Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-14
THEIR BREATH
IS TAKEN AWAY.
PUBLISHING OF THE DOsSIER
Was 0btnincd-Thc Govern.
meni's Intention.

New York. April IA Tho Tribunes
Paris correspondent anyai
''Tho Figaro's unexpected and Sue
corsfui audacity In securing and pub
fishing the record. or "dossicr" Of the
investigation VI the criminal chamber
OF the court Of caEsatlon TO determine
whether or not there IL legal ground
for new trial OF Drcyfus. has fairly
taken away the breath OF the older or
der OF Fronch newspaper men.
Ferdinand dc Rodnys. managing cd
itor Of the Figaro. Ia not communion
tive M To the means by which he OBJ
tainci the dosaicr however. He says:
Tho person who enabled the Figaro to
publish the proceedings before the
criminal chamber OF the court OF cassa-
ton was not Judge. nor was he law
Yer. nor an cmploye OF the national
printing Office. nor friend Of Drcyfus.
nor Of Mrs Drcyfus. nor a member OF
the Drcyfua family. | can also tell you
that The person who gave II TO me asked
Tot no pccunlhry OF other compensation
Tor u, nor ala oncr any. ! am. more
over, authorized 10 declare that tho per-
son N question II. " necessary, quite
/ prepared 10 reveal his or her ldnntitN
ana this would be- done, H. for instance,
one % the Judges or any person con-
ncctcd with the case should be unjustly
accused OF dlvulring tho famous state
ana judicial socrct.
ALL SORTS OF OFFERS.
81 may also say that the Figaro re-
ceivcd all sorts " offers OF the dosaler.
one % which has been alluded 20 by
NJ. De Blowltz, the Paris correspondent
% the London Times, and which con.
sisted Of scheme for transmitting TO
uH the contents ~ the duaaier hy means
Of a phonogfaph. The operator was 10
read The dotslcr aloud no that II should
Dc recorded by tho photograph and
thon repeated sheet BY sheet without.
OF course. leaving "A trace OF any In
eliminating handwriting. This offcr
/ was made with the expectation OF be-
ing rewarded with "A large sum OF
money. ! promptly refused II because
NOR was no sufficient guarantee of
any means 81 verifying the accuracy
or trnhtworthincrs. was about TO give
the matter M In despair. when one
night TO my great astoniHhment 1 re-
ceiNod a communication Ia such a form
~ could leave IN my mind no reason
able doubt ~ to It's good faith. The
person who made II said 10 me: at
gives me sincere pleasure To be enabled
70 orcr you this document gratuitouHly
for l am conscious that In doing 20 I
am accomplishing an act OF pntriOtiam."
NJ. DE liodnys. Ia response 90 In
| quifier, said that IL was mistake 10
suppose that only eighteen copies OF
the doasier were printed. 'srhe cxact
number printed by the imprimerlo ma
! tionalc,' continued NJ de fsodnyH "ir
~ OF these ~ were given TO the concil-
lrnrH OF the court Of cessation
who were TO be present at
the sessions to be held when Madame
DrryfuH potitioned Tor her husbands
now trial. one copy was given 20 NJ.
Maxeau. nrHt president OF the court OF
cnSsation; one copy was given 10 each
OF the presidents OF the three chnmbcrH
| % the court, one copy was given To
Procurcur-Gon Mhnque; one copy
was given 10 each " three advocates
scnoraln, one copy was given To 81,
Mornnrd. DreyfuH counsel. one 90 81.
DE Frcycinci. minister 81 war. ana an.
other copy was given 20 NJ. De Case,
minister OF foreign Affairs, altogether,
a total 81 ~ coplcr. aud Of these g7 ann
remain under seal at the ministry OF
justice. Every copy had two numbers
| one printed and the other written
with pen and ink Of peculiar color.
All the proof sheets, corrected and un.
corrected. had been burned In tho pres.
enco OF the three counsellorH OF the
criminal chamber 81 the court OF cas-
satlon specially delegated 10 watch over
ana insure the secrecy OF the printing"
II has since leaked out that all of the
~ copies have, since the Figaro publ
cation, been verified and have been
found intact.
The best LEGAL opinion IL that the only
article OF the French code that can be
used Ia. proceed against the Figaro In
the law courts II article 81 OF the press
law OF 1881. which IN wordcd us fol-
lowp.
"Thc publication OF tho prohibited
indictments or other acts OF criminal or
correctional tpollce) procedure before
they shall have been publicly read In
open court and this. under penalty OF
a flne OF from 20 to 1000 francs"
THE GOVERNMENTS INTENTION.
The government has announced Its
Intention OF pursuing the Figaro under
the above article, and NJ. De Rodnya
In reply to questions on the subject
stated Article ~ cannot be made TO
apply 10 the Figaro In the present In
stance because the Investigation Of the
criminal chamber OF the court OF cas-
ratlon Il neither an Indictment nor an
act OF criminal or correction (police)
! procedure. The Investigation was one
made with the object OF finding out
II a judicial error had been committed
Its object was not u prove Droyfus
| guilty, but on the contrary 10 determine
whether he IN lnnOcent--whether he
has not been condemned by mistake
The publication of the proceedings OF
such an investigation are not provided
for In the code. The government must
consequently fail II II attempts to take
legal action against the Figaro In pub
fishing the dossier Of The criminal
chamber OF the court of cessation In
the petition for new trial Of Droyfua
The Figaro, In publishing the dossler
has acted with absolute impartlality.
showing no bias whatever. either for or
against revision. Moreover" added
NJ. Rodayn. with conviction. there IL
not single newspaper In France. the
United States or Great Britain that
once being In possession OF the full
official proceedings ~ the court, would
have had the slightest hesitation about
publishing them"
The British budget.