven to an or
binary prison, escorted by squad OF
gendarmes. The troops marched back to
their various barracks, the crowds outside
the military school cheering each detach..
ment and shouting: "Vive Ia France!
Vive Farmee! Vive la Patre!"
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
Germanr'
It is expected that Dreyfus will be in
termed in the Hes du Salut, off the coast
Of French Guinea, South America, which
will be converted into penal settle
ment.
The arrest of Albert Dreyfus 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 tt
italian government The plans whic i
Dreyfus is alleged to have disclosed in
cIude 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, Touches
du Rhone, Corsica, Gard, Vas, Vauc
and Marseilles. as well as the plans
mobilizing the French forces around B.,
ancon, the Alpine Gibraltar, near the
Italian frontier. The fortress of Brian
con- which is connected by underground
galleries with outlying Notifications is
a 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 born in 1859 at Mulhouse,
where his brothers own a large cotton
spinning factory. He was educated at
the polytechnic school. and in 1880 en-.
tered the army as sub-lieutenant of
artillery. In 1882 he became lieutenant,
and in 1889 he was promoted to the rank
of captain. After a time Dreyfus was
appointed clerk in the first bureau
of the general staff, which Office con-
tains the only really secret documents of
the war office, such as the mobilization
arrangements and the details for the
dispatch and concentration of troops in
the event Of war.
BURNS GOES HOME.