Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-08

formed the word. of fancying there a sud-
den influx Of energy born Of hope, and
of dwelling on the spots blurred by the
tear @ pity and of love. Nay, he mad not
even true copies to read. His wife's let
tiers were mutilated, changed, tempered
with. till he could no longer be sure whose
words he was perusing. This may wen
seem the most poignant stroke or all. But
It was not There was worse conceivable,
and Dreyfus's eXecutioners conceived md
realized It.
The correspondence between the lonely
prisoner on the island Of the tortures
and his devoted, but helpless, wife, was
wholly suppressed. His letters to his
LAWYERS were likewise stopped. Thus he
was isolated morally. as well as physi-
callv. and left alone TO endure all with
out even a hope to look forward to or
an object to attain. Life became worse
than useless. Day after DAY dragged
YEARLY away. but these changes Of times
and alterations Of seasons brought no
tidings from home. What further mis-
fortune had visited those who were near
and dear TO him? Were they dead?
Would they not at least survive long
enough t. witness his reinstatement IN
honor? And the fears and mlsSiynss,
the weird visions of death, and the fear
fun uerspectives Of despair that chased
each other through the simmefing Dran
of the wrctChed man standing thuS
alone against earth and Heaven drove
him to the very verge OF Madness
4 FINAL. REFINEMENT OF CRUELTY
over and over again he tottered on tne
edge Of the gulf us my wlle uedu'
no would piteously ask, standing at the
limits of his narrow prison-yard, and
looking at the sky that spanned the sea.
rs nv family dead? Why have they
NOT wrltten?" Can any situation De
conceived more pathetic than that? sure
~ not. except the one that tOlO"ed
az soon as his question received an
answer Your family has abandoned
Won" Such were the words OF corrodlns
noison that were poured into his ears on
that island, truly termed DeyIl . py
, Christians OF the close Of the nineteenth
century. your family has apahuonTu
YOU" No wonder that the hisetap,o
mans mind sank, dizzy, blind' ana sncl'
erless, as these aWtul Worus WIZ WI"
IN upon his brain.
There is nothing in the slow asohies VI
hell A. described by Dante winch IN SUI
tla no,pnancv EQUALS the fierce torture
ongendered by this narrowing message,
having heard which he might well reel
dtsnosed TO give up the fight, and say win
the poet. Il want 10 be forgotten, eve"
NV cod" But buoyed up by some uhue-
0rahIa force. which told him that hS
,yould live 10 welcome the hour OF fetil-
rution he turned upon the ptlhser VI
that infamous message, ana shouteu AZ
= ,,oice of thunder: "You liel They nave
nor abandoned me-" and wildly s1rlhlns
bis marched brow against the palIsaue
that penned him within his Mario"
nrison he cried aloud 70 the armament
and the sun: They lie infamously' lhey
lie shamelessly! My family cannot "pun-
don me" His faith IN his VIE ana ram
ilv was invincible, and while ne was pro-
claiming 1t thus to the parchihs "lnus "
tha tropics they IN France were making
superhuman efforts 10 clear the H"'i'0
mitch had become an insult and curse.
And whenever their endedVors Daue IAN
10 become successful, and the word reVi-
sion passed from mouth To nou'n' NaP
tain Dreyfus's jailers hesitated and re-
Iaxed but never once relented. And when
revision was secuted and the doctrine vi
ona man being sacrificed for the good OF
an was preached and approved they
gathered new vigOr, and the wretcheu
1risoner underwent fresh and herce Or
deals.
Erom time 70 time he indicted long let
tors 10 Felix Faure and 10 General bSls-
deffre. putting his case clearly, eloquent
lv unanswerably, and beseecnlns these
lovers of truth TO verify his statements
and 10 clear his name. THESE men were
his hone. He built everything upon their
Bayardlike qualities, not kno"lhs tha'
they were stone deaf forever TO ms piedu-
ines. when General zurlinden became
War Minister he promised NJ brissoh
TO further the cause OF revision. bu'
President Faure having heard OF th's u.-
termination, dissuaded him from e"'lS
ing IL out, and Dreyfus. ignorant OF Wha'
was going on in France, was thsh biSsS-
ing the names Of his enemies whoh He
took to be his friends, and praying tha1
they might remain In power. Inelr very
names were pleasant TO his ears Tor were
they not his defenders and FRIENDS, eager
Tor the triumph OF truth and justice
which was his own sole object and aim :
vet he often wondered why they were ="
Slow with the work they had AT ncast'
He sometimes questioned MS guards
but they were silent. After time, now
ever. they grew communicative, and con-
fded TO him the reason OF the slownsss'
and this is how they put 1t: your fainiiy
10 to blame. They went the wrong way