The Topeka state journal., 1898-09-22
ON A VOLCANO.
An Eruption in France Likely
at Amy Moment.
Prosecution of Col. Picquart
Has Intensified the
CRITICAL SITUATION.
Military and Civil Powers Far
Out of Harmony.
Ghost of a Dictatorship is AS
suming Clearer Shape.

Paris, Sept. 22-The situation here is
generally admitted to be grave by
both press and people. The conflict be-
tween the civil and military authorities
is becoming acute. The sudden and un-
expected action of General Zurlinden,
the military governor of Paris,in prose-
cutting Colonel Ptcquart on the charge
Of forgery and using forged documents,
assumes a grave aspect on account of
the circumstances attending this inter-
vention of the military authorities in a
civil court. At the present moment,
when the atmosphere is surcharged
with dangerous electricity, generated
by the Dreyfus affair the general, who
has just quilted the cabinet in de-
f1ance Of civil authority takes. with
out consulting his successor or the
premier, an important step.
In ordinary circumstances, the mill
tary governor is empowered to act in
dependently; but, now that the Dreyfus
question has become a great national
matter, every proceeding in the affair
has state Importance. General Zurlin-
denis ignoring of this obvious fact is
very significant. He comes forward
as the defender of the army, the prose-
cutOr of it's supposed calumniators and
the resolute opponent of a revision of
the case. From this to an appeal to the
establishment
of a. dictatorship there is no wide step.
The SOleil says that owing to yester-
days events, the cabinet, at an in
formal conference discussed General
even asserts that the premier, M. Bris-
son, disavows the measures taken
against Picquart, which he says were
instituted without the knowledge of the
cabinet
The Radical makes bitter attack
on the general staff, which it charges
with aiming at the moral assassination
of Picquart through a secret military
trial.
Henri Rochefort, in his paper, de-
clares that Picquart was bribed by
syndicate or by Germany to save Drey-
fus.
Jaures, the socialist deputy in the
Petite RepubIique, maintains that che
general staff of the French army can
not now escape the full light of a re-
vision of the Dreyfus case.
Air Full of RumOrs.
Paris. Sept. 22.-The air is full of ru-
rnors of sensational developments:
Among other things it was announced
Cherche Midi prison. It appears, how
ever that the authorities of the La
Sante prison refused to deliver MN up
in the absence of the necessary formal
tiles but there is no doubt that he VIII
be in the Cherche Midi prison tomor-
row.
The Dreyfusites are somewhat des-
pondent, the military authorities who
were responsible for the shelving OF
the Picuuart trial having apparently
regained the upper hand, and it is
feared that Picquart will be kept in
prison and his trial indefinitely post
noned in order to keep his mouth shut.
Never before was such a scene wit
messed in court as that which followed
his declaration regarding his possible
death in prison. The judges officers
or5 audience appeared as though par
aivzed with emotion. The latest devel-
opments are that General Pellieux will
be transferred from his Paris appoint
ment to the command OF some proVln-
cial brigade his name having become
too notorious
The italian government declines to
replace Signor Panizzardi as military
attache here until the Dreyfus case
shall have ended, owing to the gross in
suits offered to Signor Panizzardi
through the newspapers.