Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-19
VOICE OF ESTERHAZY
French officer, from His Retreat in London,
Gives Out Statement
-
: 5 CLEAN BREAST IN DREYFUS CASE
: 5 ines Longer to Appear in the Role Of a
rs SCapegoat.
SlRES TO DISTRIBUTE RESPONSIBILITY
His Own Acts Performed in Obedience to
Superior Officer.
ABANDONED BY HIS MILITARY CHIEFS
Knows that Many of the Documents
Making Up the Famous Drcyfus
Dossier to Have Been
Eorpcrics.

Copyright 1898, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Sept 1S.-(New York World
Cablegram - Special Teegram) - Major
Esterhazy has been safely staying in Lon
don, having shaved OFF his moustache as his
only attempt at disguise. This has proved
satisfactory for the purpose, as he has re-
mained undiscovered by private detectives,
both English and French, who have been
hunting him in the Dreyfus case. He is
about to make a full confession of his share
in the Dreyfus plot and as he admits he
cannot return to France, it is evident his
share would involve criminal consequences
to him. He has authorized the following
statement:
"There is no longer any justice for me in
| my own country and the time has now ar
| rived to make full disclosure Of the part
| l played in the affairs OF Dreyfus | intend
| to make this disclosure in the interest OF
| truth, regardless of its result to Dreyfus
personally. l can no longer allow myself
to be made a scapegoat. The responsibility
must be fairly distributed. Everything
did was in blind unquestioned obedience to
a superior officer. 1 am a professional
soldier. / know no law but the law Of alb
solute obedience to my superior. If l were
ordered to take a gun and shoot my own
brother I should do so without the slightest
hesitancy.
Abandoned by His Chiefs.
81 have now only my own honor to con-
slider, the military chiefs have abandoned
me- I owe them no further allegiance. You
ask me was spy, was l a secret agent
employed by the French military staff to
watch attaches of foreign powers. / answer
that acted Loyalty under orders My JUS
tifcation shall be made plain at the proper
time which is now very near at hand
"You want to know whether my dis
closures will clear Dreyfus. answer
that out of 1000 documents making up the
Dreyfus dossier l know that many are
forged and I am prepared to show by whom
and under what circumstances these forg-
cries were committed Whether Dreyfus
is the innocent man his champions sup
pose remains to be seen and can be safely
left to the public to judge when it is in
possession of the whole facts"
Dreyfus in south America.
George R. Sims, playwright and journalist,
, propounds a novel theory about Dreyfus.
He has long maintained that Dreyfus was
rescued two years ago from Devils Island
through the instrumentality of a French
syndicate which exists to secure the liberia
, tion of prisoners in penal settlements who
: can pay heavily for freedom. Sims now
e says:
= wit no
ernment with regard to Dreyfus is to find
! him. Two years ago he was rescued from
DEVILS Island and a substitute left in his
t place. The government officials are terrified
= at the outcry which would be raised IL
France accepted the substitute. Dreyfus
; himself went to South America, where he is
= living under an assumed name. His wife Of
= course dares not quit France to Join him.
l. That would mean a plot for his rearrest or
e assassination. Dreyfus does not yet feel suf
II icient confidence in the authorities and
y, French people to put his head in the lions
= den If Dreyfus ever returns to take new
If trial you may be sure his acquittal will
1t have been absolutely guaranteed before
l. hand"
= Paris OutwnrdIy Quiet.
PARIS, Sept 1S.-(New York World
N Cablegram-Special Telegram Jules Peri
vier, a leading member of the French bar,
explains as follows the present lega! posi-
S tion of the Dreyfus case:
"Judicially the ministerial decision to re-
e nit the case to an examining commission Of
three determines nothing except a resiftng
of the Dreyfus dossier by the light of recent
Tho ,,iIl
~ tie revision or not. The decision Is inn
h portant politically as confirming and re-
A. vealing the sentiment in the country in
In favor of revision"
n Paris is quiet outwardly. There seems to
o be a sense of relief that revision has been
~, decided upon, but there rs a great commo-
,d tion among the chiefs of the army and they
OF have undoubtedly the will to attempt revision
It, at the eleventh hour by a military coup a.
OF etat Cavaignac, who has TIN own in his lot
= unreservedly with the army, is pointed to as
possible dictator, but public sentiment is
G the most effective bar TO such designs. 1t
has veered round completely in favor OF re-
ut vision, the justice of which is now recog-
nized except by couple of anti i-Dreyfus
organs. Esterhazys promised confession Is
awaited with the keenest curiosity, though
W no one will believe a word he says unless
of supported by testimony.
"a Considered in Council.
as PARIS. Sept. 1s,-At the opening Of the
ha council Of ministers today NJ Sarrien, min
en- lister Of justice. stated his views of the case
at considerable length, expressing the con-
yiction that a revision was necessary for the
he t''u"1 '""' may - Wv '
es dossier appeared to be of doubtful authen'
nd tcity and above all, that Colonel Henry'f
he admission of forgery threw suspicion on al
s. his evidence
NJ Faure opened the discussion. He dit