The Portland daily press., 1899-09-11
|DREYFUS'S FATE.
JOuaust Says He Must Serve
Ten Years.
Other Legal Authorities
Differ.
Prisoner Confident He Win Be Soon
Released.
Verdict Raises Storm Of
Indignation.
Denunciations of Germans and
Englishmen.

borne the terrible shock with marvellous
fortitude, one might almost say, with un.
natural calm. Yesterday he seemed stu.
pefied when NJ. Labori communicated to
him the verdict, but be has since rallied.
He passed quiet night and rose when
his orderly brought him water at 8
o'clock this morning, Just as he did dur
| ing the trial, when Ii was necessary.
Madame Dreyfus and NJ. Matnieu Drsy-
fus, his brother, visited him during the
course Of the afternoon, his brother sub.
sequently leaving for Paris. The appli-
cation to the court of revision was taken
to him at noon ty NJ. Labori's assistant,
and he signed it. Today he has spoken
but little though he has seemed in better
spirits than might have been anticipated.
Ihe meeting with his wife was natural
ly very affecting. but both hold up as
well as possible. He said to her:
81 am not uneasy regarding myself and
shall soon be free; but 1 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 is sentenced
will be wiped nutiby the five years of soil
tary seclusion he hes undergone on
DEVILS island, and he expects to be re-
leased by October Is, which will be five
years from the date of his former con-
Gemnation. He is go sanguine that he
has made an extraordinary request Of his
wife for novel to read in the meantime,
explaining that mis- mind is so shaken
and weighed down by recent events that
he needs to divert his thoughts aud to try
to get all the recollections- of the last
three months out of his mind. He thinks
that reading novel will afford the de-
sired mental repose and keep him from
brooding
The correspondent of the Associated
Press called upon Mime. Dreyfus this
afternoon after the visit TO her husband,
and saw her father, III. Hadamard, who
said his daughter was bearing up won
derfully well considering the ci rcums STAN
ces, but desires to remain undisturred
today in view Of the emotional strain of
the Interview. III. Hadamard said that
Mime. Dreyfus and the family were hope
full and looked forward TO some fay orable
development
"The verdict.'' he addod, sis an in.
fanny. Capt. Dreyfus is in poor health
as every one knows. de has been ex-
tremely i'll from the moment OF his arri-
val In France and has bean put on q
special regime. His health is not i'm.
proved aud the nervous effect OF yester-
day's terrible blow is bound to ac on
bis general condition. His suppression
cf all outward emotion is due TO his al
most Incredible force OF will; but 1t does
I'm MI hne 10 &c 4w.-, II Al.
mental and physical torture he has UNDER
gone. On the contrary, the family just
now see in his weak state of health, an
abnormal impsesivety. an ugly sign and
fear for him more than they care to ex-
press"
The town today has been perfectly
calm. There has not been sign of a
demonstration any ywhsre. A number of
people gathered to see Mime. Drsyfus vis-
it the prison, but they were quite respect
The troops and masses of gen d'armes
who yesterday gave the centre of Rennes
the appearance of q military camp, have
nearly vanished. There are hardly any
gen u'armes In sight, except near the
Dreyfus residence, where few are post
ed. As far as can be sscertainsd military
men are perfectly satisfied with the vei :
diet, which they interpret as safe-guard-
Ing the honor Of the army and at ths
same time doing an act OF mercy to Drey-
fus who, they say, has sufficiently expatia-
ed his crime IN the awful existence he
passed on DEVILS island. They point out
that. even II he is sent to Fort Corte, 1t
will be 60 receive henceforth the humane
treatment he has experienced since his
return to France.
One strange act is the extraordinary
difference of opinion respecting the effect
of the MISUNDERSTANDING he can be
degraded again, ard whether the i've
years OF confinement he has undergone
Will be regarded as equiv alsnt to the ten
years detention to which he Is now
sentenced and he be relea sed next month.
This matter is quite aside from the
general impression that he will be par
doned In a few days by President Loubet,
who viii find some ground to exercise
clemency.
Id. Dema4s.ge thinks the five years will
count for nothing and that Dreyfus, ac-
oording to law, will have to suffer ten
years detention.
Many others. however, including sev.
eral lawyers, hold q contrary opinion,
and declare that he will be released in
Octobsf. This, as already cabled, is the