New-York tribune., 1899-09-23
i" GUILTY."
A VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE of
THE VERDICT AT RENNEs
G W Stevens in The London Mail =.

Tlnes 5 OF .nG All red above his white mustache
and his voice, hardly audible, seemed 70 dsas vIY.
through a channel too small for II. Inc JuuH md
they had been out celebrating for an hou' "'
a half-stood on either hand quite sun. svent
The audience standing. too was desH s, eore-
The man In front of me-a man WIN d - nc - a
hsad and a curious bald head. in the snap bs
sugar loaf-was trembling 80 violently ina hn.ore ,-
had to hold himself UP by the oehch
MIN "7,,e Council OF War Of the Tenth District
-,..tna his voice is strangled, you cahhos
hoo- presently comes something IV -,
pn+,er-yyar against France-deliverins 20
- - ,s coming Shaking hands make ma
- oors' breath catches. hearts Catch anu rt
stuI The thin voice pauses ana lot
IS clear. .,.o-g,rtv...." All, It
- -: e-o,- e,.e-y part OF the hall at once no no.
gssn balf sob-the sound with Whlch men '''
wounds they half expected - a-,,culate
Tot a single word did any man ar o,,Is
O1Iy hat one choking shiver-the voice OF SOULS
that could find words 49,, - o-d on
The whisper from the stage rISteu r va ~ come
hut rohody heard or needed f. There Was So "a
thing about "extenuatins circumst tan,e9 IRE
Ten Years" but nobody seemed 10 kno" OF ,,, -
that - was The six stiff figures "tIe - - I'm
eitber side Of the whisper. The haiI. oaCh w." 49,
,,.ttraeses and press blue and white with srn
darrnes still stood quite stark and motlu'il.,
rhav vere neither glad nor angry. but ohy
dirly aware that II was over ana sI'"'
how Il still going on.
T.
.r res,a IN the greatest calm ....' Yes We las -
oo,-e-ed that We were leaving. and Coo AHo~o
vra we're calm looked around al my Ae,e''S S,ces
7 looked al the detectives. looheu d. ~ ~ ~,
q the soldiers as passed they "ete .,-,ed AZ
and even looked little frightened. tuIusI s az
The door 70 look UP the hall. Demahee aIU -.
hori the Commissary and the fesIsua Aesks
sitting noveless at their accustolleo. 1ono
W. :, ovAr after aU2 only before the io'Is
tahIe ~ tho Judges hiding II, stood shoulurr - -
shoulder. a close rank Of huge gendaI tAes' -,
hid the judges altogether. ooIhehO" '4@
quite orderly and natural 700 ..,o,-
Where were the predicted storms ~ passion
the exultation or the conquerors me Cu4 49, 80
~ dafaared9 II the case had not oeeh ~
.-3-, for laughing Il was comical. AS We went
mo court that morning, and again Wheh tns
court resumed in the afternoon. detecuEes - -
paved their hands over every man 70 IrSe H-,,ss
he carried no arms Inside the court gendaI ms
stood along every wall. files or them spI'I -
the seated spectators squads OF too mem o..1 n,
the doorways. Han the audience WnG W. ''
iorrra aIists were police in plain ciothes-
outside Rennes was camp. Ana mere "ets
the fercest partisans on either side Woop!hs or'
Ike sheep-not defying opponents hardly 7P5a[H
ing n friends not even remembering 70 .3lI
cigarst+es All were stunned Tne very men
who had anticipated the verdict for "'@nS
bfd even named the figures and the JuH1T
NJ ,,.e-a ~ vote either way-were silent and
stupid as under the shock Of something IN
forese-n and appalling. All were dszed sca'eu
We nasse5 along the familiar street. through
the barriers of infantry. past the long In'- ~
mounted gendarnes and the horsetaH ll-Hr<
- d~a g0ors T. seemed 70 be the latter hait ~
The afternoon-of A nne afternoon with rare
gusts ~ dust storm whirling under the = ar
sun 81 september and a tender blue SKY. IN IN
the multitude of people-doted over
square leaning Ia mile long fTihge %. - ~
-aulrcs - the quay. grouped at the do'r -.
