Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-09-01
oaEYFus INNOCENT.
CONTINUED from page ~

, liant young officer, married the daughtes
of wealthy banker and was himself a
man Of means.
In the autumn OF 1894. Capt. Dreyfus
was arrested on the charge Of selling Inn
p0rtaflt documents regarding the French
army to the agent OF a foreign govern
ment His house was searched. but II IL
claimed that no evidence Of an incrimi-
mating nature was found there.
The charge against him was based upon
a memorandum Of a package Of docu-
ments which the prisoner Is alleged to
have sold to the representative OF a for
eign government. generally believed to nc
Germany. though. another power has been
mentioned In the case.
The handwriting Of the memorandum
was supposed to have corresponded with
tnat OF Dreyfus. Three experts In hand
writing declared Dreyfus had written the
memorandum. and two others asserted
that he had not.
In spite OF Drcyfus' repeated protesta-
tlons or Innocence, he was tried by a se-
cret cOurtmartial the exact nature OF the
evidence against him was never revealed.
and he was sentenced to imprisonment
for life In a fortress and to degradation
from all military rank and hOnOrs.
Dreyfns was publicly degraded on the
square Of the military school at Paris,
Jan. 5. 1885. in the presence of about 1000
troops.
His epaulets, stripes and buttons were
cut on and his sword was broken. Drey-
fus. however. again protested his innO-
cence and cheered for France lie was
eventually taken to Devils Island, where
he has since remained.
His faithful wife. his brother and other
friends, including VI. Zola have made re-
peated but Intellectual attempts to have
the prisoners case re-opened which has
resulted in a number Of interpretations
from the Chamber of Deputies. and in
the sentencing Of VI. Zola to fines and i'm
prisonment. owing to his having been
convicted of ubelIng the officers of
courtmartial who tried Count EstcrhaZy.
a French officer. who became mixed up
in the later developments of the case.
When Lieut.. Col Henry was sum-
moned to the residence of the minister
for war he found assembled there Col.
Patty Du Clam, Count EsteIhazy. Gen.
DE Boisdefere. Gen. Roget and NJ.
Cavaignac. The minister for war had
the suspected letter on his desk. lie
took it up and said to Henry:
''You did not mention the name OF
t4be name of the agent who furnished
this letter. Ny attention has been
called to the fact that on the docket
there is no name"
Col. Henry beat his forehead and
then said he had no memory for names
and had forgotten the name in this
case, but he would know the man If ne
saw him.
1T is a pity you have forgotten"
dryIy said NJ. Cavaignae. I'VE think
the letter a forgery and that you have
been duped by clever forger."
Henry declared his belief in its au-
thonticity, but in n very faint voice.
Come" said the minister mo agent
ever gave ii to you. You wrote in pencil
to disguise your handwriting the batter.
You are the forger.''
The coonefs speech grew thick, but he
denied the charge. Then 1t was repeated
and he gave fresh explanations. But his
tongue began to cleave to the roof of his
mouth and it was feared that he would
have an apoplectic stroke.
ION your honor as soldier" more
gently said NJ. Cavaignac: "Did you or
did you not write that letter?''
'.Since you appeal to my soldierly
honor. it was l who wrote it, he replied.
The fact of the suicide became known
at Mount Valerian. about 8 o'clock this
evening. Ii is supposed that 1t was COM
mitted about in the afternoon. When
the officials entered his cell. Henry was
found lying in a pool of blood, dead, with
a terrible cash in his throat
Shortly before Midnight, Nine. Henry.
who had been Informed. went to the fort
ress and was admitted, the officials grant
ing her permission to pass the night be-
side the body.