The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-20

Csles WHeIo oel Adai1s conSrGgateu. ~
the poular mind he was guilty from the
first, and the feeling was not lesseped by
the fact that the French Cabinet was not
unanimous on the question of his guilt,
and it seemed likely that his Judges
might disagree.
1t was trial which excited the inter-
est of people all over the world. During
it's progress more than once the peace OF
Europe seemed to hang on the decision.
The. fate of French ministry did depend
on it.
Dreyfus professed innocence; ne
brought experts to testify in his defense;
he called to his aid previous character
for good conduct and honesty; but it was
of no avail. The French Minister of War
was anxious for his conviction; the
the matter hung in allegiance the judges
were brought to decision by the trans
! mission among them of a letter, the con-
tents of which are yet unknown.
The populace, which had been excluded
from the trial, was admitted to hear the
verdict. They greeted Dreyfus with or es
OF Traitorl'i and cheers for France.
Dreyfus heard the verdict in the court
yard, the center of hollow square OF
guards, and with tears running down his
cheeks 1t was Imprisonment for life.
Alter it had been read he again protested
his innocence. This was on Dec. 20, 1894.
But imprisonment was not all the YER
dict carried with 1t. Christmas and
New Years passed and then came what
to the soldier was the hardest part of his
punishment to bear. On Jan. he was
taken to the Eoole Militaire. From every
garrison near Paris detachments of troops
had been assembling at the place, until
there were 5000 troops there under arms.
1t was bitterly cold, but every point of
vantage was occupied by the crowds
which had come from Paris to see Drey-
fus degraded
At 8 o'clock in the morning he was
brought out under guard. He was in full
uniform ana his sword hung by his side;
but the sword had been filed almost in
two, and the insignia of his rank had
been cut from the cloth and refastened
with few loose stitches He knew what
was coming. and he stood erect and with
set face to meet it.
The Adjutant advanced, took the sword
from Dreyfus's hand and broke it across
his knee. Then, one by one, he stripped
from the uniform the marks which gave
it Its military significance.
y1nxuorth,r 10 m r,,, or,,,,
he said
in the name of the people of France I
degrade you
Dreyfus raised his hand.
''Vive la France!' he shouted. 81 am
innocent
The roll of drums and the hooting of
the spectators drowned his voice. With
the guard about him he was marched
round the square of soldiery and back to
prison.
LIE DU DIABOLO.
Dreyfus was first temporarily i'm
prisoned in France until a permanent
place of punishment could be selected
and preparations for his reception made.
off the coast of French Guiana, there lies
a group of three little islets. They are
known as the Ales de Salut, or Islands
of Safety. All have unsavory regulations.
They are almost barren; agriculture is
impossible upon them; five months of
rainfall alternates with seven of burning
heat fevers and physical evils springing
from the inhospitable climate make them
almos uninhabitable. Individually, they
are known as the lie S. Joseph, the lie
du Diabolo, and the lie Royale. Upon
the lie Royale there is French garrison;
upon the lie St. Joseph there is penal
settlement; the lie du Diabolo had been
used for the isolation OF lepers. The
last was chosen as the place for Dreyfus' s
confinement.
The leper huts, the only habitations
on the island, were burned, and in their
place two others were built. One was
for Dreyfus, one for his guards. Over the
first, for the surer confinement of the
prisoner, grating of iron bars like q
huge cage was constructed. Dreyfus and
his guards, seven in number. were taken
to the island. He conversed with no one
not in government employ on the journey.
At it's end he took up the life which he
has now led for more than two years.
ALWAYS UNDER GUARD.
Day and night, though the iron cage
and the isolation of the island would
seem warrant enough for his safe keep
ing. there is guard over him When
he walks about the island two men follow
him with loaded guns; when he busies
himself in his hut guard stands outside
the iron boundary which surrounds it.
Letters he may write, but they pass first
through the hands of the Governor OF
French Guiana, who is answerable for
their contents. To one side of him,
separated by broad stretch of sea, is the
lie St. Joseph, with its garrison; to the
other the lie Royale, with its penal settle
ment; in all other directions there is
nothing but dreary plains of water.
Since the first days of his imprisonment