Evening star., 1898-09-02
PARIS TALKS OF DREYFUS
Rapid Growth of Sentiment in Favor Of
Revision of the Case
sC0nat Este rhaKy's Remarkable Cool
ness-Rumors of the Suicide of
High Army Omcers.

1 Inc movement IN farlS IN IaVOr OF a re-
vision in the Dreyfus case is growing by
leaps and bounds
| Considering recent events, Major Count
Walsfn Esterhazy retains amazingly
| cool attitude. In the course of an interview
yesterday he expressed astonishment that
Lieut.. Col Henry was allowed to have a
razor. Henry's death, he said. was regret
| able. because, doubtless, he had other
| revelations to make"
| Count Esterhazy intends to appeal against
| his enforced retirement from active service
in the army
| Many rumors are current pertaining to
| the Dreyfus case. The first of these is that
| Dreyfus is dead, no letter having been re-
cedved from him for some weeks. Another
| report is that Gen. Boisdeffre, who has just
| resigned the post of chief of the general
! staff, has committed suicide. Both these
rumors are undoubtedly without founda-
| ton.
Col. Patty du Clam is on a vacation trip
| in Switzerland, and there is no confirma-
| ton of the statement of La Patr.e that he
| had been arrested for completely in the
Henry forgery.
Gen. Gense. assistant chief Of the general
| star, who rendered his resignation yester-
day to M. Cavaignac, minister for war, has
| been persuaded to withdraw It, as his re-
/ tirement under the age limit will occur
next month. - -...'.--- - = .a
cartoon of NJ Forain hits Off the situation.
| 1t represents two soldiers-one standing,
the other sitting on bench and reading a
| newspaper What are you reading?" asks
| the former; about the cars letter?'
mo. sir, the latter replies; about the
Henry affair."
Col. Henry's Motives.
Speculation is keenest over the motives
for Lieut.. Col. Henry's suicide. Looking to
| the view the whole nation has adopted re-
garding the guilt of Dreyfus 1t is argued
| that Henry may have supposed he was
acting in the country's interests, even in
forging the letter, which would satisfy the
! nation Of the justice of the sentence with
out production of the real evidence which
would be undesirable the highest politi-
cal grounds. In that case Henry mig..e
have posed martyr to misguided
patriotism
The traditions of the intelligence DEPART
ment, which, at the time of the condemna-
ton 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 desirability of killing off the
anti-Dreyfus agitation into an order to do
so by any means.
Colonel Sandherr, who was then suffering
from incipient paralysis. seems to have
been the head of a general conspiracy to
hunt Jewish officers out of the French
army. Dreyfus, a man of naughty de-
meanor, but of vast strategic knowledge,
would naturally be selected as a victim of
these Vaccinations
1t is asserted that Colonel Sandherr's last
days were haunted by fear, amounting to
terror, lest the illegal and fiippant nature of
the evidence upon which Captain Dreyfus
was condemned should be revealed and
weaken the prestige of the Intelligence de-
partment, and that he enjoined upon Hen
ry, his subordinate, to guard the depart
ments traditions at all costs.
Interpreted as ConnIvance.
The carelessness Of the authorities in al
lowing Henry to have razor and in not
watching him is generally interpreted as
connivance, and perhaps as sion,
since officers under arrest and likely to be
condemned should, according to military
regulations, be constantly watched, while
Lieutenant Colonel Henry was left for
hours alone and allowed to lock the
door on the inside. If there were persua-
sion 1t is not likely to have been difficult.
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 more likely motive than the
explanation, based upon the alleged inco-
herent letter he left behind, that he had
lost his reason. Having DIED uncondemned,
his remains are entitled to military honors,
but his brother win take the body to Pougy,
near Chalons, where 1t will be buried on
Saturday with the strictest privacy.
Several officers of the general staff it was
said last night, have asked to be sent back
to their regiments. General Renouard, the
new chief of staff, is understood to have
free hand, and to be at liberty to replace all
the staff officers If he thinks fit. 1t Is ex-
pected that he will resort to a process of
publication.
The governments position is most unhap-
py Notice of interpretations in the cham
Der of deputies multiply. President Faure
is cenSured for leaving Paris at such a crit
ical moment. Great efforts are being made
to get the signatures of a majority of the
deputies, which is a necessary preliminary
to a convocation of the chamber.