The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-10-28
ESTERnAzY 0N1HE FORGERY
HIS FAMOUS LETTER TO M.
CAVAIGNAC.
The Conspiracy Against Dreyfus-
Facts are observation-disclosures
Accepts Responsibility in Deciding
y. Matter of Revision.

Facts ire ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Accepts Responsibility in Deciding
y. Matter of Revision.
Paris, Sept. 27.-I have at last got a
copy Of the much talked of letter writ
ten by Count Esterhazy to M. Cavaig-
nae, the late minister of war. It a
been kept secret up to the present mo-
ment.
This letter shows the austounding
methods employed by the members of
the conspiracy against Dreyfus to pol
son the minds of all who attempt hon
est investigation.
Cavaignac informed me today that he
made no reply to E~sterhazy's letter, but
treated it with the contempt which in
his opinion it deserved.
Here is the letter:
Monsieur lie Ministre: Whatever l
nave done, whether rightly or wrongly,
I have done for the good of my country.
I have faithfully obeyed orders. Only
two others-namely: Colonel Sandherr,
Colonel Henry-and myself, know all
the details of the Dreyfus affair. Sand
herr is dead: Henry is dead; conse-
quently my advice is worth taking.
From what I know of the men en-
gagged in his business, the means they
employed, and the agents who produced
the documents, I should counsel great
care about them in any way that would
allow the light of public opinion to fall
upon them, for if any one of these docu-
ments were shown to be spurious it's
lock of authenticity would throw doubt
pon the whole dossier.
IT have already put General Pellieux
on his guard regarding these documents
though he seems to have allowed my
warning to go unheeded. I write you
this letter with the full knowledge of
the circumstances, the men and the
means employed. You will readily un-
sides those mentioned which it would
not be wise to put upon paper.
eff Monsieur lie Ministre will give me
audience I shall explain many things:
accept, Monsieur lie Ministre, the ex-
preston Of my highest consideration.'
RESPONSIBILITY ON CABINET. [
Paris, Sept. 27.-As the final respon-
sibility for the revision is now thrown
vision on the commission of the Dreyfus
and ti-Dreyfus parties, the latter Is
determined to spare no effort to intim-
idate the cabinet. The coarsest attacks
and threats are Illuminated against
Premier Brisson.
The crisis is rapidly assuming the
gravest phase. The tone of the press is
distinctly revolutionary, n tonight
there is great activity in the highest
military circles. In Paris the situation
seems certain to eventuate either In a
military coup d'etat, followed by an
attempted Orleanist restoration, or in
the "ascendancy Of the extreme left, with
a steady tendency to the subversion of
the social order and a revival Of COM
munism.
It is quite possible the deliberations
of the America-Spanish peace commits
sion may be interrupted by the crack
of rifles in the streets of Paris, and
barricades may some morning obstruct
the passage Of those pacificators from
the hotel Continental to Quai Dorsai.
Zurlinder is the pivot on which the
crisis turns. He vas given the wal
portfolio to remove him from the gov-
ernorship of Paris, where he is the
military autocrat Of the capital. He in
Cured the displeasure Of his military
colleagues by accepting it, and is now
prepared to go to any length to prove
to them his loyalty to the army.
The parties engaged in this struggle
neither expect nor will they give quar-
ter. That Colonel Henry's death was
murder, as at first suggested, is now
universally accepted.
I went today to Mont Valerien, the
fortress where Colonel Henry met his
death, to see the wardens who had
charge of him, and ascertained the real
circumstances of his last moments, as
no inquiry worthy of the name had
been held by the military authorities.
At Mont Valerien the commandaQt
sent word that he could make nc state
ment, but I learned from subordinate
officials that the soldiers who had Col
onel Henry in charge were no longer
at Mont Valerien. They had been or
dered to Algeria, ostensibly as a pun
ishment for their inefficient watch upon
the prisoner. This was a most suspi-