The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
Not Since the Days of Danton and
Robespierre Have Parisians Had
Such an Absorbing Topic.
A COURT-MARTIAL ORDERED
FOR INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES
AGAINST COUNT ESTERHAZY.
Two HOt-Headed Editors to Fight =
Debate i'm the Deputies.

Copyright, 1897, by the Associated Press.)
PARIS. Dec. ALI political ard social in-
terests continue to be merged in the case
Of Alfred Dreyfus. the former captain OF
French artillery, who is alleged to have
been unjustly sentenced to Imprisonment
for life on the charge of having sold inn
portant plans of the French War DEPART,
ment to agents of q foreign power Every
thing else is neglected, from the famous
Russian Military Band, which has 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 Dreyfus, his friends
and enemies and everybody in any way con-
nected with the case. The conductor Of
train which brought Mr. and Mrs. Glad
stone to Paris on their way to the south
of France, thought they were to appear as
witnesses in the case. This illustrates how
Paris is absorbed in the matter Every
body seems to be mixed up in the case,
from the Pope to Emperor William of Ger
many, and syndicates and secret societies
are said to be hard at work spending mil
lions on one side or the other, and all
France is in the throes of an agitation
which is unparalleled since the days of Dan-
ton and Robespierre.
According to the Daily Telegraph of Lon-
don on Thursday last, copies Of which paper
have been passed around here by those in
terested in the subject, "a person who is
really behind the scenes" says: "Undoubt-
edly some person or person did get very inn
portant facts regarding our (the French)
military plans and communicated them to
the German War Office within a fortnight
after the decisions in question had been
taken. If the extent to which this odious
treason was committed and the results 1t
has produced in a neighboring country were
fully made known, doubt whether, know
ing my countrymen as / do, they would re-
main satisfied with the punishment of one
man. They would call for a radical change
in the entire system and possibly for more.
This guilt may be brought home to another
or to others, without necessarily establish
ing the innocence of Dreyfus, who is lost
beyond help and hope"
ESTERHAZY TO GO ON THE RACK
| The military governor of Paris, General
| Saussier, has ordered the formation Of a
| court-martial to examine into the charges
brought against Count Ferdinand Wasin
Esterhazy (the retired major of the French
army who is accused Of writing the letter
which became public about the sentencing
of Dreyfus to imprisonment for life), who
is alleged to have admitted the authorship
of letters published in the Figaro recently.
bitterly rejecting upon France and the
French army. The Journal says that the
decision of General Saussier is based on the
report of General Pelleiux, who was ap-
pointed by the minister of war to examine
into the charges brought against Count
Esterhazy and which is as follows: $50 far
as Dreyfus is concerned, the case has been
tried no new fact has been brought to
light and no new document has been sub
mitted during the course of the inquiry to
justify revision of the trial. In conse-
quence there is no ground for proceeding
against Count Esterhazy so far as regards
the crime Of high treason, for which Alfred
Dreyfus was condemned"
The Journals version of the report, how
ever, was looked on as being simply con-
lecture, although it agreed with the general
conviction that Dreyfus in any case VIII
not be released or granted q fresh trial.
This evening, however, brief official an
nouncement was given out as follows'
General Saussier has ordered COURT
martial 10 be instituted for an investiga-
tion into the affair of Major Esterhazy.
Both sides profess to be pleased with @ the
tend that the order of General Saussler cam
not be construed as implying doubt as 70
Dreyfls and that the EsterhaZy. inquiry
was not concerned with the DreyIus casek
but was merely sequel to the INQUIRY OF
General Pelleiux. On the other hand, tne
Dreyfusians assert that the inquiry VIII
necessitate the introduction of expert eVl-
dence concerning the handWrl11ing g,ra,,fis oI tme
proving it to be in Esterhazys hanawrltlng
and they also propose to introduce eVloence
that the documents which were not SUP
mitted for the inspection of Dreyfus or his
counsel at the time of his trial Dy court
martial, were communicated 20 tne oHlceas ~ ,,s
composing the court. There seems 70 De nO
doubt that this was done and lawyers Who
have been questioned on the subject say iI
invalidates the court-martial. .
As a result of some hot words excnangeu
during the Dreyfus debate in the CnamDer
of Deputies to-day Joseph Reinacn, hepuD@ rep %
lican member, representing the district OF
Digne a well-known newspaper man ana
author. and editor of Republique fTancaissSs,
sent his seconds to MI Mrerand and editor I OF
the Petite Repubique francalse; a 1a nJsA
with pistols has been arranged 70 laAIS
place between the men. M: Relnacn nas d
rready fought dueis with M. Magnier ano
The preliminary inquiry into the Ester .
how affair will be made by the military
nrosecutor attached to the court-maruai.
n is expected the case will consume tnres
weeks and people are now rtiai y ordered.
viii he secret or public. The performances
are always private. but there is great pup.
lie opposition to the court-martial lak.ns
Mace in private and the French officials
also are believed to be in rear OF a rSpel-
tion of the unpopular phases OF the Drey-
fuS tflal.
DEBATE IN THE DEPUTIES.
The case of Dreyfus was discussed in the
Chamber of Deputies to-day and OCCASION
ally gave rise to heated utterances. good
majority of the deputies. however sus-
tanned the stand in the matter taken by the
government NJ. Andre Castelin, represents
ing the Second district of Loan. editor or
the Cocarde and formerly one of the warm
supporters of the late General Boulanger,
brought the matter up by asking the
premier NJ Meline. 10 reassure the pub
lie. especially the army on the subject, TO
which the premier replied: There is no
Dreyfus affair and can be nome. Continu-
ing the premier explained that the inves-
tigation into the Esterhazy AFFAIR had re-
suited In placing him in the hands OF a
military court. step. he added, which In
no way preiudiced the finality of the ver-
dict in the Dreyfus case, which was neither
for the government nor for the chamber TO
deal with In the meantime, NJ. Melne FUR
ther remarked. good citizens should rspect
the authority OF judgment given. He de-
plored the desire to make the incident
political question and expressed the hope
that his statement would end polemio
which had already lasted too long.
The Comte de Nun. the clerical leader, ex~
pressed regret at the fact that the minis
ter for war, General Billott. was not pres
en- 10 defend the army, whose chief of Stan