The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-02
A LONELY LIFE
ON LIE DU DIABLE
How Dreyfus Spends His Days on His
Little Prison Island.
HE IS TREATED VERY HARSHlY
Still He Manages to Keep Himself
Posted as 10 What is Going On and
What is Being Done Towards
the Revision of His Case.

PARIS, November 15.-Alfred Dreyfus,
in his prison on the lie du Diable, is at
last to benefit by a regime of favor"
pending the investigation Of his case.
This news comes 10 the French public
at the same time with the first truthful
details Of what the OLD regime has been.
And these details present an ensemble
as mysterious as any other part Of the
mysterious affair. Since the beginning
OF 1897 Dreyfus has been in solitary con-
finement, without a view Of either land
or sea. He has even been in irons. The
government has furnished only with IA
tions OF goats milk and bread. And
though the Dreyfus family Is allowed 10
send him stipulated monthly sums for
extra food and other comforts in q tropi-
cal climate the great mass Of this money
has accumulated-unus the amount
Of Sl,4OO
one OF the most curious documents
that have come TO light is a page from
the account book OF the firm at Cayenne
from whom all the monthly purchases
OF Dreyfus are effected. When 1t is re-
memDered that n4s only ratiOns are goats
milk and brea0. this meagre list OF
thirty days provisions IS eloquent of an
economy that can scarcely be voluntary
iL
refined man forced 10 make choice be-
tween health, cleanliness, comfort-and
nourishment
MONTHS SUPPLY.
One liter Of wood alcohol for cooking;
two bottles of orange flower water, three
pots OF preserved butter, two pounds of
chocolate two boxes Of cheese six bot
ties OF soda water, two bottles Of mineral
water. six pairs Of socks. two pounds
OF tobacco, fifty cigars. one wooden pipe,
two large boxes OF matches, one large
package OF writing paper, two packages
OF candles, one bottle of graduated kola,
ten pounds Of soap, two pairs or white
cotton trousers and six white handker-
chiefs
Other months showed orders for canned
meats and vegetables. Excepting always
the goats milk ana bread, the prisoner
has lived on these canned goods since
early in 1897. when his mysterious close
continent was begun. He might buy
fresh meat and vegetables; but ii Is said
he will not cook them. Between Drey-
fus and the Directeur Of the Administra-
ton penitentiare there has been silent
struggle going on-a struggle in which
Drevfus always gets the worst of it,
Seven miles out in the ocean, twenty
seven miles northwest Of Cayenne, lie the
three Salvation Islands. side by side, and
separated only thy two narrow channels.
The lie Royale, almost a mile long. con
tains a little colony of cOnvicts. The lie
Saint Jospeh contains some stores ana
small station. Between them lies the lie
du Diable. inhabited by only Dreyfus and
his guards. II is a sun-blistered little Is
land. bare of trees except for one small
grove. Down on its lowest. barest shore'
far from the grove Of trees there Is
wooden tower. Upon its top there Is
Hotchkiss gun Beside the wooden tower
there is a wooden house. surrounded by
high broad porch. This is the habitation
of the guards Then there is seen beside
IL 4 high pallsade. as high as the nrst
story OF a house. Within the palisade
there is a hut 1t Is within the pa4isade
that Dreyfus lives The hut Is his prison
and the ground within the palisade MS
prison yard. He sees only the SKY.
ms DAILY ROUTINE.
The palisade the hut. the house the
porch and tower have all been photo-
graphed: and a traveller who got ms IN
formation at tina lie Royale itselt mas
told the daily life that Dreyfus leads. Al
G A. NJ. one OF the guards uplocks the
hut door, and the prisoner may walk INTO
his ward. He takes the air. He looks up
II A. NJ till noon he is locked up again.
II IS his lunch hour. From noon I'll
p NJ he may walk in his yard again.
He takes the air. He looks up at tne
civ And then he walks. And then ne
4. licked nm in the hut again till next
morning. Within the hut he has his room
D. clean. his bed to make. his dishes to
keen clean, his daily cooking to be done;
his books TO read, his writing paper anu
his pencils. Occupied hour after hour IN
ahstruse architectural calculations-ar-
cbiteeture is his favorite study. Dreyfus
is heard now then 10 murmur his two
favorite phrases. THAT goes Wen. ana
"Now It will not be long. inc suH'a'
meyer speak to him. lie never speaks 70
,hem lie has refused to have any word
with the penitentiary administrator. Nor
would he reply to the governor or Guiana
when he came TO see him.
NIGHT HAVE ESCAPED.
II was not always thus. During ths