The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
A DREYFUS AFFAIR HOAX.
NOW 4 PRACTIC1L JOKER BROUGHT
RIDICULE on NJ. DE BEAUREPAIRE

OFFER OF Alleged Evidence Against Dreyfns
Quickly Accepted-Exposure Followed,
and Even Frcnchmen Are Laughing at
Beaurepaire's Gullibiiity Text of tho
Arbitration Court Provision o. IRnRwilI
On His Coming Play and Others.
LONDON. July 10 80 II IL such nm immcns" re-
lief amid the gloom rnd passion % tho Drcvfns
affair To find raw u humor that everybody.
including even the French is laughing over
the story Of Karl and his insulIerahle vic
tim. Bcaurepairo The ridiculc which Kills
even In France is bringing lust rctribution TO
the vicious creature whose assault upon JUS
tice has made him dcsp!scd Of all men. except
such Of his own countrymen IA have suffered
like himself n complete loss uf the sens" OF hui
NOR In the bitterness ot the national quarrel
The story Of the hoax played uron him is
worth telling in q little fuller detail than the
cable has carried It
II Is necessary to say in preface that Beaure-
paire has been trying to mitigate the crushing
effect ofthe decision oft The Court Of Cessation By
Issuing solemn procamations Ia tho effect that
he possessed complete proofs OF tho guilt OF
Dreyfus, which he would duly produce for the
confusion OF the traitor whom the new court
martial should assemble at Rcnnes Those
whom no amount of truth could convince that
Dreyfus was innocent-and the mental balance
OF France has been 30 far upset that there
are many such-havo welcomed rapturously
Beaurepaire's bald assertions and now comes
the exposure of the absurd basis upon which
they rested.
About three weeks ago the practical Joker.
who refused to reveal his identity beyond the
name Karl. called upon NJ lie Beaurepairr in
Paris. He declared that he had in his posses
sion conclusive proofs Of Capt, Dreyfus's guilt.
proofs In Dreyfuss own handwriting These
consisted Of ~ an annotated time table OF
tho third day OF mobilization for the
Nancy district: - an annotated cycling
map OF the road from Nancy to Metz.
and ~ letter from a distinguished per
sonage whose name Karl refused for the
moment to divulge. The documents. he AZ
frmed. were at Basle. and he suggested that
N. de Beaurepaire should go to that town. but
II was arranged that Karl should himself go to
fetch them. and $50 francs were given to him
for his expenses. Before taking leave. how
ever. Karl asked NJ. de Beaurepaire to give
him a safe address to which he might write.
and he mertioned Mesdames Chevreau. school
mistresses. 90 Rue dc I.uherk.
The Rulihie eN-magstrate was not satisfied
with merely nibbling at the bait. but swal-
lowed hook and line and came for more with
out the least suspicion OF n trick. The joker.
In order to buresque all the traditional fea-
lures OF the dfdire. next introduced the ndis-
pensable yelled woman He induced a friends
wife to play this part. and wrote Beaurepare
that he had already two documents in his pos
session. but owing to certain difficulties he
must have 300 francs more. The yelled lady
turned up at the house Of Mesdames Chevreau
and presenting the letter for NJ de Beaurc-
paire was received with open arms She asked
for reply that very afternoon. and returned
for II at 3 o'clock. NJ. de Beaurepaire's letter
only 200 francs and was as follows:
Il have received Karl's letter Let him lose
no time. for We are counting the DAYS. | send
him 200 francs in addition to what we agreed
upon for the expenses of his journey. II he
brings back what he has promised that is to
say the sans rfpliqup-I will Immediately ap-
peal to my friends. who are already informed.
and he shall have fine reward"
Signed: THE man on whom Karl called
twice
possible"
On the morrow Karl wrote again that instead
OF returning by Geneva he would pass by Stuff
CART to obtain documents of capital impor-
tance. and that thence he would go to Brussels
to get the papers photographed He asked
whether it would not be better to deposit the
documents in a safe place and bring back
merely the photographs in his shoes. which.
thing. He added that. instead Of returning
direct from Brussels to Paris. he would come
round by Luxembourg and M6zieres. changing
trains at Scissors, and arriving at Saint Denis
on Monday. He begged NJ. de Beaurepalre to
send some one there who would recognize him
by his clean-shaven face fair wig. gold
trimmed spectacles. rough overcoat. English
CAP. gray trousers and yellow shoes.
THE man." added Karl. will call me by
name. Karl and give me a sealed message
from you. | will give him what | bring with
mo. and we shall each return to Paris as we
may choose. l send you this lcttor by the per-
son whom you know, who leaves tonight at
IL AS and will reach Paris tomorrow at $50.
She will Immediately bring back your reply
Kindly inclose in your reply further
sum for travelling expenses OF at least 300
francs. / have spent up to now lust 1883
francs. ="
On Saturday the yelled lady called at g A. NJ
on Nine. Chevreau. went to sleep during the
Ave minutes she was kept waiting. ingenlously
pretending fatigue after q long night in the
train. and delivered the above letter. which
Nine Chevreau promised herself to transmit
to N. de Beaurepaire and to bring back
the reply. This reply. a facsimile Of
which the Figaro publishes, is un-
signed. but all who know the ex-
Judges handwriting. it says. will recog-
nize Ii. and II others want to investigate tho
question further it offers to put at their dis
posal documents for comparison. This letter
mentions the despatch Of the additional 300
francs asked for and adds that It has been more
diffioult for him to send this money suddenly
than II would have been to send 5000 after
having seen his friends. for everybody knew
that he was not rich NJ. de Beaurepaire con-
tinues:
/ urgently beg you to bring me the original
documents. leaving the photographs in a safe
place. Bring tho documents to Paris to my
house. or to the neutral house where you sent
your messenger, or to a carriage. which is a
good plan. for can wait for you anywhere you
ike in a closed cab, We can talk as we pass
through the outer boulevardS you will give me
the papers, and we shall part at the door of a
house with double entrance II is all hut i'm
possible to arrange, as you propose, meeting at
a railway station. for | cannot 70 myself
being too we'll known. and | have no safe per
son To send Why DO you not leave the train
at some station like COurccles. for instance =?
i would wait for you in q closed carriage with