St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-09-13


later His regiment was the Fourteenth
artillery. Five years before his disgrace
Dreyfus married the daughter of a rich
diamond dealer They lived in hand
some apartments in the Rue du Troca-
dero, an aristocratic street. He had an
independent income of his own, and his
wife brought him large dowry.
For some time prior to his arrest Cap
tain Dreyfus had been attached to the
second bureau of the general staff, where
the first plans of the mobilization and or
ganization of the army are discussed and
prepared. The chief of the military Sc
cret service at that time was Du Patty
de Clam, afterward a major. He and
Colonel Henry were among the favorites
of General de Boisdeffre
Captain Dreyfus was arrested Oct. 10,
1894. The fact of his arrest did not
transpire until fortnight later. 1t made
u tremendous sensation. 1t was an
nounced that Captain Dreyfus was
charged with selling military secrets to
Germany and Italy.
Dreyfus was defended by Nj. De-
mango, one of the most distinguished ad-
vocates in Paris. The colonel who pre-
sided over the trial and the other officers
were appointed by General Boisdeffre.
II was not expected that the proceedings
would be public The army and state Of
ficials had said that secrets of impor-
lance might be disclosed. There was n
discussion upon this point, Maitre De-
mango pleading for publicity. In the
course of his argument he declared:
"The accusation is based upon a single
document"
He was promptly forbidden by Colonel
Maurel, president of the court martial.
to repeat his reference to "a single docu-
ment"
All that took place in the court martial
has never become known. But 1t is
known that Major du Patty de Clam and
Colonel Henry were the chief accusers
and that higher officials solemnly an
nounced that Captain Dreyfus was
guilty of high treason.
The anti-Semitic newspapers made the
bitterest attacks upon Captain Dreyfus,
and they stirred up deep race hatred.
Indeed, one of these newspapers paved
the way for his arrest. The Libre Parole
declared that a plot had been discovered
to betray military secrets to n foreign
power and that suspicion was directed to
n Hebrew officer on the staff. Captain
Dreyfus was the only Hebrew on the
staff.
A week after the trial opened the Single
document to which Avocat Demange
referred was made public 1t was mem
orandum. or bordereau, without date and
without signature.
1t was said that this memorandum was
found in the waste paper basket OF
member of the German embassy by spy
disguised as an Asatian. The discovery
was made by the secret service depart
ment, which was under the direction OF
Du Patty de Clam. 1t was he and Colo
mel Henry who discovered that the hand
writing of the bordereau was similar to
that of Captain Dreyfus. This accusa'
ton led to Dreyfus' arrest.
The trial turned upon the handwriting
Five experts were given the memoran'
dun for examination. Three of them de-
cared that It was in the handwriting OF
Captain Dreyfus. Two said it was not
Captain Dreyfus was convicted. Ht
was sentenced to be publicly stripped OF
his insignia of rank and to be deported
and kept in solitary confinement. 1t was
the bearing OF the man when he under
went the humiliating degradation that
first aroused sympathy in his behalf
Captain Dreyfus had been taken to M
island off the coast of French Guiana
| lie du Dable, little triangular shaped
strip Of land. No one is allowed to land
there.
Worse than this, he was compelled tc
live in huge iron cage that 1t cost ST.
600 to build so fearful was the govern
ment that he might escape; There h'
lived n life of horrible suffering. Lis
guards were not permitted to speak &c
| him.
But there was some sympathy for the
lonely prisoner on Devils island. There
wore people who did not believe him
guilty, and among them many thinking
Frenchmen. J..
There were sporadic efforts made II
his behalf during 1895 and 1896, but
thev come to nothing. The army officers
md others constantly kept alive the anti
Semitic feeling, which has grown stron
cor and stronger each year in France
Now and then the government was ques
Toned. but the inquirers were silcnced
o,,or and over again 1t was declared tha'