The San Francisco call., 1899-06-11
GnC

November ?, 1894 The opening
scene was in the office of General
i Roisdeffre. chief of the general
staff Of the French army-by whose
order Captain Alfred Dreyfus of the ar
tillery. attached to the staff, was placed
under arrest.
What for? What is the charge against
me?' demanded the astonished officer
You know very we'll. was the answer,
and all the answer VouChsafed for seven
teen days, during which time he was
closely confined and not allowed to COM
muniCate with counsel. family or friends
For some time previous to this event the
French authorities had been aware of the
fact of mysterious ana alarming leakage
Of military secrets from France into other
countries. and were on the "qui vive" TO
discover the traitor.
In September an Alsatian porter in the
employe of Colonel Schwartzkoppen. the
military attache of the German Embassy
al Paris, brought to The French War OF
hce a memorandum addressed TO his mas
ter. which, under the title Of the horde
reau.' has gained worldwide notoriety.
Ihis 'bordereau" was placed by General
Boisdeffre in the hands OF Commandant
Lu Paty de Clam, who was considered in
the War Office as an expert on handwrit-
Ig. for the purpose of comparison with
specimens Of writing on file
vi tilt IISl Jlne IN It's history, l. is
said, there had been for some time ami
was then connected with the general staff
an officer Of Hebrew birth-Captain Al
fred Dreyfus. the son of a wealthy Alsa-
uan family. who. with his brothers. from
motives Of love and loyalty. left parents
and Alsace. their birthplace and home
when Germany took possession in 1S71, and
found new home in France
DreyfUs was taken 10 a cell in the
CGerche-Midi Prison adjoining the War
Office. and kept in close confinement for
nearly three weeks The fact of his ar
rest was made known by General Mer-
cier. Minister Of War. TO his colleagues
IN the Dupuy Cabinet. but withheld from
his family and the public
IN due time Partisan journal published
the statement that officer of the Min
lstry OF War was at the Cherche- Midi un-
der charge of high treason. This news
created the greatest excitement in Paris
ne next day 1t was announced that the
ofncer was on the general staff and be-
loHged 10 the artillery. Then that he was
an ISraelite, and finally that his name
was Alfred Dreyfus: that he was rich
well married and of good social position
Ihis all made his crime more Odiou; in
the eyes OF the people, and not a voice
was raised in his behalf
Dreyfus was arraigned before a court
martial; the regular council of war then
sitting. those officers of inferior rank TO
the accused. were replaced by others
named by General Boisdeffre, chief of the
general staff; The trial began on De
mis- uniform as captain Of artillery. and
with his hair formerly black turned com
pletely white during the seven weeks ba
had been in prison.
Inc most rigorous secrecy was observed
on the trial, on the ground that the ex-
afhlIdll0n would involve military secrets
OF the highest Importance
The court was divided on the question
OF gullt until General MERCER commune
GATED TO 1t a secret paper, the canaille de
D letter, later shown TO have been
Forged by Colonel Henry, which neither
the prisoner nor his counsel was allowed
10 see, when a verdict of guilty as charged
was returned. N
The clerk read the sentence to the pris-
oner out Of the presence Of the court as
usual. 1t was military degradation and
perpetual Imprisonment in an isolated
fortress.
Two weeks later the first part of the
sentence was carried out in the presence
of 5000 troops. drawn from the various
bodies about Paris.
AS Adjutant BoXin tore the epauIets
and gallons from his coat Dreyfus cried
out: II am innocent; l swear it. Vive la
France
His cap was taken. his sword broken
and thrown al his feet and he was then
marched bareheaded around the square
before the troops, repeating frequently
his protestations of innocence, which were
as often drowned in the roll of the drums
As he passed the press stand he called
out to the reporters: Tell all France l
am innocent" Officers standing near cried
out. Silence, Judas! Down with the
traitor"'
re was sent TO IIle de Re, on the coast
Of France. pending preparations for his
reception at lIle du Diable, on the coast
Of French Guiana. which had formerly
been ieper colony. to which latter place
no was sent on February q. 1895.
Ot MS life there during the four years
tnat have followed little has been known,
a never WAS prisoner kept in more COM
piete isolation. II is known however, that
las spirits have kept up and his confidence
in his final Vindcation has not wavered.
This has been gathered from circum-
stances that have leaked out
during 1873 and the early part Of 1886
some efforts were made in behalf Of the