Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

Action OF Gendarmes.
Rennes, Sept. 10.-Scenes of great
excitement occurred at Rennes last
night The anti-Dreyfusards broke
loose and started a demonstration
which, but for the prompt and rigorous
measures taken by the police, would
have developed into serious disorders.
The first sign of trouble manifested
itself Immediately after the verdict
of the court-martial, finding Dreyfus
guilty and sentencing him to ten years
imprisonment, became known. The
streets leading to the Lycee were filled
with crowds of people awaiting news
from the court room. The announce
ment Of the prisoners condemnation
was agreeable to teh majority of these,
and cheers and cries of ''Vive
L'Armee" were raised. When the YER
dict was announced in front of the
cafe de La PaiX, the leading cafe in
the city, band struck UP the Mar
seillaise and the crowd inside and out
Joined in the song. Col. Jouaust, pres
little later on foot and in full uni
form, on his way from the Lycee to
his old home. The crowd with barred
heads cheered him crying 'Viye
L'Armee"
About s o'clock a crowd again gath
cred at the cafe de La Paix and in the
square beside it and in the adjacent
Cured at the Hotel Moderne, a
place known as a Dreyfusard center.
The incident nearly eliminated in a
riot. Two notorious anti-Dreyfusards
entered the winter garden inside the
hotel and sat down at
table. Adjoining the table sat
La Dame Blanche with companion,
while at other tables were seated Ber-
nard, Lazard and Gorscinnetti with
other Dreyfusards. The newcomers at
once began to make offensive remarks
about Dreyfus and the Jews generally.
One of them finally added personal in
suits in addressing La Dame Blanche
who snatched menu card in a heavy
metal frame and threw it at The head
of her insulter, narrowly missing him.
In an instant the pace became a per-
feet Babel, every one shouting at the
top of his voice and calling the men
towards and "Canialle." Just as the
threatened free-for-all fight was on the
point of breaking out detachment of
gendarmes arrived and after a scene of
intense excitement put the men who
had caused the disturbance in the
street.
This, however, was but the begin
ming. The men who had caused the
disturbance proceeded to the terrace of
the cafe de La Paix which was now
crammed with anti-Rreyfusards and
there gave their own version of the
row and in a few moments an anti
Dreyfusard demonstration was on. The
persons sitting at the tables shouted
down with the Jews" and "Vive
L'Arme" and the band played the
MarseiIlaise and the crowd bawled at
the top of its voice, altering the words
to March on, march on against the
Jews" Sticks, canes and hats were
give L'Armee, Vive L'Armee, Con-
spues Les Juifs." Finally one man
waved his hat and shouted: Let us
march on the Hotel Moderne." The
crowd showed a strong disposition to
follow this advice and the situation be-
gan to look ugly. At this moment the
cry Of police was raised, and an in
slant later a strong body of gendarmes
and police rushed into the cafe and
cleared every one out. At the same
time several squadrons of mounted
gendarmes and dragons, with car
bines slung across their backs, gal
loped up and threw themselves across
the road leading to the Hotel Moderne.
Other detachments of cavalry cordoned
all the approaches to the cafe and then
gradually closed in on the crowd,
which was now rather large and ex-
tremely threatening, and drove them
like cattle across the bridge over the
river and into the upper part of the
town, which was filled with shouts of
"Vive L'Armee" and down with the
Jews"
Ill EdElS.
Paris, Sept. 10.-From an early hour
the boulevards presented a scene of
unwonted animation. Crowds eagerly
seized upon the extra editions of the
various papers giving accounts of the
progress of the trial at Rennes. The
police, although considerably re-en-
forced were lost among the swaying
masses parading the streets. Large
bodies of police were kept in readiness
at various points in the vicinity Of
the boulevards and mounted, foot and
municipal guards patrolled the main
Last evening every
available seat on the boulevards was
occupied and minor scuff1es were FREE
quent.
The Libre Parole announced that
Dreyfus had been condemned to i'm
for life. The editions were
absolutely torn from the hands of the
vendors. 1t was almost impossible to
hear an opinion friendly to the pris-
oner. The masses are undoubtedly
hostile to Dreyfus, but in private cir
lies the verdict is criticised in strong
erms. In imposing such an eXtraor-
linary sentence it is believed the tri-
)unal recognized the prisoners inno-
,ence, but was afraid of the generals
md Of public opinion. AS Dreyfus has
uttered five years Of cellular impris-
ouble, he will be Immediately re-