The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-09-15
The Dreyfus Trial.

The first trial of Dreyfus was in the
closing months of the year 1894, result
ing in conviction and a sentence of life
imprisonment on Devils Island. On
January 5. 1895, preparatory to carry
ing out this sentence, he was degraded
in the presence of his soldiers, his uni
form being despoi!ed of it's insignia and
sword broken.
Dreyfus was found guilty of writing
the bordereau, a document giving to
another nation secret PROJECTIONS on a
gun, the places of modifying the
French army and the routes to be taken
in case of war.
Many friends believed in his inno-
cence. After his conviction Nine.
Dreyfus and these friends began their
work to secure a revision. They made
every possible effort to bring this
about and were finally successful. New
evidence, favorable to the prisoner,
was the ground on which they worked.
The interim between the first and
second trials was filed with startling
incidents. The arrest, acqulttal and
confession of Esterhazy; the change
of ministers and the hinderances they
continued to put in the way of the
Dreyfusards the sending away of Pic
quart on foreign mission when he
began to discover Irregularities in the
trial proceedings and then his imprison-
ment Zola's writings, trial and escape;
Henry's suicide and finally the revis-
ion which ended Saturday with the in
famous verdict of guilty and a sentence
of ten years imprisonment in some
French military prison.
The last and most interesting feature
of the trial just closed was the plea of
Demange, an attorney for Dreyfus,
which lasted two days. In continu-
Gus and eloquent discourse he demol-
ished the network of evidence skill
fully and successfully woven about
DreYfus by the chiefs of bureaus. He
showed how expert testimony proved
the bordereau written not in a DISCUS
ed hand but in a natural one-not
Dreyfus' but more likely Esterhazy's.
The note paper on which it was writ
ten condemned Esterhazy. Dreyfus
knew. positively, he could not attend
the maneuvers in May, 1894, and knew
it previous to the time the alleged note
saying, 81 am going to the maneuvers,"
was written. An artillery captain
would not have used the many incor-
rect military terms that appeared IN the
bordereau. He showed that Esterhazy
might have had many motives for writ
ing the bordereau while Dreyfus had
none, and then contrasted the demean-
or of the two men. Esterhazy, when
arrested, was ready to take his life and
since his acquittal has continuously
sent acrimonious letters to his chiefs.
Dreyfus, during his five years on
Devils Island-years of mental and
physical torture such as few, if any,
men have undergraduates continually
writing of his patriotism, his loyalty to
France, and looked to his chiefs for
justice and vindication.
The general opinion is that the YER
dict was given to save the honor of the |
army and the chiefs who have virtually |
been on trial, and that it was directed |
more against the Jews as class than
against Dreyfus, the man. AS he has
already undergone five years of soil
tary confinement, equel to ten years of
Imprisonment in France, many believe
and hope that President Loubet will
pardon him by October 18th.
The indignation, on account of the
verdict, expressed by all countries
through the press is without parallel
in history. Excavations are showered
upon the judges who are. in many
cases, referred to as criminals, and the
verdict is likened to the deeds of Herod
and Judas. 1t is looked upon as the
last act IN tragedy before revolu-
ton devastates unhappy France. The
Kaiser William is particularly incensed
having been insulted by some of the
French newspapers who accused him
of being an accomplice IN the crime
He says that Dreyfus has not, either
or indirectly, given his coun-
try any information. Civilized nations
consider it one of the most wanton,
cruel and relentless prosecutions that
any country has ever inflicted.