davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
CLOSING SCENES OF. THE DREYFU6 DRAMA

suicide It is believed that he would
have been made away with, as had
been done with others, long before this.
Today this officer stands forth a singu-
lar type of honor, loyalty and courage,
thrown in among an army devoted by
its chiefs to perjury, treason, forgery
and cowardly and irresolute deceit.
In October, 1897, NJ. Scheurer-K est
ner, the vice president of tho senate
and an immovabe member of that
body, laid certain papers before the
minister of war and claimed the moral
necessity for a reconsideration of the
former verdict against Dreyfus. The
government promised action in two
weeks. The time expired, and no ac-
ton was taken. The senator from AL
SAGE then at once made public his posi-
ton in the press and further stated
that rich and well known officer had
been asked to resign because even after
Dreyfus' deportation military secrets
had been leaking out from the war de-
partment with an alarming frequency.
The senator further declared that the
divulgcr of these later secrets was the
author of the famous bordereau for
which Dreyfus had been banshed This
letter threw Paris into a tumut and
drew Major Esterhazy into the case,
that officer declaring that he had re-
ceived further proof of the Jewish Of
ficer's guilt from information which, he
claimed, was placed in his hand by a
certain "veiled lady" Then Captain
Dreyfus brother published an open and
direct accusation of Major Esterhazy,
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
EXPLORATION WITH CASKS.

The British Geographical society Ia
about to make a departure In investi-
eating the poles. Some years ago Cap
tain George Melnotte, the famous ex-
plorer, was wrecked on an ice foe
somewhere in the Arctic sea. His ship
fell to pieces under the pounding of the
pillows, but he and the crew escaped in
boat. The fragments OF his craft
were never found, yet on pulling away
strong current toward the pole was
encountered. This set the explorer to
thinking. If the pieces of the ship were
carried off into unknown seas, why
might not human agencies be?
A farseeng geographer says, why
undergo this human risk when it can
be obtained with the use of oak casks?"
1t IS never too late to adopt a good
idea, and so, acting on the suggestion,
the society in question is about to set
afloat 100 specially made casks on Arc
tic waters. These casks are 10 be made
on the principle of a spindle, conical
shaped at each end, of 90 gallons ca
paCity and iron hoped. They are to be
set ahoat in Boring strait, and it is
thought that at the end of four or five
years they may be expected to turn up
at Spitzbergen and Greenland, during
which period they will have Travelled
around the pole. Should present geo.
graphical deductions be correct, these
casks may demonstrate the existence
of a current far enough to the north
! and west to meet the polar drifts which
run southwark along the east coast Of
Greenland, whence it turns to the west
ward thence to the southwark, where,
as part of the Labrador pack, it even
tually finds its way into the Atlantic
ocean. You can trace this route in the
arctic regions on any good map of the
world.
SO far as regards the stability of the
casks to stand the great strain they are
sure to be subjected to on their novel
voyage. they will be made of oak slaves
~ inches thick, bound round with
heavy iron hoops three-siXteenths of an
inch thick and inches wide. Coated
with a solution Of pitch and rosin, the
casks will be almost corrosive proof.
They are to be placed on the heavy foe
pieces. that they may drift with the ice.
Each caSk is to contain number OF
records, printed in the principal lam
guages of the world. these requesting
the finder of any one Cask to preserve
, the latter. but to send the records to
the photographic office Of his own
country, such office, in turn. to send to
all other important countries the other
| records found within the cask, stating
the latitude and longitude where found.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

