The Indianapolis journal., 1898-09-02
ZOLA's CONVICTION.
Review of the Famous Case Which
Has Disrupted France.

Has Disrupted France.
PARIS, Sept. In. Emile Zola in his
famous II accuse letter, which led to his
trial and conviction on the charge of libel
ing military officers said:
IT accuse Lieutenant Colonel Patty du
Clam of having been the diabolical worker
of judicial error-unconsciously am ready
to believe-and often having defended his ne
farious doings for the past three years by
the most absurd and culpable machind-
tions.
II accuse General Mercer (who was min
lister for war when Dreyfus was tried of
being the accompl:ce, ct least through weak
intelligence, in the greatest iniquity of the
century.
II accuse General Billot minister for war
during the late Dreyfus agitation) of hav-
ing in his hands certain proofs of the in
noceEce of Dreyfus and of hay ing suppress
cd them, thus having rendered himself guilty
of treason against humanity and justice,
for a political reason and in order to save
the compromised staff.
II accuse General Boisdeffre (the chief of
the general staff and General Gonse the
assistant chief of the general staff of being
accompices in the same crime, the one
through religious animosity. doubtless the
other, perhaps, through the esprit de corps,
which makes the War Office a sacred and
unassailable ark.
Iaccuse General De Pellieux and Major
Ravary of having made fiagitous invest-
cation whereby 1 mean an inquiry of the
most monstrous partialty.
II accuse the three experts in handwrit-
ing, the men Belhomme, Varinard and Cou-
ard, of having drawn up false and fraud
ulent reports, unless a medical examination
shall prove them to be victims of a dis
ease of sight or Of judgment.
Il accuse the officers of the War Depart
ment of having organized a press cam
paign in order to lead public opinion astray.
Finally l accuse the first court-martial
of having condemned man document
kept secret, and l accuse the second court
martial of having covered this illegality by
order, and Of committing in its turn the Ju-
dicial crime of knowingly acquitting a guilty
person.
After long trial in February last, M.
Zola was sentenced to one years imprison-
ment and to pay fine of 1900 francs for
these alleged libels, and NJ Parrieux, the
manager of the Aurore, was sentenced to
four months Imprisonment and to pay 5000
francs fine.
On his way to and from the courthouse
hooted by mobs, and at the conclusion mar
rowly escaped personal violence. When the
French author heard the verdict he ex-
claimed: "They are cannbals'
General Boisdeffre, the chief of the gen.
erai staff of the French army, who has
just resigned. is understood to be in high
favor at St. Petersburg. He gained consid-
erable popularity by his attitude in de-
Tense of the army during the Zola trial, and
at one time was looked upon as possibly
aiming at a military dictatorship.
Prince Henry of Orleans. who is credited
with hoping for a military movement
against the French republic. also tried TO
make capital out of the trial. He showed
himself daily in the hall of the courthouse,
and one day embraced Major Esterhazy, an
other OF the French officers implicated in
the scandal, crying: 'Vive rArmee." which
aroused enthusiasm among his Orleanist
friends but which did not otherwise excite
the crowd present to any degree.