Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-02
STORY OF THE DREYFUs CASE.
ZoIa and others Suffered
Conviction.

The Dreyfus case, which has shaken the
French nation to its foundations, started
n war of persecution against the Jewish
race, and resulted in the conviction Of
Dreyfus and Zola and their sentence to
Imprisonment. has been one of sensational
and repeated developments. The first act
was the trial Of Dreyfus for betraying Sc
crets of the French army to the Germans.
Wien these secrets continued to leak ont
Comte Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy was
charged. as an officer OF the French army,
with betraying the information. His res
ignation was requested in November, 1871.
Late in 1887 EmiIn Zola wrote letters to
the Figaro in which he declared that Drey
fus was innocent and denounced the anti
Semitic persecution that was being carried
on. His trial resulted in his being sen
fine Of 1900 francs on February g. 1885,
The conviction of Dreyfus, about whose
trial the questions have been raised that
have dragged other men into the affair,
was a secret one. In 1894 he was charged
with having sold plans to the German gov
ernment, and the French secret service
watched every move he made for some
time. They obtained the sweepings Of the
office and all papers that they could lay
hands on and the government finally
claimed to have secured letter which
contained proof of his guilt. He was SEN
fenced TO life imprisonment on December
q. 1894. and he's since been confined on
solitary islaisa. living in a cage and guard
ed by armed soldiers.
Before he was exiled he was Obliged to
| suffer the worst degradation that could fall
10 French military officer. He was taken
into an open square in full uniform, and
there in the sight Of the crowd assembled
was stripped of every mark Of office His
many friends have protested as loudly az
they dared that he is exiled not on account
OF his own crimes. but because he knows
too much about those OF others.
. fen nrlI hat In lie 40
Dreyfus had not resulted in checking the
| betrayals OF French military secrets Count
Esterhazy. a rich and titled officer of the
army was accused of having q part in the
acts and his resignation was requested.
Colonel Picquart searched his room for pa
pers, and there was protest against this
at the trial. Count Esterhazys was Hun
! garian. and left France for Germany. Zola
protested against the method of his trial.
Emile Zola took up the case late In 1897.
and his trial speedily followed the state
ments he made public. asserting that Drey-
| fus had not been fairly tried or convicted.
Among the words for which he had to al
swer before the French courts we've these:
France is no longer France II she can be
so deceived and driven TO mad rage against
| an unfortunate being who for three. years
| has been expiating under atrocious conti-
tions n crime he never committed. The ex-
plantations of Esterhazy are contemplate"
The Iola trial is the latest phase OF the
story, and occupied the opening months of
the present year.
In constant danger from the mobs who
broke in on the trial, with the sentiments
| of the anti-Semitic element against him
| and under most violent conditions Zola Tg-
| oronsly defended himself and protested his
: innocence. He was upheld abroad and by
many of the lending men of his own COIN
| try who were not In sympathy with his
persecutors. but the fact he had revived
\ the Dreyfus case. and his expressed inten-
| ton Of having the matter investigated to
| the end were against him.
The 8nti-Dreyfua meeting on Januar; IL
| WAS broken up by the supporters of the
| exile. Mobs ruled the streets and bloody
| scenes were enacted in Paris, where twenty
men were wounded. At the same fine
there were outbreaks in London and Mar
| seiles. These and numerous other iiots
| were used by the friends of Zola as agu-
| nents TO show that there were secrets I'm
| the case which had not been brought to
| light by the courts.
| ZoIa's sentence was pronounced on Feb
| ruary 2. and he was placed in prison for a
| term of one year. When the trial had
ended Zola still protested that the French
people would sooner or later come to their
| senses. and he left the courtroom, he
| shouted, Viva la France"