Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-21
HIS PRISON DOORS OPENED.
DreyfuS Was Given His Freedom at
3 O'clock In the Morning


GOING FIRST TO vERN HE TOOK
TRAIN FOR NANTEs-OWING
TO THE SHATTERED CONDI-
TgON OF HIS HEALTH HE WILL
SOJOURN FOR A SEASON IN A
GOUTHERN CLIME-TIIE AGITA-
TION WILL CONTINUE.
PARIS, September 2O.-The Aurore
viii tomorrow publish the following
declaration from former Captain Drey-
fus
The government of the Republic has
given me my liberty But liberty is
nothing to me without nonor. From to-
day shall continue 10 seek reparation
for the frightful judicial error of which
! remain The victim
Il wish France TO know by definite
judgment that l am innocent. My heart
will only be at rest when there remains
not d single Frenchman who lmputes
u me the accountable crime perpetrated
by ano.ner. ALFRED DRE4FUS.
RBNNES, France, September 20
Capt Alfred Dreyfus at O'clock this
morning LETT the Prison in which he
hdd been conaned since his return
from DEVILS Island and proceeded TO
Veln, where he took train for Nantes.
Ills departure was completely unno-
ueed.
NJ. Viguie, the chief of the secret
service, and the prefect. M. Durcault,
arrived at the prison after midnight,
bringing the minister of wars order
tor the release of Dreyfus. The latter
walked from the prison to the Boule-
ward Laenne, where he entered a wait
ing carriage and was driven to the
Nern station, outside the town. Mat
thew Dreyfus met him at the train and
accompanied him to Nantes. While
this dramatic turn in the Dreyfus drama
was taking place all Rennes slept, and
the departure OF the famous prisoner
OF DEVILS Island was no more noticed
than that OF an ordinary traveller.
The destination of Dreyfus is care
fully concealed, and is known only to
few relatives. Even The friends who
fought for MIN are kept ignorant for
fear of a leakage. Dreyfus' health de-
mands warm climate, and there are
SAFE indications that ne will be spirited
away 10 Italy or Greece.
BON Laeoii and Demange disclaimed
any intention OF g5lEg TO Rennes to see
Breyfus before his departure Demange
said the etiquette of the French bar
forbade any expression of opinion on
a decree Oh pardon. but he added en-
phatically: Tine pardon can only be
accepted as preliminary to future vim
oication. Our aculon in the appeal is
no yet withdrawn, and, if possible,
Won be. AZ any rate, the fight is not
ended, though l admit the details of our
future plans are undecided"
Emile Zola said: The Rennes trial
was the dark fourth act in drama
OF injustice and iniamy Now with the
& otesque pardon Of an innocent man,
the fifth act begins. How will the act
end? Dreyfus will be restored to his
full rights and his place in the army,
punishment will be melted out to the
villains, and the drama will end with
q procession of handcuffed generals
led to the prisoner else dark days are
Just beginning for France; days when
iussice will come with the sword and
torch, and martyrs acQuittal will be
sealed with the blood OF humanity;
Gays when justice will take an awful
vengeance for having been cheated too
long. BY vindicating DIeyius France
will vindicate herself. The curtain has
risen on the fifth act. The world
watches.
Mr.. James, the Socialist leaGer, says:
"The military bandits and nationalist
bloodhounds saw the impossibility of
resisting the tidal wave of public opin-
ION, domestic and foreign. AS soon as
the universal Reproduction swept over
France, pouring over all frontiers,
they joined in the demand for Dreyfus'
pardon. This won't save them. The
support of criminals is not needed to
redress a crime they had perpetrated.
Pardon was not granted because of the
judges plea, but was delivered as the
indignant answer OF the real democ-
racy to an impudent little faction.
This pardon decree is a sign in the
heavens. Taken in conjunction with
the trial of the Royalist plotters, it
marks the beginning of the last strug-
gle To-day we obtain pardon for
Dreyfus; tomorrow his aequittal and
rehabilitation But all that is nothing.
The punishment of a few blood-stained
forgers in Gonse, MERCER, ETC., is moth
ing. What we want is to permanently
rid our country of all these petty, nasty
disturbers. the Jesuitic plotters. Roy
alist hirelings and crazy Anti-Semites.
France is made sick by the presence of