Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26


was such mission Of humanity that a
mai OF heart could not refuse however
unpleasant might be the consequences,
They have been painful 10 me Rut 20
rot complain. I would do Il again Tia
authorities of the admins tratiOn panftt-r-
uarie replied to ire that they had received
no instruction to allow the prisoner more
comforts than any other convict Like The
other coDvicts. he might order food fT"gp
The canteen- Now. IL was known at t''s
time that the prisoner was an. because ID
one had seen him walking IN the island. I
therefore wrote To- thu family 90 hold the
minister fer the colonies responsible Tor
The prisoners hf' subjected as hp was 10
a regime not corresponding "a ihe terms Z
the sentence Of the court-maTtial. ] sent
them at the Same lime a complete. medical
report on the Salvation Islands and on th'
conditions under " Mich Dreyfus might
hope 10 resist the action Of the climate.
Joined to the priVations of Imprisonment.
For this | paid Lea francs to Dr. Susiri q
Cayenne Thanks to the use made OF t'-n
document In Paris. the material condition
of the prisoner, which had been hard. WAS
notably aneliorated.
Supplies sent Easily Then.
4 letter from Matthew Drcyrus to n''-
fOurg will indicate the character OF rho
concessions he Obtained from tho peni'en-
tiary authoritios:
PARIS juno :. 1875
Monsieur putourS Industrial Cayenne:
confirm my letter ~ yesterday. My sistrr
"eived only last uEht the letters ftum her linus
band. In one of these letters my unhappy ht"rl.r
asks for several objects which n VIII he iiuTal.-
stlle for Us to send him 10y the steamer ~ luU"
.. For this REASON heg YOU 10 your bet
tuy them foT him at Cayenne.
Nichy water. condrr sed milk. and. II Possihl'.
few more h''uka
Ny SISTER has s.nt you today 10y parcel post
zap. chocolate" and w" undrr>hirts. Hn'r ''e
kindness to hand the package over to the pr.f.u-
tiary administration fur my brother. Again .u.c
more thank yon fnr all That you have dow fo
preserve the life Of thar iunorrnt man until -
dNy of the discovery the truth
MATTHEW pREYFr
Then followed the best period OF the Ir,
of Dreyfus on the island. II was not %
last. Early I'm 1897 NJ Lebon. then minis
ter for the colonies. began prescribing ~
traordinary measures against the "escapa'
of the prisoner. who had resisted all temp
tations to escape for more than two years.
when the screws Were Applied.
How NJ. Verignon, directeur OF the admin
istration penltentiaire at Cayenne then Doe
gan to make a study of the chances OF ,--
cape" reads like a detective romance of Tho
most generous type. In the wine shop
Cayenne they chuckle over il today. Fur
scenery there are three islands, lying IA 'Na
somber night. without moon. without Stars
The wind is the sea The breakers e. "a
against the rocks. IL was al such an hour
that VI. Nerignou got up his eNpedii %.
Leaving the lie Ro.ale In a small -..-
boat, with three picked men and an Ina.Hn
pilot he sailed round the lie du Da -
landing in A little creek. Silently thy
picked their way 10 the goat house be- "a
the little grove. whore DreyfrIs was locNai
in. Nobody stopped them. Every one Us
sleeping peacefully. An ESCAPE" would
have succeeded. What il more curious The
adventure was repeated. This decided N
Nri.SGnn 10 seems. IL" reported to NJ. l.o-
bon. a; Paris that the prisoner was mot
SAT- under IN, regime existing.
soon there came from Paris VoluminoUs
"a -f--ff RFFaHg#
Instructions for fhe treatment of the pFts-
oncr in all for"sson cventualities." Drey-
fus was made 10 ieavr his grove. He was
NO longer left 10 roam about The island with
a guard behind him. The new buildings
down on the upholstered shore wer-
quickly run NJ. the wooden tower thar
holds the HotchkiSs gun. the house OF IN"
guards with is broad porch, the palisad"
which is the prison yard of Drryfus. ana
the hut inside which is his solitary cell
1t was now that Dreyfus became rebel
lious and was put in irons He ragged
against The new regime of solitary confln@-
ment in Tiny prison yard without view
o: sea or land. Then they cut on the priv
lsgr Of Tho cantecn. and told him that for
occupation he should do his cooking, pu-
fo1 TX. the agent AT Cayenne. advised the
,yfuS family to protest in Paris against
tn clos. confinement as illegal. contrary %
the terms of the court-martials sentence,
Lgch were that the prisoner should be
kept simply I'm a fortified place" but
the campaign for the revision had already
been begun in Paris, aud the minister
would receive Ho communirat ton from the
family. The doctor Of the penal colony
protested saying that he could not answer
for the life OF Dreyfus under the changed
circumstances. The answer was 70 send
from Paris cnmplete embalminR outfit
If nryfus dies" they wrote. send on
his body. Otherwise il will ne said that
YOU allowed him Ia escape
How He Keeps Informed.
Ever since the public sentiment Of Cay
enne has been in favor Of the prisoner.
The governor himself admits that DreyfrIs
has been treated harshly. As for the con
victs. liberated and confined. II has been
for a year and more past their ambition
and delight to send the prisoner Indications
Of the progress NJ his case. His guards
have found words written on his shirts
they came from the aundry. Another trick
has been to scratch certain letters Of tha
labels on the boxes Of provisions that are
sent to Dreyfus monthly. Thus when every
letter r. upon label would he scratched
the prisoner might know that the revision
was in progress. How do you know that
Drey fus noticed such minute things with
out being warned 10 look for them ?' one Of
these men was asked de is no fool" he
answered. DO not be deceived \ prison
er's eyes are always sharper than Jail
er's'
In confirmation Of the general belief a.
Cayenne fnat Tor some months lrekfOS mas
had information of the outside world there
il the stoiY OF a soldier Just returned One
day. when he was helping to convey provis-
ions TO the palisade he heard the guard cry
from the hut inside. quick quick, tho
prisoner is dying He rushed in. Dreyfus
was lying in a dead faint on the floor To-
gether they revived him. When Dreyfus
came TO and saw the stranger there he
spoke. the guard said. for the first time in
a year. Il am not in he said. Il am very
wen But l will be much better when 7 get
out Of this hell. You can tell Them that I
know
He the guard stopped him.
Tell them am posted" Drey fus shouted
as the door slammed on the frightened sol
der. STERLING HELLO.
81 5 %ss ?5s@f Isl !; ss s., hons ,S: