Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-09-02


Col. Henry left letters addressed to
the minister for war and Gen. Bois-
deffre, in which he protested that he
had not realized the gravity of the act
which he committed ''sclely for the
coed of the cause"
Later in the day La Patrie announc-
ed that Col Patty du Clam had been ar
rested for completely in the Dreyfus
forgery.
Paris September 1.-The Dreyfus
case presents no new feature, but there
is plentiful supply Of rumors. The
first of these is that Dreyfus is dead,
no letter having been received from
him for some weeks.
Another report is that Gen. Boisdef-
fire. who has resigned the post OF chief
of the general staff, has committed sui
eide. Both these rumors are undoubt-
eddy without foundation.
Col. Patty du Clam is on vacation
trip in Switzerland, and there is no
confirmation of the statement of La
Fatrie that he had been arrested for
completely in the Henry forgery.
Gen. Gonse, assistant chief CT the
general staff, who rendered his resigna-
ton yesterday to M. Cavaignac, min
lister of war, has been persuaded to
withdraw it, as his retirement under
the age limit will occur next month.
The lull in news, however, has in no
way diminished the popular excite
nient.
Speculation is keenest over the mo-
tlves for Lieut.. Colonel Henry's sui
eide. Looking to the view the whole
nation has adopted regarding the guilt
Of Dreyfus, it is argued that Henry
may have supposed he was acting in
the country's interests even in forging
the letter which would satisfy the IA
ton CT the justice of the sentence with
out production of the real evidence,
which would be undesirable on the
highest political grounds. In that case
Henry might have posed as a martyr
to misguided patriotism.
An intimatiCn from the intelligence
department, which at the time of the
condemnation of Dreyfus was under a
conspicuous anti-semite, Col. Sandherr,
would probably have led blunt mind
like Lieut. Col Henry's to construe the
slightest hint from above OF the desir-
ability Of killing off the anti-Dreyfus
agitation into an order to do so by any
means.
Col. Sandherr, who WV then suffer-
ing from an incipient paralysis, seems
to nave been the head of a general con-
spiracy to hunt Jewish officers out of
the French army. Dreyfus, man of
naughty demeniCur but Of great strate-
gic knoledge. would naturally be select
ed as a victim.
1t is asserted that Col. Sandherr's
last days were haunted by fear,
amounting to terror, lest the illegal and
fiippant nature OF the evidence upon
VI ch Captain Dreyfus was condemn
ed should be revealed and weaken the
prestige of the intelligence department,
scd that re enjoined upon Henry, his
subordinate, to guard the department S
traditions at all costs.
The careiessness of the authorities
in allowing Henry to have razor and
in not watching him is generally in
as persuasion, since officers under ar
rest and likely to be condemned, should,
according to military regulations, be
constantly watched, while Lieut.. Col.
Henry was left for hours alone and al
lowed to lCck the door on the inside.
If there vas persuasion it is
not likely to have been diff
cult Had Henry been expelled
from the army, both himself
and wife would have lost all pension
rights. AS it is, the widow becomes
entitled to a handsome pension.
This seems a more likely motive than
the explanation based upon the alleged
inc0herent letter he left behind that
he had lost his reason
The governments position is most
unhappy. Notice Of Interpolation in
the Chamber of Deputies multiply.
President Faure is ceusured for leav-
ing Paris at such a critical moment
Great efforts are being made to get the
Signatures of majority Of the Depu-
ties, which is a necessary preliminary
10 a cOnvCcation Of the Chamber.
SEVENTEEN DEAD.
Corlrna. Spain, September 1.-The
Spanish transport Isle de Panay, from
Santiago de Cuba, arrived with sur