the trial Of 1924 be granted and legal
consent to send the prisoner for a re-
trial given In asking for such action
Ballot Beaupre was simply voicins that
awakening conscience which has begun
to disturb the dreams of France, at one
time the most brilliant and the most
unstable of European nations.
In connection with the return of Drey-
fus and the final settlement of the long
standing question of his innocence or
guilt there is one thing which the world
will not soon forget. whatever the re-
suit of the new trial may be. That is
the touching and beautiful correspond
ence which has passed between the ex-
lied officer and his devoted wife. In all
literature there exist no pages more
moving, more tragical, more tender
These letters more than anything else
have been a factor in gradually chang
ing public opinion in France. They have
shown the loyal nature, the energetic
character, the loving heart of man
bearing heroically up under circum
stances that would long since have
crushed less vrile and hopeful char
acter.
do you remember" he writes in one
of those pathetic letters from his living
grave on Devils island-"do you re-
member my saying how happy we We're;
that we could envy no one? Position
fortune, mutual love, adorable children
everything smiled upon US and not a
cloud in all the heavens! And then
came the thunderbolt!"
If during the next few weeks few
new thunderbolts do not suddenly come
to astound Paris, all persons familiar
with "L'Anaire Dreyfus" will be very
much surprised.
WILSON G. LOWELL.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

Frederick, would herself constantly sec
to the cooking of his food. Her jesty
of Saxony is another queen who does
not disdain TO superntend the prepare
ton of numberless invalid dainties
which are intended for the sick The
crown princess of Sweden princess
Victoria of Baden) was most sensibly
brought up by her mother, the grand
duchess, and was. among other useful
things, thoroughly instructed in the
culinary art Another model parent
Queen Emma of Holland, always in
sisted that her daughter, Queen Will
helmina, should be taught everything
useful that she could learn.
Queen Wilhelmina also received in
structlon in pillow lace making, but
lost her patience over the rather tire
some work. though the difficulty she ther
experienced will bear good fruit, as
her majesty remarked that in future
she should always sympathize with
those who had to work SO hard to gair
bare livelihood.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
THE BABY,s PROFESSION.

The effect of red tape on the official
mind seems to be experienced by all
who are brought up under the influence
Of the circumlocution office A Partisan
haneur has picked up the following par
ticulars of conversation which passed
in an emigration office: The father of a
family presents himself and asks for
tickets.
How many are you?" asks the agent,
"Three-I. my wife and my child
Good. Your age, your profession"
Thirty years, carpenter; my wife, "a,
needlewomdn,"
THE boy?" asks the agent.
Seven months"
"His profession"
The fathers eyebrows formed Gothic
arches on his forehead.
His profession, | say" repeated the
agent angrily. I'VE have no time to
lose"
The father reflects and at last replies:
Bachelor"
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

or than face the consequences of their
evil doing. But the mills of the gods, if
they grind slow, grind exceeding fine
even in France.
1t is to wipe out the stains of former
disgraces that the French cruiser Sfax
is now on its way from lie Royae to
France with Dreyfus on board. Today
every friend of France hopes that this
last act of a long and dark drama will
turn out to beNhe vindication of for
Setful nations honor. Already more
ink than blood has been spent on the
affair, but the world is still waiting
with batod breath to see just how that
last act will end.
1t was on the first day of November,
1894 that The Libre Parole surprised
all Paris by the announcement that a
Jewish staff officer named Dreyfus had
betrayed France and was confined in
the prison of Cherche Midi. One week
before this The Libre Parole had limited
at the fact that an officer was suspect
ed of treason. Immediately the name
of Dreyfus was mentioned in connec-
ton with the affair all that rbald
press of Paris which seven years before
had champiOned the cause of the Bou-
langists began to pour inyective upon
the supposed traitor. 1t was discovered
that ne was a Jew. 1t was whispered
he had befriended Germany--of all ma =
tions, Paris did not wait until his in
nocence was established or disproved.
The army had been insulted. and that
was enough. The cry was sent up that
all France had been sold to n Jewish
syndicate. There came hysterical cry
that all Jews be drummed out Of the
army. The outbreak took on the ma
ture of a revolution, and those men
who guided the ship of state began to
tremble for their own safety.
A letter, it seems. had been found in
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

