The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-07
PARIS KNOWS NOTHING ELSE
Drevfus Case ie the all Prevailing Topic OF
Puplic Thought.

Copyrighted 1897 by Associated Press)
! Paris, Dec. ALI political and social
| interest continue to be merged in the
case Of Alfred Dreyfus, the former cap
tain Of French artillery. who is alleged
! &c have been unjustly sentenced to i'm
prisonment for life on the charge of
having sold important plans of the
French war department to the agents Of
| a foreign power. Everybody else is
neglected, from the famous Russian
| military band, whichh as been giving
| concerts to small audiences, to the
booksellers, who complain that no one
reads anything but the newspapers. The
journals still devote endless columns, in
the biggest type, to the affairs Of Drey-
fus, his friends and enemies and every
body in any way connected with the
case The conductor of a train which
brought Mr.. and Mrs. Gladstone to Paris,
on their way to the south Of France,
thought they were to appear as. witness
es in the case. This illustrates how
Paris is absorbed in the matter. Ev-
erybody seems to ibe mixed up in the
case, from the pope to Emperor William
Of Germany, and syndicates and secret
societies are said to be hard at work
spending millions on one side or the 9TH
er, and all France Is agitated.
WAS LEAK SOMEWHERE.
According to the Daily Telegraph Of
London, on Thursday last, copies of
which paper have been passed around
here Cby those interested in the subject,
person who IS really behind the
scenes" says:
Undoubtedly some person or persons
did not get very important facts regard
ing our (tne FRENCH military plans and
communicated them to the German war
Office within fortnight after the decis-
ions IN question had been taken. II the
extents TO which this odious treason was
committed and the results it has produc-
ed in a neighboring country were fully
made known, doubt whether, knowing
my countrymen as L do, they would re-
main satisfied with the punishment Of
one man. They would call for a radical
change in the entire system. This guilt
may De brought home to another or to
others, without necessarily establishing
the innocence of Dreyfas, who is lost be-
yond help and hope
TO TRY ESTERHAZY.
The military governor of Paris, Cen
eral Saussier, has ordered the formation
of court martial to examine into the
charges brought against Count Ferdi-
nand Walsh Esterhazy (the retired ma
jur Of the French army, who Is accused
OF writing the letter which became pub
lie about the sentencing ot Dreyfas TO
imprisonment for life) who is said TO
have admitted the authorship OF letters
published in Figaro recently. bitterly re-
fiecting upon France and the French
army.
The Journal says hat the decision OF
General Saussier is based on the report
OF General Pelleioux, who was appointed
by the minister OF war to examine into
the charges brought against Count Es-
terhazy.
This evening a brief official announce
ment was given out as follows:
General Saussier has ordered court
martial to be instituted for an investi-
CATION inso the affairs Of Major Ester
hazy."
Both sides profess to be pleased with
the announcement The anti-Dreyfu-
SLAMS contend that the order OF General
Saussier cannot be construed as imply
ing doubt as 10 the validity Of the SEN
tence imposed upon Dreyfus and that
the Esterhazy inquiry was not concern
ed with the Dreyfus case, but was mere
ly sequent 70 the inquiry OF General
Pellsicux.
On the other hand, the Drsyfusisns
assert that the inquiry will necessitate
the introduction OF expert eyi1ence coz
cerning then andwriting OF the memo
randum which convicted Dreyfus. prov
ing il 70 be inEStsrhazy's Handwriting,
and they also propose 70 introduce eyi-
Gence that documents which were nos
Submitted for the inspection Of Drey-
fus or MS counse, at ne time OF his
trial 5y court martial Were cou,znunicat-
ed 10 the officers composing thee o1I-t
There seems 10 be no doubt that this
was cone. and lawyers who have been
questioned on the subject say il .nvaH-
dates the court martial.
The preliminary inqciry iE.o me Is
te,aa=y affair VII oe made ~ ne nil
itary prosecutor si;scaed 20 ens oou--
marital, according TO the French Gus