The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-16
DREYFUS IN BRIEF.

The court of cessation having grant
ed the application for revision of the
Dreyfus court rt-martial. and as a con
melodrama being about TO begin, a
summary of the antecedent action is in
order. Nearly five years ago there was
taken from the scrap basket of the
German ambassador in Paris a manu-
script outlining the mobilization plans
oA the Vosges frontier. 1t was the JAM
itor of the embassy, man in the pay
of the French War Office, who did the
trick. At the head of this office was
General Boisdeffre. Among the subal
terms was Dreyfus. The latter was
triply unpopular First, because he was
Jew. Second, because he was n He
brew. Third, because he was Semitic.
ON the manuscript General Boisdeffre
instantly scented the foetor judaicus.
But two noses being better than one,
ii was submitted to Patty du Clam. He
also thought IT pungent. Colbert, the
expert of G Bank of France. TO whom
IL was then sent and with II specimen
OF Dreyfus's handwriting. smelled a
rat indeed, but where or what he could
not say. The report Of Bertillon was
equally unconclusive. But at the War
Office the odor was patent. Dreyfus
was summoned and ordered TO copy the
manuscript. His palsied hand refused.
In place Of a pen he was given revol-
yer. Again his hand refused. Para
graph of the Constitution of 1S4S had
abolished the death penalty for polt-
cal offences Behind the law ii was
obvious that he proposed To skulk.
You are a scoundrel," said Boisdeffre.
Il arrest you
Dreyfus tossed thereupon into prison
was put through the third degree. IT
resulted i'm nothing. In the trial which
ensued SO sure did his acquittal seem
that il was expected he would receive
the Legion of Honor. II was another
cross he got. At the last moment there
was produced letter from Colonel Won
Schwartzkoppen. Military Attache 10
the German Embassy. In the course OF
which the writer, after touching not
over delicately on certain indicate
matters. wound up as follows: lie (sic)
canaille dc D devient trop exlgeant.'
This letter. alleged to have been found
in the rooms OF Major Panizardi, an
Italian diplomat To whom IL was ad
dressed, was not communicated 10 the
accused or to his council. IL constftu-
ted what has since been known as the
"piece secrete." the secret document on
which Dreyfus was condemned. \
month later. i'm the square OF the Mill
tary school. the prisoner was degraded.
without. the mob cried: Down with
the Jewsi" From within Dreyfus an
swered:"I am innocent. THAT innoceifSe
his brother. Matthew Dreyfus. presently
set out TO establish With the aid OF
Scheurer- Kestner--the last of the AL
satan deputies still sitting i'm the
French Parliament-he succeeded in
having Esterhazy up. charged with
the authorship of the waste basket
manuscript. Acquitted at once. en-
braced by the Judge and hailed by the
mob. had that swashbuckler but mount
ed charger and pranced on the boul-
evards he might have been proclaimed
Dictator. Yet meanwhile doubt.
faint at first. then famed into flame by
Zola. had been expanding. To extin-
puish ID, NJ. .Cavaignac. Minister OF War
i'm the recent Brsson Cabinet stated
20 the Chamber OF Deputies that, apart
from the manuscript. irrefutable evil
dence OF Dreyfus's guilt was contained
i'm a second piece secrete. That piece
another Schwartzkoppen document
Colonel Henry. chief OF the French Spy
Department. recently admitted that
he had forged. In view OF the facts
one may wonder which IL the more GU
rlous aud typical OF France. the story
of the Iron Mask the murder of theDuc
d'Enghein. or the Torquemsda trial and
torture Of this hapless Jew.--Fdear sal
tus I'm Golfers Weekly.