fus tremblod violently. The ruse work.
ed, so Patty de Clam continued to die
tate from the telltale document, and 1t
is claimed by his enemies that Dreyfus
became ashen white shook so that his
hand could not form the words and
flung away the pen. Thereupon Patty
de Clam gave the word. "A commissary
of police rushed from hiding into the
room, and Dreyfus was openly charged
with conspiracy and high treason.
What else took place has never been
told. for it is only the governmental side
of the story that has in any way been
made public, and there must necessari-
ly have been scenes and incidents that
it would be wise to suppress and dis
tort. The crowds along the Partisan
boulevards were crying Cruelty him."
and the military Pilates of the war de-
partment dared not face storm of
public disapproval
This, then, practically was the ground
upon which Dreyfus was degraded,
transported to lie du Diable and brand
cd as a renegade and a traitor through
out the enraged republic.
After Dreyfus left France. passion
ately and persistently declaring his in
nocence, feeling against all of his
friends and family continued to be Bit
ter in the extreme. Any one bearing
his name was marked out for persecu-
ton of the most virulent form His
family was insulted and spurned, and
children of his relatives were driven
| from French schools. In the mean
! while the most OF Paris waited for the
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

MERCER, minister Of war, inspected this
document, he commissioned Patty de
Clam to make an investigation. Now,
Patty de Clam was never known as an
archangel. His past record was a bad
one, and at the prefecture of police of
Paris there was enough discriminating
evidence of past msdeeds to convict
him several times over but he was "A
shrewd and clever agent as "A secret
Service employee and had sufficient po-
ltcal pull" to feel secure.
Then the famous bordereau was sub
mitted, along with an unsigned speci-
men of Dreyfus' handwriting, to NJ. Co
bet, who was the expert Graphologist
of the court of appeals and Also of the
Bank of France. What he did not know
about forgery and handwriting was
scarcely worth the knowing. His deci-
sion was that the bordereau might
quite possibly have been written by a
hand other than that of the person sus-
pected. This sort of thing would never
do. of course, so the ministry of war
had to search about for a more com
PLEASANT expert. The necessary person
was found in NJ Bertillon. who was
quite willing and ready to swear to
anything and everything suggested by
the worthy officials of the war depart
ment.
1t was on the 18th OF October that
Dreyfus was summoned to appear be-
fore Patty de Clam. There, it Is said,
he was commanded to write certain
words from dictation He took his pen
and wrote as directed. When Patty de
Clam suddenly dictated a sentence from
the bordereau, 1t is reported that Drey-
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
HOW TO CELEBRATE A SILVER
WEDDING,

The German fashion Of celebrating
the twenty-fifth anniversary of mar
riage as the SILVER wedding" has been
brought into favor by royalty, and is
now observed by nearly all classes of
society. There are different ways of
marking the event, according to the
circumstances and means of the mar
ried couple, but perhaps the most gem
eral is an afternoon reception. This
may, or may not. he followed by n din
ner party. or there may be Il dinner
party followed by an evening party, or
a dinner party only. of some 90 or 30
covers.
Invitations to any OF these gatherings
should be issued three weeks before, on
cards printed in silver, in the name of
both husband and wife. For dinner the
invitations should be worded thus:
"Mr. and Mrs. Blank request the pleas
ure of Mr. and Mrs. Dash's company at
dinner to celebrate their silver we'd
ding" etc. For dance the invitation
should be: Mr.. and Mrs. Blank at
home, to celebrate their silver we'd
ding" and Dancing" is printed at the
left hand lower corner of the card. The
ordinary wording of the lat home" in
vitation may, if preferred, be strictly
adhered to, but with the words silver
wedding" printed beneath the date op-
poste to the announcement of the
special form of amusement provided.
The designs of silver wedding cards
vary according to the taste of individ-
uals. Sometimes they bear portraits of
the husband and wife framed with sill
yer bells bearing the dates of the we'd
ding day and also Of its twenty-ffth
anniversary. These are quite admssi-
bic but it is we'll as rule to patronize
simple style, for anything ornate is
apt to look too much like a valentine
or Christmas card.
Every invited guest Is expected "a
send n present, whether he accepts the
invitation or not The present need not
be costly, but it must be of silver
These gifts should be exhibited in the
drawing room on the silver wedding
day. each with a card bearing the name
OF the donor.
Guests should be received by both
| husband and wife at a reception, ana
also at a dance. At silver wedding
dinner party the host takes his wife
into dinner and places her at his right
hand. as he did at the wedding break
fast a quarter Of a century ago. In
going into the dining room the host
and hostess precede their guests as a
rule, but sometimes they object TO de-
parting from the usual etiquette of din
| her parties, and enter the dining room
in the usual order of precedence.
The decorations of the dinner table
| should be white and silver. White
| flowers in silver vases, menu cards ir
| silver, and a buttonhole Of white flow
ers for each guest. 1t is usual for the
hostess on this occasion to wear white
or white and silver. One of the guests
should propose the health of the hus-
band and wife at dessert, and the hus-
band should respond in a short speech
tho shorter the better.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

