The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-24


appear before you, gentlemen; you arc appear
ing before history"
The Genera replied briefly and M.
Labor added a few words, after which the
President submitted two questions to the jury;
First, Is N. Pcrreux, manager Of the Aurore.
guilty of lbelling the court-msrtial which tried
Count Esterhazy by publishing the article enti-
tied 'J'Accuse'l
Second, Did NJ. lola write the said a~rticlef'
The jury was absent thirty.two minutes and
returned with an Affirmative answer TO both
questions. adding that there were no extenuating
circumstances.
At tho announcement of the verdict the au-
dience broke into q tremendous uproar. The
greatest confusion prevailed and shouts OF
''Vive rArmee!' and Down with the Jews!"
lasted several minutes. When quiet was re-
stored the court retired, returning In fifteen min
utes, when amid continued noise and confusion
the President pronounced sentence Of q years
imprisonment upon NJ. lola and four months
imprisonment upon NJ. Perreux, with a fine Of
5000 francs each.
There was at the close, despite tho oloquenco
OF MN. Labori and Clcmenceau, no real doubt in
any ones mind what the verdict would be. Tho
absence Of the jury was made as short
as decency would allow. There was no
discussion in the jury room. The court
room was in a tumult during the entire
half hour the jury was out, and was silent only
long enough to hear the reply of the foreman to
the Courts questions. Then the crowd resumed
their hideous uproar. M. lola, who heard the
judgment without emotion. turned upon his re-
vilers, exclaiming in a loud voice: 'These are
cannibals."
The sentence was pronounced without o word
of omment by the President OF the court.
Zola's counsel Immediately filed notice Of APP
peal upon the many exceptions taken during
the trial. The Appeal Court will not act on the
case until after the elections, which take place
on May g. This Is Of tho greatest Significance.
because the Cabinet will In the mean time DO re-
organized. and the members Of Parliament,
many of whom are In sympathy with Zola's
position, will then gain sufficient independence
to vote according to their convictions. Further
more, there 10 no doubt in tho minds
of sound lawyers that some Of Zola's
exceptions are we'll grounded, SO that IL the APP
peal Court Is free to act without political pres
sure it will BIO bound to set aside the verdict.
The chances of lola spending q year in prison
are therefore most predetermined.
There was no disturbance in Paris tonight.
To-morrow's debate in the Chamber Of Deputies
will. no doubt, be memorable.
D2DNpoN. Feb. 23.-The Daily Netcs's we'll
informed and long-experienced Paris correspond
ent writes: "To-day's scene does not end the
Dreyfus case, which 10 only beginning. I venture
to prophesy-knowing, as I do. the French ma
tion, its generosity when sober and its mobility
that-in o few months there will DO q violent
reaction.
ct have just left Zola's house. He takes a
worldwide and humanitarian view of the case,
the moro 30 since his wife has made mp her
| mind to show herself strong. He feels calm. as
II in port after q storm. He will not appeal nor
60 before the Court of Cessation"
referring to the severity Of the sentence. the
correspondent says that the trial. being en-
phatically political, tho First Offenders act did
not apply. but tho Judge might well have given
NJ. lola six or eight months. since M. Perreux.
who. by the French law, Is the principal culprlt,
only got four months. Tho sentence slightly
shocked oven Zola's enemies, while his friends
received 1t with a feeling of horror.
David Christie Murray, the novelist, who has
been acting as special correspondent for the
Daily Ne,cs on certain aspects Of the trial, de-
scribes tho current feeling as one Of intense
relief. Everybody. he says, feels that a great
danger has been avoided. Nobody seems to care
greatly whether justice has been done or not.
BRUSSELS, Feb. 23.-The Sofr makes q spread
on a story that Germany possesses ten Dor
dereaur in the same handwriting as
the one on which Dreyfus was con.
demned and that the Government is seeking
means to publish q document revealing
their real authorship without compromising
its relations with France. The paper adds that
the truth Of tho Dreyfus affair is known In
every embassy In Europe. The individual
designated by the mysterious letter ID" 10
we'll known to have been In communication
with Russian and German agents for years.
France also employed him az q spy.