The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-19
FIGHT OF DREYFUS' FRIENDS.
HIS FOES ACCUSED OF BEING IN A
BLACKMAILING CONSPIRACY.

The Gang Said to BE the Same One
which HOunded the millionaire
Conscript Max Lebaudy to His
Death-The Imprisoned Captains
Family Claim the Alleged Plan For
Mobilization Was Forgery
Drawn in Imitation of Capt. Drey-
fus' Handwriting and Was Never
sold to German Agents.
Paris. Nov. 1S.-The allegation that AL
fred Dreyfus, the former captain of French
Artillery, was falsely accused and convicted
by a court martial of selling French mill
tary plans to agents of a>foreign govern
ment, continues to be widely discussed in
Paris and throughout France. From a
person who is in the counsels of the fam
lily, the correspondent of the Associated
Press here learns that their presentation
of the prisoners case to the French gov
ernment reveals a thrilling romance, in
which figure the gang of so-called "journa-
lists" and stock jobbers, who beset the late
Max Lebaudy, the millionaire conscript.
1t is claimed that the documents Capt.
Dreyfus was charged with selling to Ger
many were never really sold to agents of
that country, but were prepared in imita-
tion of Capt. Dreyfus' handwriting to
backmail him, his wife being a wealthy
woman, and he himself being in good cir
cumstances The plot, it would further
seem, was conceived in 1898, when the wave
of Jew batting swept over Europe Capt.
Dreyfus is of Hebrew extraction and these
Jackals of Partisan society," castir g
about for funds determined to "bleed this
wealthy jew" A beautiful adventures,
whose house was the resort of a number
of French officers and foreign diplomats
IS said to have acted as the go-betWeen In
these shady transactions. By invitation
Capt. Dryfus was a frequent visitor to
her house In course of time the plan for
mobilization of the French army, which
had been drawn up in a hand writing
which clearly Initiated that of Capt. Drey-
1us, was produced and money was de-
manded for its surrender Capt Dreyfus,
however, it is said, refused to pay the
sum demanded, knowing that the pur-
chase of the document would be an admis-
sion of his guilt, and would furnish
ground for future extorton, and being
aware of the fact that he had been init
mate with this woman, who herself was a
party to the plot, would be considered part
of the strong evidence of his guilt
Continuing, the friend of the Dreyfus
family explains that the newspapers
whose attache were concerned in the plot
have constantly maintained a warfare
against Capt. Dreyfus even up to the pres
ent time, and that in consequence the
prisoners wife and family are obliged to
Keep secluded. Attempts have constantly
been made, it is alleged, to extort admis-
sions from them to be used against Capt.
Dreyfus, and it is also said that advances
have been made to Nine Dreyfus wife of
the prisoner, in behalf of the anti-Dreyfus
press, Offering to cease all opposition to
his release 'for a consideration"
Finally, 1T is said, that the plan for the
mobilization of the French army which
Capt. Dreyfus is said to have sold to the
agents of a foreign government, was a
comparatively unimportant document, the
features of which were in the possession
of all foreign governments, and was easi-
ly fabricated by experts
lie Soir says that the absence of NJ
Scheurer-Kestner, who has forced the
government to reopen the case, from to-
days meeting of the Senate, is the subject
of general comment. A report is prevalent
that he was summoned this morning by
M. Faure, who said to him: "rhe docu-
ments in the Dreyfus case have been
brought to my notice. I give you my word
of honor that they contain irrefutable
proof of guilt 1 beg you therefore to
cease this campaign, by which you are
compromising the republic and yourself to
no purpose. M. Scheurer-Kestner's
friends, however, deny this story. To-
night formal contradiction has been Civ
en- officially to the story put in circulation
by LIE Soir as to the alleged interview to-
day between M. Faure and M. Scheurer-
Kestner.
London, Nov. 1S.-A dispatch from Paris
to the Daily Mail. says that the friends
of Capt. Dreyfus assert that Count Walls
ing Esterhazy was assisted in his treason
a n A iCr rb< ;e
in AlSace and has made full confession
BAPTIST CONGRESS CLOSED.