claiming that this officer, who was the
I illegitimate and shady charactered son
of an Austrian count, was himself the
author of the bordereau, and, to back
up this assertion. there were produced
many telltale letters written by Ester
hazy, in which he expressed hatred for
all Jews and in which he also said some
very dubious things about his beloved
country. \ court martial was neces-
sary, but the government knew how to
manipulate all such things when they
threatened to be dangerous to its own
existence. Esterhazy was. of course
acquitted, and it was one more victory
for Patty de Clam.
Then came the dramatic intrusion of
Zola upon the field as the supporter Of
Dreyfus and the publication of the not
ed novelists now famous letter. 1t was
letter that thrilled all France and
made the collective hair OF the war de-
partment stand up on it's righteous
head. In that letter lola declared that
Patty de Clam was the diabolical work
er of a judicial error, that the minister
of war knew we'll enough that Ester
hazy himself had written the borde-
reau for which Dreyfus was rotting in
prison and that certain ones in high
places knew the facts of the case. but
were too cowardly to face a reopening
of the case, all of which, of course, was
very indiscreet on NJ. Zoa's part for
he was straightway placed on trial. He
had been a traitor to his country and
had insulted the French army!
There was great deal of believing
and ranting about honor and patriotism
and state secrecy. Zola's speech at his
trial was as powerful and convincing
as had been his letter, but one cannot
drag in the mire all the official names
of a republic, no matter how justly, and
| expect to go scot free. The novelist,
after trial before stuffed" jury, was
sentenced to a year in prison for his
pains, but made a timely escape to
England His action, however, had one
good effect on the situation-it could
not but force things to n focus. At his
examination most important piece of
evidence came out, too, for 1t was shown
that when Dreyfus had been put on
trial all the members of the court mar
tial did not believe him to be guilty and
had hesitated to condemn him. 1t was
! further shown that 1t was at this time
that General MERCER had taken them
aside and shown them the letter which
bore the apparently telltale sentence,
"Ce canailie de d. devient trop exige-
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

national conscience of France and the
necessity for reconsideration of the
original Dreyfus Verdict-a trial it
could scarcely be called.
1t was in March of this present year
that Fernand de Rodays, The Figaro's
editor, astounded all Paris by the pub
licatlon of the minutes of the secret in
quiry into the Dreyfus case by the
criminal chamber. Just how The FL
caro- came into possession Of these min
utes has been and stlll is a puzzling Sc
cret, but it had it's own peculiar effect
It may sound absurd, but it is never
thcless true, that the average French
man has sneaking love for honor. He
has, however, a still greater love for
his army But The Figaro has made a
nation that could not altogether shake
off the haunting consciousness of a ma
tiOnal injustice yet seemed willing
enough to endure that feeling rather
than face an attack on its darling mill
tary organization, do reluctant jus
tice by the man who for four years has
been the victim of what might be term
ed that nations official CoWardice.
But the Dreyfus who left France four
years ago is not the Dreyfus who is
just returning to his native country
The popular young Alsatan officer,
brilliant, talented, ambitious and once
a sturdy, energetic, well built man, IL
now being conveyed homeward from
exile under heavy guard, a broken
down, wornout, white haired wreck Of
his former self The unstable Gallo
temper that one year ago howled down
the thought of a revision is now glad
enough 10 welcome the hero back again.
Paris has sadly found that the word Of
a soldier, ION his honor" is not always
the best of evidence. 1t has been real
lied that the military method Of court
procedure is very unreliable and in
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
4 FAD OF ROYALTY.

