Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-09-14
.DREYFlJS AGAIN CONVICTED.
Court-MartiaI Finds Him Guilty Of
Treason to France.
TEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT
Judges Admit That They Found "Ex-
tenuating Circumstances"-Court stood
Five to Two for Condemnation of the
Prisoner History of the Case.

capt. DreyIuS was again found guilty
of treason in betraying secrets of the
French army to foreign power. by
a court-martial sitting at Rennes.
The verdict was reached by the
court-martial after celebrating one
hour and fifty-two minutes. The SEN
tence was fixed at Imprisonment for a
term of ten years, the judges having
found extenuating circumstances
which prevented them from inflicting
the former sentence, imprisonment for
life.
Col. Jouaust, president OF the court,
said the judges stood to 2.
History of the Case.
The Dreyfus case is the most re-
markable of its kind in the history of
nations.
The following is mere outline of
the principal events:
Nov. /, 1894, it was announcedtthat
Capt Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish staff
officer, had been arrested, charged, with
treason. The charge in detail wassthat
he had furnished military information
to foreign power Germany.
His first trial began Nov. 10, 1894.
1t was held behind closed doors. 1t
was a military court-martial, and rem
dered verdict of guilty.
Jan. 5. 1895, Capt. Dreyfus was pub
licly degraded on the Champs de Mars
in the presence of the military and an
immense assemblage. When HIS sword
was broken he exclaimed: II am in
nocent; vive la France!"
He was condemned to life imprison-
ment on the lie du Diable, on the coast
of French Guiana.
The first effort to. secure justice for
Dreyfus was made by Col. Picquart
of the intelligence department of the
war office, but Picquart was removed,
sent to Tunis, afterward recalled, ex-
PEELED from the army, and finally ar
rested. His release was an important
incident of the trial just closed.
The next attempt in Dreyfus' behalf
was made by M. Scheurer-Kestner,
vice-president of the senate, and was
unsuccessful.
Dec. 4, 1897, the matter came before
the chamber Of deputies, which upheld
the decision and denounced all who
had aided Dreyfus.
1t having been discovered that Count
Maj. Walsin Esterhazy was,the author
of the principal document on which
Dreyfus had been condemned, charges
were made against Esterhazy, who
was tried by secret ,court-martial and
acquitted Jan. IL. 1898.
Emile lola, the novelist, became
the champion of Dreyfus, and on Jan.
IL, 1898, published in "Aurore" his
famous letter, ~ Accuse" in which
he denounced all who had taken part
in the condemnation of Dreyfus and
the acquittal of Esterhay, and defied
the government to prosecute him.
lola was tried in the Court Of As
sizes; the trial lasted from Feb. z to
Feb. %. He was defended by Maitre
Labori-Dreyfus' counsel in the trial
just closed. lola was condemned, but
appealed to the Court of Cessation.
That court quashed the judgment of
the Court of Assizes on the, ground that
the proceedings against lola should
have been broughtrby the court martial
which he had attacked, and not by the
minister of war. The members Of the
court martial brought fresh action.
The trial was removed to the Court of
Assizes at Versailles, but lola pleaded
a teehnicality in the Indictment and
the case was again referred to the
Court of Cessation. A third time 1t
came up before the Court of Assizes at
Versailles, and Zoba again appealed to
the Court of Cessation to uphold the
connection between the Dreyfus and
Esterhazy affairs, and was condemned
by default. lola had meantime left
France to await an opportunity more
favorable to an unbiased judgment OF |
the case.
With the later events the public Is |
more familiar. The application to the |
Court of Cessation for revision; the |
granting of the application on June 8,
1899; the return of Dreyfus from Dew |
IFS island, June 80, and the exciting de- |
tails of the trial, beginning Aug. z,
are all fresh in the public mind.