Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-20
lANY BELIEVE A CONVICTION CERTAIN
This, as Reported, to Be Followed by Com
mutation Of Sentence.
sSTERHAzY MAY HAVE TOLD THE TRUTH
Not Impossible that He Forged the
Bordereau TO Secure the Con-
viction of Dreyfus-Testi-
mOny in the Case.

and flow of hope for Dreyfus is illustrated
from day to day in the dispatches from
English correspondents at Rennes and 1t is
curious to note how the declamatory ha-
rangues, baseless insinuations malicious ir-
relevancies of the generals, especially Roget,
have been not without effect even on men
strongly predisposed toward Dreyfus' inno-
cence Thus G. w. Stevens of the Daily
Mail says:
The truth is that, despite all that has
been written, the Dreyfus case is mystery
and mystery 1t will probably remain for
ever so far as there is no first hand evidence
against the prisoner. In England the verdict
would be not guilty; in Scotland not proven
but now it is absurd to deny that in 1894
there was strong presumptive case against
him. The deeper you push into it the
thicker looms ne mystery. here are haif
a dozen possible hypothesis but no posi-
| BILE certainty unless Schwartzkoppen himself
were to go into the witness chair to prove
that he had bought documents from a GER
tain man, that there was a ring of spies
without as we'll as within the general staff,
and Dreyfus was one of them and his ac-
completes made him scapegoat which is
not inconsistent with some of his admitted
statements. May be Esterhazy was telling
the truth and forged the bordereau to in
sure the conviction of Dreyfus. Even so we
are no nearer to certain knowledge of
Dreyfus' guilt or innocence
This view is interesting as showing the
effect of the Rennes atmosphere, charged
with forgery, perjury and suspicion, on
the mind Of clear-headed, dispassionate
Englishmen The Daily Chronicle cor
respondent wrote the same day that the
prevalent opinion is that Dreyfus will
be recondemned, the sentence being imme-
to1 cd ,ar
has already made UP it's mind in this direc-
tion. The latitude left to the generals in
the court and the fear Of excitement incident
20 the acquittal are held TO point to the sub
mission to what is sacred image in France
reasons of state"
There are unmistakable signs of weakening
on the part Of the French cabinet, whose
paltering with the defiance of the bombastic
knave, Jules Guerin, has taken very bad
augury for the immediate future. It is
| feared that differences arising with the
cabinet are certain evidence of an inclination
| to treat the proposal for immediate summon
| ing of the chamber seriously. 1t indicates
| that by one influence or another anti -Semites
| have been able to corrupt or intimidate its
| lesser members
personal account, showing what manner
OF man Jules Guerin is, will convey a vivid
| idea of the condition of the ministerial
decentralization prevailing in Paris. Guerin
is retired tripe seller of La Veette, which
| explains why he has a lot of butchers with
| him. He is 30 or so, solidly built, a great
crony of the Drumonts and received his po-
litical education with Marquis de Mores.
| After the death of the marquis, Guerin
| took the lead of the anti-Semites and is
always spelling for a fight. He has been in
every street demonstration which the anti
| Semites got up in Paris this last ten years.
! He always carries about with him a huge
| knotted stick as big as a small tree and
wears big felt hat He half killed a
policeman in Place de la Concorde a few
months ago during a demonstration. He
| has done well in politics, and his paper,
Anti-Juife. enabled him to make money
| Guerin, whilst a fellow capable of doing
much mischief is in reality more of brag-
CART and blusterer than dangerous man.
| Opinions from Paris.
! RENNES, Aug. 19.-(New York World
Cablegram-Special Telegram )-What will
! be the verdict of the court-martial trying
! Dreyfus? AT this moment 1t looks as II
| Dreyfus will be acquitted. 1t must be said
that, to the American mind. the evidence
against the accused is not so convincing as
to Justify his condemnation. On the other
consideration think Dreyfus is guilty.
1t would be ridiculous to bunch these peo-
pie and label them "rascals" You in
America cannot see as we do here, that the
further you go into this frightful affair the
| more you realize that the study of 1t has
become a science mastered only by those
who have made the most patient, minute re-
searches into some 120 books every one
of which is considered essential to a thor
ough understanding of the case. Half the
books have been written in France alone;
twenty-five OF them in Germany. One OF the
best informed English publishers tells me
that, including newspaper articles, more
have already been written about Dreyfus
than about the French revolution or the
American war of secession. From this you
may gain an idea OF the infinite ramifica-
tions of the affair. But until you have
attended ten OF these six-hour sittings OF
the court that your correspondent has just
gone through you cannot realize the In
finite, the bewldering intricacies Of the case
| Clemenceau, that prince OF polemists, ac
complished the phenomenal feat OF writing q
long article on the case every day for the
last two years. Clemenceau quoted to me
the confession made by Carriere, who repre-
sents the government at the court martial
| After poring over the documents for sixteen
hours day for three monhs, Carriere de-
spairingfy said: 81 now know nothing
about the case; must prosecute"
Said Clemenceau, commenting on this
mot more than ten people on each side
fully understand this affair"
Under such circumstances your corre-
spondent thought the best way to shed light
on the probable verdict was 10 collect signed
opinions OF spectators on both sides OF the
case These opinions follow as to the prob
able issue OF the trial and what is likely
to be the present result of Dreyfus, aequitta
or condemnation.
Predicts AcgufttaI.
81 predict not only aequittal but unan-
imous acquittal" So energetically said NJ
Stiviani a deputy and editor Of La Ian
terne. He continued: "The judges are eyi
IDENTIFY honest / know what testimony thu