every chop. choking up the tables OF ever '"'7
1t seemed 70 he SATURDAY al.erIloon. 1-. .,,,-
hours in The morning hearing Demange say
again and again that II IL not enough ior JUS
tice to prove that an accused pr.s3n go go. ~, -
guilty. that before he Is condemned II shoL-4 Dc
proved he Is guilty After that We had been out
of court three hours wondering lng n ne.leEe
mar he court would say So too We had oeen
-; &c C,-, arafr-tvo hours the watch said-try-
inr H. talk Of something else while the Judges
were away. starting up at the hrst ne.I tlat
spoke Of their returning. standing sui. and sent
ten uinu-es-was r.. or ten rears '-til theF
came In and We heard IN the name q the
French people
COMING BACK TO NATURAL LIFE.
IN tna name ~ The French people" The
first beginning ot natural life again was du u,
hot unreasonable. rancor against the rem.
peorle-aeainst calm Reuues-against the honest
tro6pers AZ their horses hridles-the army-the
tudCes-anyb0dy. Reason had Whispered
weeks that yoL must allow for prejudice. tor
prepossesslons honestly. even creditahly come ~
and difficult 70 shake of FOR the delicacles ~
the judges positions, for the suspicious N.Y.
teries q the case for misconceptions of me a.
titude Of the accused There was every reason
vbv il should be so-and il was 80 and W. we're
bitterly angry The band was playing IN the
cafe 7 remember as l passed-the usual oand
that amuses Us every evening II was an ou'-
rage -
Rennes was calm; men were tugging barges
up the river and women were Nashlng clothe--
inst as thev had done yesterday before this por-
tent fell Thev we're playing cards IN the cafes
and Cheapening bOnnets In the shops; net
couple of priests and they did not even looK
exultant Il was mOnstrous. This monstrous
wrong was done: whom many believe
innocent. whom none can prove guAty' was
cooIly deliberately, solemnly condemned, and
condemned f1r the second time And Rennes
was calm-ye Gods, calm. Better that they
had torn him 10 pieces with their hands
While We were beginning 70 rage they were
bered that IN the morning Labor had handed
him a telegram and he had smiled. When you
see Drevfus close his cheek Is family rudy
had been at least these last three days or So
and the rustache that is black deaths head
grin at a distance. is warmly brown; the smile
We noticed transmitted his haggard face % win
ming sweetness.
DREYFUss LAST WORD
Later, as Donanga pleaded. We had seen him
with his eyes glued to the faces across the
table once or twice We had seen him In tears
heard him sob And Just before the judges left
before he went out the geadarme ever behind
him, % wrench his brain little tighter on
the rack Of suspense-he had spoken his last
word Il came UP from his chest thick with
tears. choked with anxiety. dull and coloress'
Vet intense terrible almost bestial with jarrins
hoIe and despalr-the old cry-"Innocence'
MY soldiers honor" five years awful tor
ture" convinced I shall reach port to-day
your loyalty and justice Then he turned.
a I'd with a firm step and clamped chalk white
face strode out and We saw him no more.
When the hall was empted they formed UP the
guard before the daIs and brought him in The
Judges were gone. He faced leftward toward
the Commissary of the Government and the Reg
istrar The last read out the sentence In the
name OF the French people. ...-. guilty ..... ten
years Imprisonment. military degradation"
The Commissary told him he had twenty-four
hours within which 70 appeal He heard them
In stockish silence He uttered not one word.
A. the end he turned and with the same firm
step the same clamped and chalk white face.
marched out and the prison swallowed him up
again. His children. they tel ne think papa
is travelling. but are beginning 10 wonder Why
he is long from hone. In the name o, the
.nr,Ia