Evening star., 1898-12-31
THE DREYFUS CASE

Nhat Is commonly known as the Drevfus
case continued to be a most seriously dis
tufblnS factor in French politics during the
year. 1t was made a religious as well as a
poltlcal question, and finally became a
contest between the civil and military an
thority of the republic. The case of Drey-
1us was practically reOpened by the co,rt-
martial OF Count Esterhazey which began
January 10. The friends of Dreyfus had
charged that Count Esterhazey had ad-
dressed note to representative of a for
elgn power (unnamed), but well understood
10 be Germany, giving away the secrets
Oh the French national defense The tria |
was a prefunctary affair behind closed
doors and unanimous verdict of acquittal
/ was rendered on the second day The an
houncement of the verdict created the wild
est excitement which extended from the
court room throughout France
The feeling between the friends of the
army and the friends of Dreyfus became
greatly embittered as a result of this trial
partaking of the character of the bitterest t
animosity against the Jews and denuciatjon
OF professionalism, as some prominent pro-
teStants Were found among the champiOns
OF Dreyfus. The following extract from the
Eclar newspaper of Paris will give an
idea of the extent to which this religious
bIgotry was carried.
The movement in favor of Dreyfus is
soleiy preteNt on the part of the English
German, JeW-Protestant syndicate to es-
tablish for good their rule in France"
Serious tumults and riots in Paris and in
several OF the cities followed. In Paris the
stooents OF the Latin quarter were the
most prominent of the anti-Dreyfus demon
strauonists and the So-called socialists and
anarchists their nosiest opponents When
ever the name Of Dreyfus was mentioned in
the chamber of deputies, it was the signal
for high tumults. Members of the chamber
and the people in the galleries frequently
engaged in fighting and general riotng so
that troops We're frequently called in to
suppress the disturbances.
Trial of Emil ZoIa.
Directly after the trial of Esterhazey
Emile Zola, the novelist, addressed an
open letter in the Aurore to President Faure
pointing out the irregularity in the court
martial and accusing several high officers
of the French army of perjury and challeng
ing the government to prosecute him. The
government took notice of the challenge
and announced its purpose to prosecute
both M. Zola and the publisher of the Au-
rore. The trial began February Z. From
the beginning to the end there were scenes
of disorder and violence almost throughout
France which had not had a parallel since
the stormy days of the French revolution.
The trial ended February 10. and after de-
liberating few minutes the jury rendered
verdict of guilty. and the court sentenced
Zola to twelve months imprisonment Per-
reuX, the publisher of Aurore, to four
months Imprisonment, and each of them to
pay fine of 1900 francs. On April the
court of cessation auashed the sentence
imposed upon Zola upon technical grounds.
second trial against Zola was begun in
the assize court in Versailles on May %.
On this second trial Zoia and Perreux
were both convicted and sentenced to pay
heavy fines. besides submitting to one
years Imprisonment. Zola fled to SwitZer-
land to escape the punishment.
Mystery and sensation eliminated in the
celebrated case when Lieutenant Colonel