Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-11
BEARS UP WELL.
Dreyius Standing the Terrible Strain With
Fortitudc OF Soldier.

Rennes, Sept. l0-Dreyfus has bonre
the terrible shock with marvellous for
titude, one might almost say, with I'M
natural calm. Yesterday he seemed
stupeficd when NJ. Labor communi-
Gated to him the verdict, but ne mas
| since rallied, ne passed n quiet night
| ard he rose when his orderly brought
| him water, at ) o'clock. this morning.
| just as he did during the trial, when IL
| was necessary.
| Madame Dreyfus and NJ Matthew
| DreyfuS, his brother visited nm uut-
| ing the course of the afternoon MS
| brother subsequently leaving Tor laii"'
| The application to the court OF rev 4Sioii
was taken to him at noon by NJ. Lapori
assistant and he signed it.
Today he has spoken but little though
| he has seemed in better spirits IMAM
might have been anticipated. me
meeting with his wife was naturally
very affecting. but both hold up as well
| as possible He said 10 her:
II am not uneasy regarding myself.
| as | shall soon be free: but | think of
Won and my poor children. They will
he branded as the children of a traitor"
y
nrisonmcnt to which he is sentenced
| will be wiped out by the five years Of
solitary seclusion he has undergone on
Devils island and he expects to be re-
leased by oct. Is, which will be five
! wears from the date Of his former con
ldemnation He is So sanguine that he
has made an extraordinary request of
his wife. for novel Ia read in the
meantime. explaining that his mind is
so shaken and weighed down by recent
events that he needs to divert his
thoughts and to try Ia get all the recOl-
lectionS of the last three months out of
his mind. He thinks that reading
novel will afford the desired mental re-
pose and keep him from breeding.
The correspondent Of The Associated
Press called upon Nine Dreyfus. this
afternoon, after her visit to her huS-
band. and saw her father. NJ. Hada
mard who said his daughter was bear
ing up wonderfully well. considering the
circumstances. but desires ~ remain
undisturbed. today. in view of the emo
tional strain Of the interview. NJ
Hadmard said that Nine Dreyfus and
the family were hopeful and looked Tor
ward TO some favorable development.
The verdict" he added is an infamy.
Capt Dreyfus is in poor health, rs
every one knows. He has been eN-
tremely i'll from the moment of his ar
rival in France and has been put on
special regime. His health has not I'M
proved and the nervous effect of yes
terday's terrible blow is bound To act
on his general condition. His suppress
sion of all outward emotion is due to
his almost incredible force of viii: hat
it does not imply that hc is insensibe
to the mental and physical torture he
has undergone. ON the contrary, the
family just now see in his weak state
Of health an abnormal impassiTTty, an
ugly sign and fear for him more than
they care TO express"
The town. today. has been perfectly
calm. There has not been a sign of a
demonstration anywhere \ number Of
people gathered To see Nine. Dreyfus
visit the prison but they We're quite re-
speCtful.
The troops and masses Of gendarmes.
who yesterday, gave the centre of Rem
mes the appearance OF a military camp
have nearly vanished. There are hard
Is any gerdarmes in sight. except near
the Drevfus residence where a few are
posted.
As far as can he ascertained. mill
tary men are perfectly satisfied with
the verdict. which they interpret as
safeguarding the honor of the army
and at the same time doing an act #
mercy to Dreyfus who. they say. has
sufficiently expiated his crime in thu
awful existence he passed on Devils
island. They point out that. even if he
il sent to Forte Corte. ii will be to re-
C i've hencefurth the humane treatment
he has experienced since his return to
France.
One strange fact in the extraordinary
difference of opinion respecting the
exact effect Of the Observation-Disclosures
he can be degraded again. and whether
! the five years of confinement he has un
| dergone will be regarded as equivalent
| to The 10 years detention to which he
| is now sentenced and he be released,
next month. This matter is quite
aside from the general impression that
he will be pardoned in few days by
! President Loubet, who will find some
ground to exercise clemency.
NJ. Demange thinks the five years
| will count for nothing and that Drey-
fus. according to law. will have to suf
fer 10 years detention. Many others,
however, including several lawyers
hold contrary opinion and declare
that he will be released in October.
This. as already cabled, is the belief
Of Dreyfus himself.
The correspondent of The Associated
Press, this afternoon, interrogated M.
Coupois, the clerk of the courtmartial.
on this point. He was most emphatic
| in declaring that Dreyfus must serve
10 Years from the date of q fresh degra-