The Van Buren press., 1899-08-19
CASE OF CAPT. DREYFUS.
A Brief of the Celebrated Case Now
on Trial at Rennes,
France.
THE TEXT OF THE FAMOUS BORDERElU.
Resume of the Fiimsy Evidence on Which
Capt. Dreyfns Was Degraded and De-
ported To the Terr Bile Solitude of Isle
Dn Diable, In the Penal Settlement OF
French Guiana.

4 brief of the Dreyfns case covering
fhe important steps from the dag ei
srrest in 1894 up TO the present time
will help the newspaper readers 10
understand the significance Of the Ell
denee now being submitted AT the trial
in Rennes:
In September. 1s94.a servant brought
TO the intelligence department Of tie
French war Office the torn fragments
Of an unsigned Memorandum bor-
dereau. lie said he found it in the
waste basket of Col DE SchWartzk0p-
pen, the German military attaehe III
Paris. but subsequent Developments III
dieafed that he had stolen 1t. lis con
tents showed that the writer of II Vas
Systematically selling French military
secrets. presumably 10 Germany. The
servant got the pay he sought. aud the
department of intelligence SET TO work
at once 10 discover the traitor.
Here is the boftiereau.
In the absence Of any news indicate
ing your desire to see me, |, never.
itheless. send You. sir. certain infof-
nation of interest:
/. 4 note on the hydraulic brake Of
120 fmethod Of operating this pieeel.
2. / note on the troupes de eouYer-
fure Outpost troopsl. i few modia-
cations will be made by the new plan.
3. 4 note on notifications in artil-
lery formation.
4. 4 note relating to Madagascar.
). 4 scheme relative to the manual
of field firing March II. 1914.
This last paper is extremely difficult
TO procure. and can have it at my dis
posal only for a few days. The min
istry has issued a definite number 10
the corps. and these corps are respon-
sible for them; each officer is Obliged
to return his copy after the manenvers.
If. therefore. YOU wish me 10 take from
il whatever may interest yon and hold
it afterwards ut my disposal, | will
take it, unless you do not want me 10
make copy in extenso and address it
to you. | am just leaving for the
manensers.
+. Col. Sandl1err then was at the head
of this department of the secret sery-
ice. lie was man with strong bias
against all Jews, but in other ways
above reproaeh. Chiefs of other hn-
reaus were NJ. Du Patty de Clam. who
saw spies everywhere, even in his own
family: Col.iIenry. who had risen frem
Il. l.
BILE of carrying zeal TO criminal
lengths. and NJ. Bertin. the son of
Jewish mother.
Among the officers then employed ON
the general staff WAS Alfred DreyfGs,
the first jew who ever received an APP
,pointment of the kind. He came OF
rich and patriotic Alsatian family, lad
refused a brilliant business opening
in order to enter the army, and had
passed through in turn the Ecole, Pol
ytechnique, the Ecolc d'Application
D'Artillerie and the Ecole de Guerre
He had married in 1890 Mile. Hada-
mard. the daughter of wealthy
Partisan merchant. A devoted has
band and the father of two children,
he lived entirely for his family and
his work.
As NJ. Du Patty de Clam said that he
recognized the handwriting of Dreyfus
in the memorandum, he was at once
intrusted with the judicial inyestiga-
ton. Experts in handwriting were
summoned. and NJ. Colbert, the most
eminent French authority, pronounced
against the supposed Dreyfus author
ship. This so enraged VI. Du Patty de
Clam that NJ. Colbert was forced to
apologize.
From NJ. Bertillon he received
more favorable opinion. But NJ. Ber
tillon was not a handwriting expert,
but police official, who has invented
. system for judging handwriting, by
which ii is possible to prove that any
document has been written by any
body. His favorable opinion was given
on October u.
On the same day Capt. Dreyfus re-
ceived "a letter from NJ. Dn Patty de
Clam asking him 10 call at the war Of
fee the following morning TO receive
a communication which concerned
him. Meantime Gen. Mercier, the
minister of war and "A violent jew
haier. ordered cell to be prepared
for Dreyfus in the ChercheMidi pris-
on. lie also ordered that the prison
efs name should not be Inscribed in
4 b.. gf. httt lt..t l..
be- put "au secret" so that no one
should see him except the chief ward
en-, who was also TO take him his food.
All this was done before the prelim-
mary inquiry, which. by laN. must
Preeede q formal order 10 prosecute in
ii military court. Dreyfus was treated
as a condemned man even before he
had been informed OF the charge
against him. and ten weeks before the
verdict of the couri-martial.
When Dreyfus appeared at the war
effce the next morning NJ. Du Patty de
Cam began TO dictate 10 him letter
containing the language of the bor-
dereau. AZ the first word, Du Patty de
Clam alleges, Dreyfus turned pale and
his hand trembled. The inquiyjtor
called Chief Cochefort and the com
mandant. Henry. Cochefort arrested
the accused man aud Henry led him
70 a carriage that was waiting that
was 10 take him TO the Chcrchc- Midi.
Ten minutes later Capt. Drcyfus had
disappeared as quickly as il the earth
hae swallowed him.
From that day until December 3
Dreyfus WIS kept 'au secret" lie was
not even allowed to communicate with
his wife or a legal advisor. His wife