Middletown transcript., 1899-09-16
STAGES OF DREYFus CASE.
Leading Events That Show It's Start
ling Developments.

Il
The conviction of Captain Alfrr
Dreyfns on Saturday. Sept. 9 b, on th
charge OF treason, though 1t had bee
anticipated, .used shock to his cOuL
sci and friends. The vote uf the Judge
was FIVE fer coDvicl ion and TWO Tor &C
Quittal. Drsyfus himself is convince
that the len years. imprisonment I
which he MAS sentenced will be wipe
out ny the five years of solitary seclusio
he has undergone on DEVILS Island, an
he expects to be released by Oct. Ii
v hich will be FIVE years from the dat
of bis former condemnation. He Is 9
sanguine that he has made an extraOr
dinary request OF his ife for move
to read in the meantime, explaining
| that his mind is so shaken and weighed
dowE by the recent events that h'
| needs to divert his thoughts aud to tTy
to get all the recolIec;ions of the las
three months out of his mind. HI
thinks tn It reading q novel will AFFORD
the desired mental repose and keep hin
from brooding. There Is, however, an
extraordinary difference Of opinion re-
spectiDg the exact effect Of the judg'
ment-whether he can be degraded
again, and whether the FIVE years Soli'
tary confinement he has undergone will
be regarded as .guivalent to the ten
years. detention to which he is now
sentenced, and whether he will be re-
leased next month. This matter is
quite aside from the general impression
that be will be pardoned in q few days
by President Loubet. who will find
some ground to exercise clemency.
Maitre DemaDge, his senior counsel.
thinks the the a4e years will count for
nothing, and that Dreyfus, according
to law, will havs to suffer ten years.
detention. Many others, however, in'
cluding several lawyers, hold a con-
trary opinion. and declare that he will
be released in October.
Important events in the Dreyfus case and
the dates on which they occurred are as
follows:
1894.
Oct. 15-Arrest of Captain Dreyfus on the
charge of treason.
Dec. 22-He is condemned to degradation
from the army and to lifelong
imprisonment.
1898.
Jan. 4-Dreyfus is publicly degraded.
Nearly two years elapse. during which
Dreyfus is on DEVILS Island. Then, in the
fall of 1896, the first mutterings of the ap-
storm are heard. M. Castelin
raises question in the Chamber Of Depu-
lies, and Colonel Picquart pursues his in
at the War Office until he is
'ent out Of the way to Africa.
1907.
In July NJ. Scheurer-Kestner tells his col
leagues in the French Senate that he is
convinced of Dreyfus' innocence. There
are more rumblings, until. on
Nov. 16-Mathieu Dreyfus publicly accuses
Esterhaxy of being the author OF
bordereau.
Nov. 2S-The Figaro publishes EsterhaSy's
letters to Nine. de Boulancy,
showing the similarity in the
handwriting with that OF the boT=
dereau.
Dec. 4-Interpellation in the Chamber.
General Billot, Minister Of War,
declares "cn his soul and con-
science" that Dreyfus has been
justly and legally condemned,
1898,
ian. H-Esterhazy is acquitted by court |
martial. @
ian. 13-Zola publishes his famous letter to |
the President of the Republic.
.,. Colonel Picquart is arrested.
Feb. 1S-In the course of NJ. Zola's trial |
Colonel Picquart declares that
there Is at least one forged docu
ment in the secret dossier COM
municated to the first court-mar-
tial.
Feb. 23--Zola is sentenced to q years i'm
prisonment and fine of 5000
francs tabout $6Oo.) ~
une 14-Fall of the Meline Cabinet.
une 2S-Formation of the Brisson Cabinet,
with NJ. Cavaignac as Minister Of
~ War.
uly s--M. Cavaignac makes his deClara=
tion of Dreyfus' guilt, based on
Colonel Henry's forged document.
uly e-colonel Picquart writes to M. Bris-
son, offering to prove the dOcu-
8 fnent cited By NJ. CaTaignAc to be
forgery.
uly 19-M. Zola, having been again con-
demned by the Versailles Court,
leaves France.
ug 30-Colonel Henry arrested for for
gerry. He confesses. Ii
ug. 81-HenTy commits suicide.
Resignation of General de BoIs,
deffre, chief of the general staff.
.pt. 81 Resignation of NJ. Cavaignac.
,pt 5--Letter from. Nine. Dreyfus TO the
Minister Of Justice appealing for
NJ revision. n ss kz0E5& @
'pt. 6-General Zurlinden appointed Min.
lister of War.
'pt lT-Revision decided on in principle |
,pt. 1s-Resignation of Gen.. Zurlinden. !
,pt. 26-Rsvision referred to the Court Of
Cessation.
It. Is General Chenoine, new Minister of
War, gives up his portfolio at
sitting of the Chamber. inducing Q
the fall Of the Brisson Cabinet. 2
It. 5t-Dupny Cabinet formed with N. de @
Is Freyeinet as Minister Of War. o
1890. 7
b. 10-Extension of the Dreyfus investi- Z
cation, with view to revision, to 0
4 the entire conrtof Cessation. o
ap s. m de Frsycinet resigns as Minister D
( Of War and Is succeeded By N.
: Krantz.
me 3-Court of Cessation pronounces In .
favor Of revision and refers the =
Dreyfus case to the Rennes court
martial.
me 6-Captain Dreyfus leaves Guiana for 9