Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-09-21
CAUSES COMMENT IN PARIS.

CAUSES COMMENT IN PARIS.
Strange Coincidence Of Drey fds' aht
His First Champions Death.
Paris, Sept 21.There is much re
mark here upon the strange coinci
dcnce of the death of NJ. Scheurer
Kestner, the first champion of Drey
fus, to whom preyfus virtually owe;
his freedom, upon the very day tn
cabinet decided to pardon the pris
oner.
NJ. Scheurcrkestner's death. was un
expected. He had been i'll during tn
last few days, but it was not though
that his illness would prove fatal.
NJ. Scheurer-kestner was II life mem
Der and vice president of the Frencl
senate He was prominent as Il scien
ttic writer and leading revisionist
In October. 1877, he publicly stated
that he WINS convinced of the innocenc
of Alfred Dreyfus, that he had proof
of it, and that he had resolved to Ell
feet the convict's rehabilitation. Th
statement caused n profound sensa
ton, owing to the high official position
and the eminence as writer of Nj
Scheurer- kestner and the gravity o
his assertions. At once the attentio,
of the whole French press was turne.
on him, and he was fiercely assaulted b.,
the anti-Semite journals.
On November . the senator wnitet
on General Billot, the minister of war
to show him the proofs of the limo
cence of Dreyfus. NJ. Clemenceau als'
had an interview with the senator
and wrote afterwards: II have know
Schellrer-Kestner for more than thirt,
years. His enemies, IL he has amy, d.
not deny his intelligence and probits
For such man, whose life is divide.
between scientific labors and politics,
to have persisted for n long year il
prosecuting this most ungrateful i'm
vcstigation solely for the sake O
truth-for he does not know even i;
member of the Dreyfus family-ther
must have been strong reasons for be
lievng and acting. Chance put hir
on the track which he has followed
a doubt arose i'm his mind, and to dis
pei it he searched for what might con
firm or destroy his original suspicious
Fresh indications furnished NOR
light. He then resolved to carry o.
his researches to the end, and he sys
tematically set himself to unravel tin
skein. He now unreservedly declare
that he knows the truth, the Who'll
truth, and that he will tell it. Dreyfus
according to him, is the victim of !.
terrible judicial mistake'
AT the first lola trial NJ. Scheurer
kestner was examined on February S
1898, and made this deposition: 8
learned in September, 1896, that Col
onel Picquart had discovered, Will
searching for other matters respecting.
Major Esterhazy, that mistake hae
been committed in 1894 in attributin,
the bortlereau to NJ. Alfred Dreyfus.
learned at the same time that Colone
Picquart fastened TO NJ. l}ertillon, on
of the experts consulted in 1894, VIII,
had unhesitatingly niifnuted the Dor
dercau to NJ. Alfred Dreyfus. Colone
picquart showed him the borderea,
and the handwriting of Major Eter
hazy, and, without saying whose thu
writing was asked him what h
thought of it. NJ. Bertillon replied
This is no similarity; it is identity.
Colonel Picquart asked his chief to in
sttute an inquiry. He suggested t,
General Gonz that there should be {;
fresh reference to experts. Genera
GonZ dissuaded him. There is Ger
respondence on this subject between
General Gonz and Colonel Picquart.
was in Il position to have knowledge
of that correspondence. 1t was for III
of great weight, for ii was calculated
to fix my opinion. gained from
the proof that General Gonz yielded t,
the opinion of Colonel Picquart an1
WAS i'm favor of IL revision of the Drey
fus Judgment With these letters be
fore me was convinced that Il mis-
take had been committed. What wa
to be done?s
My first duty was to inform tn,
minister of war. had a long CONVEX
station with him. | asked him for TIL,
document he possessed. did no
show him the correspondence of Gen
eral GonZ and>Colonel Picquart, but
offered to do SO. Unfortunately event
had gone ahead and the government
was no longer, apparently, in the sam
frame Oh Hllld. III seemed 10 me tnal
for the honor of the republic and of tn,
army, the initiative of PREPARATION
should come from above, not from be
low. ] went again to the minister o
war. Ii was arranged that our CONVEX
sation should be secret. but next da,
journals reputed to be inspired by thu
war office published false accounts o
the interview. / begged the ministe
of war to demonstrate the guilt o
Dreyfus. He would only reply that h.
was guilty. This is how have beer
led to take in hand cause which i
that of humanity and Justice