The San Francisco call., 1898-03-20
Customs Officials Have an Encounter on the
 Boun dary Line.
Interest Seems to Be Slowly Dying Out in the Dreyfus
 Affair
ZOLA'S APPEAL PENDING.
Runors That Major Esterhazy, De- spite Protection, Will Be Made to
 Figure in New Light.
Copyrighted. 1898. by James Gordon Bonnet

Copyrighted 1sss by James Gordon Bennett.
 PARIS, March 19-An incident, the importance of which need not be ex- aggerated, caused some excitement on the eastern frontier. A captain of German customs ventured to pass the boundary line and was seized by some French women, thrown down and struck Other German officials came to their fellow countryman's assistance with loaded guns, and threatened to fire on the French if their prisoner was not released. The latter then escaped, but the incident was reported to the prefect, who ordered an inquiry to as- certain whether the imputed violation of territory by German officers was a fact and whether intentional or not. Nothing will come of it, but the incl dent illustrates the mental excitement prevailing in certain districts where French and Germans are continually in contact.
 In circles where the Dreyfus affair, which luckily no longer figures in the daily balance sheet, is discussed, they whisper that an incident which will place Major Esterhazy in a different position in spite of the protection hitherto given him will turn up short ly. On the other hand, what seems to indicate little hope of revision of the Dreyfus trial is a letter from the Min ister of Colonies to Mime. Dreyfus, who asks to share her husbands captivity. Ter letter was dignified and touching and most of the papers published it without comment. One or two eX- pressed the hope that her request would be granted and be considered as an end of the sad affair, it having reached a point where sentiments of humanity are admissible. The Minister for Colonies, under the circumstances, could hardly have replied in the af- firmatiYe, as the Government is de- termined to avoid everything that could furnish fresh elements to discussion that has been too long and has excited and divided all parties. For the same reason the date of the decision of the Court of Cessation on Emile Zola's ap- peal is deferred. They talk now of it's being postponed to next month.
 must mention a touching outburst of charity among Parisians at the news that the faYorite actress of the Palace Royal Company, Alice Lavigne, who has been struck blind. Her sight was long weak and affected by the footIights Now she is forever plunged
 
 generosity peculiar to the dramatic profession all the artists in Paris, Mime. Rejant at the head, have organized a benefit, where box seats cost 1000 francs, and which will bring a large sum.
 ,Antonius Aurelius, King of Arau- cania, has died at MarseiIles. A French man by birth, he became an American and as Von Tonneins travelled in Eu- rope. After founding the kingdom he conferred titles and orders of Etoile de Kounani, which some recipients still wear Driven away by his subjects he came to France and led a precarious life, but the French explorer M. Le Baux, relates that he found among the Indians in Araucania vestiges of mon archical European ceremonials. Aure Illus may perhaps have solaced his dis appointments by the thought that he only preceded in dissolution by short time the planet over a portion of which he ruled. M. Rudolf Falb, an Aus trian savant, informs us that our planet will only keep it's place in the solar system few months. On No vember 13, 1899, the earth will disap- pear.