The age-herald., 1898-09-11
EXPECTATION WAS
 DISAPPOINTED
Council Adjourned Without Hear
 ing the DreyfuS Case.
SEURLlNDEN WAS NOT READY
Six Accomplished, Experienced and Keen Jurists Appointed to Examine the Secret Papers and Everything
 Connected With the Case.

Paris, September 1O-Expectation was disappointed today. The minis teIial coun- eil was to have held special sitting with the object of hearing the war minister's account of the Dreyfus case and the new ly discovered delinquencies of the staff officers. But General Seurinden, finding that he had not yet the grounds upon which to form sound opinion, asked for an adjournment.
 He is a serious, honora ble minded, worthy colleague of the conscientious Brs- son, and was chosen to investigate the Dreyfus affair as war minister, because he Is not biased and is weighted with a sense of the responsibility involved in the matter Being Protestant and of Bourgeise breed- ing, he does not share the ultra-Catnolic ant-Jewish feeling of caste at the war office Having been a prisoner of war in Germany in 1870, and being an Alsatian, he is warmly patriotic and would sy41- pathize with the military judges of Drey- fus, should he find evidence of guilt.
 General Seurllnden was to have given a verdict today. If against re-opening the case, he would have retired leaving the government free hand. Judge of the o.s- appointment when news was received that the council had adjourned
 Has Named Three Jurists
 The Dreyfus affair is a good chance The minister of justice has named six accom- piished, experienced, keen jurists to anime the secret, papers and everything connected with the Dreyfus case. The opening will entirely depend on this com mittee. Not one of the six is a Jew, but one of them, M. Crepon, has been a student all his life of Jewish history. He has writ ten "Monotheism of the Jewish People," a standard work. Another member of the committee, M. Loepelliter, has found relax ation from legal toll in Greek literature. He is the author of Comparative Studies on Greek Modern Drama" All six are men of unblemished character and in the habit of sitting evidence. The six will set to work directly the war minister gives his opinion.
 The country being now violently anti Semitic and Dreyfus being Jew, the gov ernment Will have to act warily and creep rather than walk forward. The late Lieu tenant Colonel Henrys confession brought public opinion round to a revision; but the hostility to Dreyfus is not abated. The people feel that a mist of inequity is in voived in the affair and they want to pen citrate it.
 Is a Standing Puzzle
 The resignation of Gen. Boisdeffre as cIlel Ol lnc BSneTa SttlI IS u StdnQlnB pug zle and 1t arouses suspicious that only sssA5fc trial can quiet. The people ask: Was Dreyfus an accomplice of E5teIhazy? Were they both able to hold rods in pickle for their superiors? Was sucn power the reason why the trial was strangely con- dncted and Dreyfus relegated to the soli- tude of Devils Island?
 iThe darkest conjectures are seemingly justified by the circums ,ances connected with Col. Henry's suicide, which the Jews remark was accomplished on the day the Zionists' congress broke up. That event utterly discredits the intelligence depart ment of the war office, and indeed, dis credits the whole general staff.
 No more gruesome event has ever shock ed human sentiment and conscience, and though 1t happened within sight of Paris, 1t Is shrouded in mystery.
 The Second Suicide
 Col. Henry's is the second suicide con- nected with the Dreyfus affair. the first suicide was that of Le Mercier Picard an intelligence secret agent of the general staff of Col. Schwarzkoppen, the German mili- tary attache here. and of the Italian em- bassy He was found suspended from a lamp hook in a ceiling Was he murdered? Was he suicide? The suspicious facts of his death were hushed up by the late government and M. Lepine, the former prefect of police. The reported suicide of Major Count Es- terhaZy was a canard. He knows where too many skeletons are concealed not to feel safe. He will die natural death but fresh revelations may lead to others imi- tating Colonel Henry The furies as in the Greek tradition seems to enter into the drama. The fall of Gen. eral Boisdeffre brings the drama home to | the imperial court of Russia, where as an aristocratic military attache he was a great | favorite. He was admitted to the intimate festivities of the imperial family and was afavorite waltzing partner of the Empress Dewager in her dancing days The French republic sent him as a special embassy to the late czars funeral and to the present czar's coronation. Great sums of money were allowed him to cut dash. Finally President Faure took him to St. Petersburg to assist in the preparation of the Franco Russian treaty. Why such great per sonage deems himself with Henry and re- signs splendid post passes comprehension. The reopening of the Dreyfus case may solve the puzzle.
 EMILY CRAWFORD.