The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-06

Island. Her husband was essentially
home man. He cared nothing for society
and held himself aIoft from those frlvoli
ties which are regarded particularly sac
red to Mars. Indeed it was precisely OF
this account that he was disliked by hi:
fellow officers, who considered that hi.
puritanical ways were sort of d reproacf
to their behavior
Dreyfus, however, was wrapped up in
his work, and every moment that he could
spare from the latter was given to his
wife and children. He had a beautiful
home, his wife being the daughter OF one
Of the wealthiest jewelers. in Paris, who
it may be added has all along supported
his daughter in her faith in her nus nus
bands innocence.
Imagine the torture to which this poor
woman has been subjected. One night her
! husband failed TO come home as usual,
then after a couple of days note ar
rived from the war department that ne
/ had been forced to leave the city suddenly
! upon important business. While still wait
| ing and wondering why no letter came
| from her husband, Colonel Patty du Clam,
L.
! de Boisdefree with drawing up the case
against Captain Dreyfrus, appears at her
house with a Squad of military police.
These take possession of every bit of writ
ing they could find in the place, even to
the very poems which the children had
written out in their best handwriting for
their fathers birthday and the love let
ters which had passed between the opp
tain and his wife prior to their marriage
TERRORIZED NINE DREYFUS.
Then for the first time Nine. Dreyfus
learned that her husband was in prison
but she was terrOrized by Colonel Patty du
Clam, into saying nothing about it, less
worse evil should befau her husband
Two days later Colonel Patty du Clam
once more appeared upon the scene,
brought her what TO most women would
have appeared convincing proof of her
husbands faithlessness to herself, of his
intrigues with other women and of his
having lavished moneys which belonged
TO her and to her children upon demi-
mOndaines.
Nine. Dreyfus declined to give any ere
dence to the colOnel's charges against her
husband, and after having subjected her
TO an interview OF almost seven hours in
length, and endeavored by every means
possible to extort information from her
about sler husband, he left again, threat
ening her witha all kinds OF penalties
both for herself and her husband if she
talked about his visit. She had, however,
the courage to Immediately communicate
the entire affair to her father, and TO
her husbands brother, Matthew, and they
invoked the services of one of the prin-
ciple members of the Parsian bar, Coun-
sellor Dumangin.
Dreyfus spent three months in prison
Eau secret before being brought before
the court-martial, during which time he
was not allowed to see his wife once.
In fact ne mas never seen his wife or
MS children since the day of his arrest.
Within twentyfour hours after the con-
cluslon Of the court-martial, Nine. Drey-
fus learned of the judgment pronounced
against her husband. She read. too. a
little later of the indignities far more
cruel than death to which he was sub
Jected TO on the esplanade of the military
school near the Camp de Mars. She heard /
the crowds in the streets howl Death
to the traitor Dreyfus!" and then finally /
she was informed of his departure for
Devils Island
No one in this country can conceive the &
cruel and needless tortures to which she !
was subjected by the officials of one kind
and another appointed TO act as her hus-
bands keepers. One man in particular. A
sergeant of military police actually took
the trouble on arriving at Cayenne to .
write an insulting letter to her 20 inform
her that he had made point every nigs1t.
whenever he found his miserable captive
asleep, TO wake his up with cries OF
Wake up Traitor Dreyfus; what do YOU
think your wife and your children can
think Of you at the present moment? If
they only saw YOU as I do they would not
retain a vestige Of doubt as to YOUR
guilt"
\ WIDOW YET NOT A WIDOW
This is only one OF the hundreds Of
similar letters which this sad-faced
womau-a widow who was not widow
received during the first two years OF her
husbands captivity, and a member Of the
Cabinet. the late Minister OF the Colonies
actually with view Of disculpatIns him
self TO the eyes Of the public Of a charge
mat he had shown special lenIency toward
The captive. wrote her an OMEN letter -
INFORM ner gratu,iously tuat far from
l!ievia-ing the captivity Of oer husband
be had on the contrary given orders to
have it made more severe
Meanwhile the poor woman. strengthen
"a in her belief in her husbands inno-
renee by a message received from him
through ais lawyer assuring her TIT no
would be righted some day. and that ne
Mas gultless carried mis- case before
very throne OF Europe. invoking the per
soual intervention Of the foreign sover-
signs with the Frencn government in
order 70 secure q -e-1rial Of his case
protesting Jewess. she even
Frustrated herself at the feet OF the aged
9onun al Rome. and al least 4 dozen
lines year she lodged petitions with
ne French government beseecninC. i'm
boring and demanding g new trial Tor
Ter husband.
And al Of this time she kept her young
sl.icren n beautiful ignorance OF their
ather's fate Her wealth and Ger tacful
Affection enabled her 10 carry this through
nd until quite recently AZ any rate. tie
hLd-e1 nave merely believed tnat their
atAer was absent on a long journey.
which TnlEht neceSsltate MS being abseu.
or TWO or three years before ne returned
At length the prayers OF this moor
woman nave been heard. Her husbands
.ase was taken up by TIE viee-pres5dent