The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-19
A WOMAN'S VACCINATIONS.
NINE. ESTERHAZY MAKES RELEASE
OF DREXFUs IMPOSSIBLE.
Her Alleged Iiaison with the Chte1
OF the General stan Of the French
Army-I.afent Phase of the Disc
graced Omcer's Punishment
Sc. Louis Glohepemocrss.

PARIS, Dec. s-AIthough the senate
yesterday passed q vote OF contidance in
the government at the close OF the debate
on the Dreyfas question. yet NJ. Sche0rer-
hsstner. the vice president o. the upper
house Of the French legislature. and otheP
champions OF The cause OF the unfortunate
prisoner OF the Devils island. have every
reason to he satisfied with the result o.
their enorss. For. although Cen. Bilios
ne minister OF war. persisted IN his asssr-
.4e&as OF the gIit OF prcyfus. and declined
10 SosaseAl 10 revision or reope1lng Of
tae case, on the ground that a matter az
Indicated must be regarcer as judged"
aud That II Is impossible TO reopen q case
,adgeti By a military court OF appeal" yes
ne consented 10 submit all the evidence.
ana. above ali. every one Of the documents
upon The strength OF which Dreyfus had
oeen convicted. TO a parliamentary cor.1-
nasssion CT Investigation.
Naturally this promise satisfies publ,
opinloa as well as the friends OF DreyIus
Who would ask Tor nothing better. For =
parliamentary commission OF Investigation
IS far more likely 10 do justice to the I'M
happy captive than any military commit
tee. taa members OF which. aside from
their prejuGices, know full we'll that any
vote in favor OF the ex-captain would
bring upon them the bitter enui,y OF those
leading generals and commanders who ara
mainly responsible for the conviction and
punishment of Dreyfus. The government.
likewise, promised yesterday 10 the SEN
ate that Col Esterhazy would be brought
before a court-martial, TO answer for let
tiers which he had written attacking
France. as well as for letters which he had
written in connection with the Dreyfus
affair, though people have not much con-
tidence in his being convicted as long as
Gen. De Boisdesde remains chief OF the
hoa Ir.xro vtArz nd tRff ~
French army. For. rightly or wrongly.
ii is asserted that a guilty intimacy has
for several years existed between the sen-
eral in question and Nine. Esterhazy, WHO.
like Dreyfus, is an Alsatian by birth, her
family being near neighbors OF the Drey-
fuses who have remained In Alsace.
II may be RENE bered that II was this
Gen. de Boisdeffe who was the moving
spirit in the prosecution of Dreyfus- 1t
may yet be discovered that the latter Is a
victim OF a woman's machinatlon, and it
Is known that some great military digni-
tary is opposing the friends OF Dreyfus.
shielding the real cnlprit and keeping
closed the mouths OF those officers who
could and would speak unless terrorlzed.
There are several Of them who have inti-
mated that they could not say what they
knew until certain general had been
placed on the retired list.
w Netner poor IreyIuS Will ever De able
to appreciate the efforts in his behalf Is
doubtful In the extreme. From a colonial
official who has just returned from Cay
enne. the correspondent of the Globe
Democrat learns that the captive Is 4
complete physical and mental wreck. His
hair has turned snow-white. and he ia
reduced TO a condition of almost complete
tmbecility. IL released life would be moro
or less a blank to him. He exists and
that IS about all. His warders are strict
~ enjolned never to speak to him unless
Ii is absolutely necessary, and then as
briefly as possible. They ioathe the duty
on the Island OF the Devil and long for
the moment when his liberation or death
Will dispense them of this phase OF Ser
vice. Not content with the iron railing.
the authorities have now surrounded his
hut and his forty square yards OF exer-
else ground with an eight-foot wooden
palisade. destined to prevent him from
catching any glimpse OF the scenery. He
spends his entire time in either writing
tnuously. the 800 month which he Ia
permitted to receive from his family be-
ing spent almost entirely In cigars and
cognac. He is allowed to drink all he
wants. and IL is impossible to avoid tho
impression that those who have consigned
him TO captivity hope that he Will quick
~ drink and smoke himself 10 death, lie
he does not succumb to the effects OF the
deadly climate or 10 the mental torture
OF his captivity. SO that there may be-
once and for all an end to the so-called
Dreyfus question.