The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-19
oaevFUs.

From Worcester Academy Weekly.
Dreyfus is by nationality a French
Jew. born in Paris, but trained all his
life for the army. He left a position
of far greater pay to take up the office
OF captain where. so far as known.
nothing except commentator was
given him.
But he was a Jew. Everything was
lone to drive him from the army, but
his persistence ever held him to his
chosen profession. In the midst of his
good prospects he was one day seized
and placed In prison with no definite
reason given. but what was even
worse. false reports were borne to his
wife. Never was he allowed to consult
a lawyer in private nor till the day of
his trial did he know the ofrense
charged.
He was accused Of writing an anony-
nous letter OF no real importance,
which. no one knows how. had been
found at the German embassy. The
German officials deny all connection
with Dreyfus. but cannot themselves
tell the author of the missive. Out of
five experts who examined it's genuine
ness. three testified for conviction. two
for acquittal. but since then all the
| experts of London and New York are
unanimous i'm declaring II in other
thar Dreyfus' handwriting. The trial
itself was private and hence clearly IL
legal.
Shortly after conviction he was led
| through Paris to the public parade
ground and there. before the troops
and ~populace. his sword was broker
and his chevrons torn of. He walked
firmly throughout but shed tears when
he was declared a traitor before the
soldiers. meanwhile protesting his in
nocence. From the prison he was SEM
to a small island OF the coast OF
French Guiana from which escape II
next to impossible. Here he Is al
lowed a few Injuries. such as wine,
which he must buy out OF his own for
tune.
All means have been used to extor'
a confession, but his first words at his
court martial. Il am not guilty" rave
only again and again been repeated
The French punishment for treason In
like ours. death. 30 their failure &c
enact IL can only show the fear OF hav-
ing innocent blood on their hands.
The last open defense of Dreyfus
was In ZoIa's paper. where he said tina
the president feared TO free a falsel,
convicted man. and for this he was ar
raigned for libel. TO prove his words
he had to prove Dreyfus no guilty and
for his purpose ne called five general,
to the stand for testimony. One an'
all declared the army uncensurable
and refused to testify against IL. wer'
they prosecuted for contempt of cour
as the law requires? No. they wen
their way. again proving that tn
army. right or wrong controls
France lola was convicted. as ever.
one expected, n while Francs wa
overjoyed the rest of the world lost IL
good opinion OF French Justice. Sine
that time. however. Zola's sentence ha
been repealed and he is still battling
for an apparently lost cause.
Another case II cited where Franc
paid $50. 900 rather than lower her prid
to release an innocent mar. 1t Is no
surprising to see revolutions wher
only the bare outlines of justice ar
d~iscernible. where personal spite an
race hatred are stronger than facts
and where public voice IL all powerful
Circumstance have pointed to Coun
Esterhazy as the real culprit. He ha
as foul a character as n man In tn
army and II is well known that he ha
as many debts AS Dreyfus has credit,
; Suspicious do not convince juries no
, do ever facts in France. II seems. bu
, the saying Is. Murder will out" an
when II does, nobody. even In Francs
; will defend the action Of her i'll directe
courts.