The fashion of men wearing bracelets
is said to be on the increase in Eng
land in aristocratic circles, thus follow
of course. purely continental in its ori-
gin, Austrian and Italian gentlemen
especially favoring the fancy, but 1t
makes slow progress among Parisians.
The Prince of Wales wears a gold
bracelet at times on his left wrist-a
bangle. by the way, which belonged to
Macmillan, the i'll fated emperor of
Mexico. The princes brother, the Duke
of Sake Coburg. also wears a bracelet
on his left wrist and chain round his
neck.
The late Duke OF Albany, although he
was never considered of a superstitious
disposition, always attached certain
amount of good luck to the bangle
which he wore and on several occa-
sions has been known to tell of incl
dents of a particularly successful ma
ture all of which he attributed to the
good luck Brought to him by the trim
ket.
The late chduke Rudolph wore
massive bracelet and chain, and King
Humbert also displays bracelet A
great number OF Austrian naval officers
wear these ornaments as charms, the
bracelet having the efiigy of ST. Peter
engraved upon it. In fact 1t owes its
patronage universally to the idea of
good luck rather than to the belief that
| it bestows any decorative charm upon
the Wearer,
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29

ant" The subsequent suicide OF Colo
mel Henry who had done so much roar
ing and believing about military hon
or, showed only too clearly who was re-
sponsibe for this potent epistle which
the condemned prisoner had never even
been allowed to see.
Since that time several changes have
taken place, with which the world is
quite familiar. The Dupuy ministry
has come and gone. lola has returned
to France. Picquart has been released.
Dreyfus is at last nearing home,
and the final act of the drama is
about to be played. But to American
minds and American ways of looking
at legal methods the entire affair seems
incredible ana puzzlingly shocking. Ac-
cording to our law, In the first place,
the act Of which Dreyfus was accused
would not be looked upon as treason,
excepting, of course, in time of actual
war. AS to the methods of such trial,
If 1T had CHANGED to take place in this
country the accused would have the
absolute right to be confronted by wit
nesses and have exhibited in court a
written proof of his guilt. SO that the
same might be deliberately examined
and, If possible, contradicted. The de-
Tense of the French court for condemn
ing a prisoner without producing the
slightest vestige of tangible or visible
evidence was the plea that the publica-
ton OF the actual facts would place
France at the mercy of her enemies
yet, on the other hand, no matter how
true this may be, in all civilized coun-
tries that have any regard for justice
and the sacred rights of persons no cit
izen is deprived of liberty, property or
home by any system of secret legal pro-
cedure. What was asked for by Ballot
Beaupre was not that the court of cas-
sation should proclaim the innocence of
Dreyfus, but simply that revision of
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
SUICIDE COSTUME.

A dressmaker has produced novelty
in gowns which is not very likely to
become popular. 1t is called the sui
eide costume" and its name fully de-
scribes it's purpose. The modiste de-
clares that if people will commit sui
eide they should do it aesthetically
avoiding especially all disfgurine
modes Of death. Besides providing
suitable surroundings and accessories
the lady is good enough to recommend
an aesthetic and painless mode of sui
eide, and goes out of her way to recon-
ment a suitable costume for men who
desire to make an aesthetic suicide
one would have thought that this
branch Of business would scarcely have
paid a dressmaker, unless, contrary tC
the usual custom, she insists on pay
ment in advance.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-29
PRINCESSES AND EXPRESSES AS
WORKERS..

Not so very many years ago 1t would
have been looked upon as terrible
breach of etiquette-on the European
continent, at least-for princess to be
taught such useful things as cooking
or dressrakng. But nowadays all that
is changed, and there are not many roy
al ladies, especially in Germany, who
have not been thoroughly instructed in
all that pertains to housekeeping down
to it's minutest details. Among 9TH
ers, ne less a personage than the Ger
man empress is a splendid cook, and
also such an expert dressmaker that
she is able, at any time, herself to di-
rect the altering Of her costumes, which
is carried out in workrooms specially
arranged for the purpose in the pal
ace in Berlin; and her mother in law,
the Empress Frederick, Is also model
housewife, and during the last illness
of her husband, the late Emperor