The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-08-11
THE STORY OF DREYFUs.

The second trial of Alfred Dreyfus,
a captain in the French army, on the
the charge of revealing to the German
important information
French military affairs,
began at Renues, in France, on Mon
day. The case is one of the most re-
markable on record. For more than
four years Dreyfus was imprisoned on
a desolate island, uninhabited save by
himself and his guards; subjected to
the keenest mental and at times
physical torture, sustained only by the
hone of some day establishing his
innocence. II case seemed desperate
and the unfortunate man and his
sorrows would have faded from the
public mind but for the unremitting
exertiors of II noble wife and a few
devoted friends, who at the risk of
liberty and possibly, of life, set them
selves the task of arousing i'll all en-
lightened countries a public senti-
ment in favor Of justice to Dreyfus.
They were successful and the power
of the press of England. Germany and
the United States, coupled with the
pleadings of love and friendship COM
PEELED the French government to con-
sent to a revision of the case.
The chief opponents of a new trial
were the officers of the French army,
the majority of whom, Jealous of the
honor of the service and believing
Dreyfus guilty, approved his sentence,
while others are with good reason
believed to have been implicated in a
conspiracy against him because of his
being a Jew. The cry "Down with
the Jews" was encouraged by these
men, and the result came near causing
Il social revolution. The story, sue
cinctly told, is as follows:
Alfred DreyfIlS, Il Hebrew, Captain of tn,
fourteenth artillery French army, then attach
cd to the General staff. was arrested in Paris
| October 18th, 1894, by order of General Ner
| cier, Minister of War, and taken to the Cherch'
NJ idi Military Prison, where for fifteen days he
was kept in ignorance Of the charges against
| him. The arrest was made on alleged susplclol
| of his being the author OF the Dordereau, /
| document containing reasonable revelation:
| concerning French military affairs, and sup
| posed to have been found in waste barrel ont
| side the German embassy in Parls, to which i
| had presumably been sent by Dreyfus TIT
| first trial OF Dreyfus was begun December ~
| 1891; was conducted in secret and ended De
| cember %. He WAS found guilty, sentenced t
| be degraded from the army, and imprisoned
| for life. Il he degradation, which consisted o
| stripping him of the insignia OF his rank. break
/ ing his sword, &c, took place January 4th
| 1895 On January 10th he was taken TO prison
| on lie de Re, of La Rochelle. from whence OF
| March 10th, 1895, he was transferred to Devil
Island, of the coast of French Guiana, Soutl
America.
| The now famous "bordereau,' which trans
lated means "a detailed memorandum" oil
| which the conviction of Dreytus was Ostensibi.
| Intelligence Office who had been at WORK in tn
German embassy in Paris. AT that time CpGn
Munster was German Ambassador and Lieut.
| Col. Won SchwarZkoppen was military attache
/ The hordereau was found in fragments il
| acknowledgements waste barrel, turned over Il
/ Msjor du Patyd de Clam, who pieced it togethe
and affirmed that tie handwriting resemble,
| that of Dreyius. Experts hCycver. disagreed
| as to its similarity 10 the handwriting OF Drey
| fus, and the court-martial, having no G:ae
/ evidence, it is said, was inc ined to acqult tn
| prisoner. Then, it is charged, General Mercle
| took the first step in the conspiracy to bolste
i up the staff office case by what has been calls
| IAN epidemic OF heroic lying" Allthe eVidenc
| now brought before the court was secret evi
dence not previously communicated to the &c
| clsed and therefore in violation OF the code
nevertheless the court found t,FeyfHs guilty; h
| appealed to the supreme military Compel bli
was not heard. The facts in this pathetic case lie
| came known only slowly. The people OF Franc
| generally, with no evidence TO the contrary
| believed MIN guilty and were exceedlngi !
| bee ,i;Se the honor of the army was felt to b
involved. few, including his wife, Lucille
| his b other, d. H2thieu Dreyfus, and Others
| believed him to be INNOCENT and the Object
religious persecution,
| Madame Dreyfus made hsro,c eTGrts to OF
| tain relief for her husband, but vas tffet 3
every turn with the response that the case Wa
closed.
| The next year, however, saw change. Lieut.
| Col, Picsuart became head of the Secret Intel
| ligence Depart ment, and evidence brought b
| his spies convinced him that Major Es'erhaZy
| of the French army, was the real traitor, ar
that an innocent man was imprisoned on pevi
Island. On Col. PicqusPt's information Maio
| EsterhaZy was tried by court-martia' ah9 nc
l quilted. the epidemic" above mentioned sta
1 pres aiiiag.
Preyiois 70 this, however, numerous Frencl
officials more CIR LEGS interested in de featng an
measure looking to u fey sion of the Dreytu
case, resigned from tima TO ripe. among tn
number Cassimir perrier. President Of France
| There were also mysterious suicides OF tbos
| sonnected with the case. such as Commandaa
d atici. of the army. in March, 1897; Picard
| the detective, in AuY ust, 1897, and in the sum
| mer of 1895 Lieat, Col Henry was found dea
| in his cell. the day att-f bis confession that h
| had forged the only leItes f2 the "dossler
/ court term meaning GQRQle OF ,sa2arsi WHO!
/ contained any evidence against BreSfifs. Is
| IerhaZy fled from France soon after ting Coz
Eession and suicide OF Henry-a very significap
4 inct and in London made all sorts OF ALLEGED
| confessions and alleged denials Of bis ow
guilt Noted tr.a,s Of those whose zeai in be
| half of the poor ErlsoftSr On Uevlls Island Ial
| them liable to prosecution Ver&s those OF Eui
| Zola. the novelist; of A. PerrenI, e9iSGr Of tn
| Au1ore, and of Lieut.. Col PicJuart. Eurial
the year 1898, the sentiment tbraughou
| France for revision of the case became NOR
4 q nd u0innd in force though the ODDO
sitiOn to il in ElIe army continued and the "situs
ton" fire l1eptly seeWed to threaten reyolu
| ton. Finally September 26th, 1898. the Frenc
| Cabinet voted for revision aDd the paper
| in the case were sent to the ECLStQt Cessation
| Still, the situation" remained in FRANCE an
! the close of 1898 found lola and ESterhat.
still fugitives from their country, Col. PitIuar
still tn trisOn and the case of Dreyfus still un
opened,
though French EoIlG,.. ST. recently, u can
\ not discuss the situation in France, except t
| say there exists always one situation. Hta
| Ere CHI always desire unrest. We love it. "
live on il. France Ia great. She rights herself
| We never fear" So spoke the true Frenc
| woman Snd she is right. After Il few NOR
| minor PicrSsHtltie s the Court of Cessation, tn
| highest legal AUTHORITY tp the land, on June !
| 1899, decided that Drcyf+s was entitled TO
| meet at Rennes. On July LIST, the poo Efts, ne
] landed again on the shores Of his beloved coun
I Gry. He was taken to the prison at Rennes an
| 6n Monday last, August 9TH, his second tria
| began. IL &c believed he will be acquitted.
PREMIUMS At THE COUNTY FAIR