The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-06
CAPT. HILBERT DREYFUS
HIS ALLEGED ESCAPE RECALLS A
SENSATIONAL INCIDENT.
His Trial and Degradation on the
Charge of Selling Secrets of the
French Government.

PARIS. Sept 5.--Although it has been
semi officially denied that Capt Albert
Dreyfus, formerly of the French army and
an attache Of the War Ministry, who was
publicly degraded and sentenced to life i'm
prisonment in a. fortress upon conviction
of having sold to a foreign government
War Department secrets. has escaped from
Grand Salut island, many people here be-
feve the report His wife, who is said to
have aided him to escape, is a woman OF
courage and has never lost faith in her
husbands innocence
The story of the conviction, sentence and
degradation of Captain Dreyfus, who was
accused of betraying his country for a
price paid by Germany or some other mem
Der OF the triple alliance, was one of the
most remarkable known to modern military
annals Suspicion fell upon him at first
only because he visited resort frequented
by known spies. He was tried in secret
and convicted on circumstantial evidence
that, as far as made public, not con-
elusive. He was the victim of most wide
spread popular resentment from the time
that he was arrested, and he was sentenced
at the last to be publicly degraded and
imprisoned for life in fortress, although
the extreme penalty provided by law was
death, and the public clamored for the ex-
IRENE penalty.
That the Germans received valuable III
formation about Frances fortresses and
plans of action in case of war is not
doubted. Precise information to the
movement and concentration of French
troops after a declaration of war; the
movement of trains on all the railways
following that event; the location of store
houses en- route and the character of the
supplies in them-all these were obtained
by the enemy. Suspicion was first fastened
on Dreyfus about, year before his arrest.
There were clubs in Paris to which the
foreign element, and especially the Ger
mans, resorted So to them were sent
numbers of War Department spies. One of
the spies found Dreyfus at one Of the most
noted German resorts. 1t is alleged that
Dreyfus explained his presence there by
saying he was there to practice the Ger
picious because Dreyfus was Jew and
spoke German perfectly. The fact that he
religion at the club. instead of relieving
him OF suspicion, had the reverse effect.
He was watched carefully and in
October, 1894 was arrested. 1t was assert
ed that the proof of his guilt which caused
his arrest consisted chiefly OF copies of
documents which he had furnished the
ing, though unsigned. 1t when this
statement was made public that the people
the accused His assertion that the in
eliminating documents had been written in
imitation of his style of penmanship in
order to screen the real criminal was de-
rided.
About this time the foreign representa-
tives-notably those of Germany and Italy
denied receiving any such documents
from the accused or any other person, but
in reply to that came the startling in
formation that the documents which
the government relied to convict the
eused had actually been stolen from the
desk of the German military attache in his
office in the German embassy in Paris.
The next thing that happened inf1amed
the public more than ever. 1t appeared
that Germany had protested, under threat
of abandoning all diplomatic relations with
France, against using documents obtained
by violating the rights of the embassy.
The people thought that Germany was in
terferfng to save traitor who had bene-
flied her. and tie cry for the head of
with this arose such denunciationS of Ger
many as threatened war within brief Pc
riod
The condition of public seneiment on one,
side and the attitude Of Germany on the
other seriously embarrassed the. French
government. and the state of affairs
the worse for the reason that the Cabinet
were not unanimous in their belief in the
guilt of the accused.
However, the trial was brought on in
secret, that it should not publicly APP
pear that the stolen documents We're used
guilt and brought experts to combat the
testimony of those who swore the docu-
ments were in his writing, but without
avail. The court. when the case ended,
retired for hour and then came back
to the place of trial and unanimously de-
clared that the accused was guilty of nav
ing given to a foreign power documents
concerning the national defense.
The public had been admitted to hear the
verdict. although DreyfuS not present,
i loud e eries Of . WV p Patrie! 'e were
Then the president of the court said:
''The sentence is that Captain Dreyfus be
imprisoned for life in a fortified place
Dreyfus heard both the verdict ftas IA and the
lace had been sent to the streets. 1t was
then night, and he was taken to the center
of a hollow square formed by the guards.
He listened in silence. but with tears rum
ming down his face. This was on Dec. q,
But imprisonment for life was not all of
his punishment. On the morning of Jan. 5,
1895. Captain Dreyfus was, taken to the
on that day detachments of troops had been
sent thither from every garrison about
Paris-yeterans new recruits and men Of ct
5000 men under arms had assembled These
were formed in a square on the parade
ground. 1t was a bitterly cold morning, but
with the troops came the hosts from the
Paris streets to gather about the soldiers
and climb up on every available resting
souare-even to pay n dollar each for the
privilege of standing on stepladder.
AT 9 O'Clock precisely Dreyfus, escorted
nv a SQUAD of soldiers. marched to the CEN
ter of the square and halted before the com
and bore his naked sword in his haad. but
the sword had been filed almost IN two,
wbile the ornaments on his uniform and the
insignia of rank had been ripped off and
then replaced with stitch here and there
in anticipation of the theatrical display that
was to be MADE 5000 -, -,
When ready an adjutant read the verdict
of the court martial. The prisoner flushed
General said: '.Dreyfus, you are unworthy
70 carry arms. In the name OF the people
of France we degrade you.
D1|1 n
Drevfus and with a flourish, broke it
across his own knee, and, following this,
ripDed the gold lace from the prisoners
uniform and threw it to the ground.
AT this Dreyfus shouted III q loud voice:
''Vive la France, You have degraded an
innocent man. | swear / am innocenti'
He would have spoken further, but a roll
of drums overwhelmed his voice while the
populace without the square screamed: "A
morte le traitre!'
Dreyfus was then marched around the in
terror of the square, lie parade de lexecu-
ton" The scene was so impressive that
some of the younger soldiers turned away
their heads. Dreyfus marched with a firm
tread and when he reached the delegation
of officers raised his hand and said: Tell
the whole of France that | am innocent,
/ declare that / am Innocent
1t is said that he heard only: Down with
the Judas" silence. traitort in return.
Dreyfus afterward taken to the
prison de 10 Santa where he again pro-
tested his innocence and his belief that
providence in it's own time will reveal the