The silver lance., 1899-09-15
DREYFUS CONDEMNED
INJUSTICE OF COWARDLY
JUDGES.

INJUSTICE OF COWAHDLS
JUDGES.
Say He Is Guilty and Sentence Him to Ten
Years In Prison-Almost Universal Con-
demnation of the Verdict
Rennes, Sept 1O.-The expected mas
happened. Dreyfus has been condemn
ed, but a majority Of those In tne
court room yesterday afternoon rully
expected the verdict They were COM
pleteIy stupefied when it was given,
and the silence which prevailed in the
room and the way men turned pale
and caught their breaths was more I'M
pressive than any other manifestation
could have been.
Maitre Demange sank back In MS
chair and tears trickled down MS
cheeks and Maitre Labori turned whlte
as a sheet, while all around the court
men looked at each other in silence:
Positively the only sound to be heard
was the rustling of papers from the re-
porters' benches as each press repre-
sentative tried to be first to send the
news.
AS the audience left the court room
fully ten or fifteen were crying openly
and the majority of those present
walked quietly down the street for
more than a block without speaking
word. 1t was like a funeral process
sion.
Meanwhile tragedy was being en-
acted in the little room of the court
room, where Dreyfus listened to the
reading of the verdict. He had been
told the result by his lawyers, and had
wept bitterly, but when in the pres
ence of the officials of the court mar
tial he listened impassively to the SEN
tence.
His wife, who was waiting in torture
and suspense at her house. bore the
news bravely and when visiting her
husband showed the onlookers who
were in the streets no sign Of her suf-
fering as she walked from her car
riage to the prison.
The general belief is that Dreyfus
will be pardoned; but this Will not sat
isfy his friends, who vehemently de-
clare that they will refuse to accept
the verdict and will continue the bat
tie until the judgment is reversed. The
verdict, they say, is directed more
against the Jews than against Drey-
fus and If allowed to stand will make
their existence in France impossible.
Labori will sign an application for a
no hope that the verdict will be re-
versed. Both are much upset, though
it can hardly be said that they were
surprised.
To-day Dreyfus said: Il am not I'M
easy regarding myself, as l shall soon
be free, but / think of you and my
poor children. They will be branded
as the children of a traitor"
He is convinced that the ten years
Imprisonment to which he has been
sentenced will be wiped out by the five
years of solitary seclusion he has un-
dergone on Devils Island and he ex-
poets to be released by October 15,
which will be five years from the date
of his former condemnation. Others
do not accept this view, but believe
that Dreyfus will have to serve a ten
years sentence unless the government
interferes.
London, Sept lit would be diff
ficult to describe adequately the indig-
nation the verdict of the Dreyfus
court martial has evoked everywhere
in England. The excitement in the
Jewish quarters in London is only nat
ural. Special prayers were offered
throughout London Saturday in all
the synagogues on behalf of Dreyfus,
and as soon as the verdict was known
!
cry street corner expressing execra-
ton and many sobbing bitterly.
At the music halls and especially the
Palace theater, where the cinematO-
graph pictures Of the Incidents and
leading actors of the Dreyfus affair
were exhibited, the news was greeted
with groans and hisses In the French
quarter Of London there was much ex-
element, accompanied by street fight
ing.
In almost all the places of public
worship pulpit references were made
| to the verdict. Canon ScOtt-Holland,
at st. Paurs Cathedral, said:
"a nation is on trial. France stands
at the Judgment bar. All civilization
| Is waiting to know whether to-mOr-
rows news may add anything to quail
ify the naked cruelty of bare tele-
gram, anything to relieve the stag
gered consciences."
Berlin, Sept. 1.-THE Dreyfus yer,
dict causes a feeling Of almost stupe-
faction at Berlin. 1t had been hoped
that the statement Of the Reichanzei-
ger, as emanating directly from EN-
peror william, would have rendered
impossible the repetition of what is
described as lone Of the greatest ju-
j dicial and political crimes of any
age"
1t is Universally agreed that the sec
Ond verdict is grave political blum
der, a violation Of the laws of civiliza.
ton and an act of moral cowardice
which the world will find 1t difficult
to pardon. The German press unani-
mously describes the verdict as cow
ardly and impolitic. not to say GRIM
/ inal.
Paris, Sept 10. 900 p. m.-The day
no public excitement, even in the Rue
de Chabrol. There was rainfall this
afternoon and the streets were practi.
cally deserted.
Slight disturbances occurred yester.
day at Marseilles and Belfort after the