Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-09-15
THE STORY OF DREYFUS.
REvII W OF THE ORIGIN AND EVENTS
OF The GREAT FRENCH CASE

- N"S AtSN tiHO ~ '''o ~ W -
years since Drcyfus was convicted
d graded and transported TO Devil''
Is and, to serve a life sentence il
solitary confinement, it will be o
interest to briefly review the origaI
and progress of the cause mp to The
time of his transportation. The facts
subsequent to that event are matters
of such recent history that they neeo
not be retold. The details as re-
counted below were secured last
January by Mr.. Robert II. Sberard
for McClurc's Magazine. Mr.. Sherard
visited Paris for the purpose of the
inquiry, and exhausted all available
sources of correct information. What
he says, therefore. has the combined
merits of authenticity and non.
partisanship.
On November 2S, 1894, NJ
Edouard DrumOnd, editor Of La
Libra Parole, of Paris received an
anonymous letter announcing that an
officer had been arrested for high
treason. On the goth an ambiguous
n tie appeared in that journal asking
lit were true that an important ar
rest had recently taken place.
HIS NAME MADE KNOWN.
Excitement in Paris was at fever
pitch when on November 2. the
name of the officer who had been ar
rested was made public. 1t was then
learned for the first time, although
his arrest dated from October IA,
that Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, of the
Fourteenth Regiment of Artillery,
was the man changed with the ter
rible crime of high treason.
AT that time it was currently re-
ported that the foreign government
with which Dreyfus had .traflicked
was the Italian government, and is
generally accepted that it was with
Germany that these dealings took
place, no actual information on the
subject has ever been given.
IL has since tIanspired that fol
some time previous to his arrest, il
consequence of a constant "leakage'
Of documents which had been noticed
at the second bureau, Dreytus had
been under the suspicion of his chiefs.
7, is AL spicion must have become a
GER: in'y, when, on October !, he
WI, detached from the ministry OF
war and appointed to service in the
Tn.rly ninth Regiment at the Ecole
VI ilairc, for. as stated, period Of
tree months. On the morning ot
October IA, lie received at home, q
luxurious apartment near the
Troeandero, a summons to attend at
the ministry on the following morn
ing. He left home to 90 to this
ministry, in consequence, on the
morning of October 10 and was not
seen or heard Of again until the news
of his arrest was made public on
November l.
ENTRAPPED BY DE CLAM.
Meanwhile Alfred Dreyfls had
presented himself at ministry of war,
where he was received by Maj. du
Patty de Clam.
81 am very glad to see my dear
comrade," said the major. ave will
go ont, together directly, and / will
then tell you what l have asked you
to come here for. Just now | am
very busy. So would you be so
good AS to take down a letter whic h
| will dictate to you whilst | am
sorting these papers. 1t is a letter
to Gen. de Boisdeffre about some
documents which he has asked ne
for"
There was three other people in
the room all strangers to Alfred
Dreyfus and-a circumstance which
only struck the prisoner afterwards
certain mirrors had been so az
ranged that every movement of his
features could be seen by everybody
present.
Dreyfus sat down and took up a
pen.
The major began 10 dictate: CAL
though / have had no news from
you to the effect that you wish to
see me, | nevertheless send you, sir,
some information of interest. = >"
"Then, interrupting himself sud
denly, he cried out: write properly,
my good fellow. What is the major
with you? Your hand seems to
shake"
"My fingers are cold" said Dreyfus.
abe very careful" said the major,
''this is a very serious business"
Then he continued his dictation as
follows;