The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-17
INTERVIEW WITH
CAPTAIN DREYFUS
.-.-a------
WOrld-FamOuS Fpnchman ReCOun'S
the Horrors of His Imprisonment.
HIS OPINION OF HIS FOES
Considers Mercier an Immoral Man
Who is Mentally Unconscious of
the Evil He Has Done.
HIS OPINION OF HIS FOES

On the journey of Captain Alfred
Dreytus, after he was released from
prison upon his pardon, from Rennes
to Avignon to join his family he was
accompanied by a correspondent OF
the Philadelphia Times The CORES
pondent was personal friend Of Ma
thieu Dreyfus, the marSyred captains
brother, and it was through Matthew
that the meeting was arranged. Ma
thieu guarded his brother closely, and
at first would not consent to an inter
view. After some persuasion. however,
he agreed and The Times correspond
ent entered the private carcoach in
which the exile was to travel and was
presented.
He was cordially greeted. though
somewhat sadly, and was surprised 10
find the captain very different from the
man he pictured him. He had expect
ed to find an extremely unsympathetic
person with furtive eyes and a proud
and disagreeable air from all that he
had heard. to find harsh, mistrustful,
proud and scornful man. But instead
Of this he found a man with regular,
delicate features. and a calm, gentle ex-
preston. the pink complexion would
have given him young appearance
Il NOT for his extreme badness and the
gray hair at both sides Of the head.
Anarmla had visibly weakened hlm;
all the blood in his body went to the
head, the last refuge Of his prodigious
vitality. the neck was lean, the hands
lcng and bony, the knees showing like
great nallheads; the chest was hollow,
the whole body seemed that Of beaten
man: but the firm mouth. the square,
strong chin, the determined eye,
showed that he was not vanqnished; il
was an eye Of charming shade OF blue
Captain Dreyfus looked straight st
his interlocutor from behind his
glasses. Was that the monster ofhypo-
crisy-tht, wretch who elaborated trea-
son-that he had been represented to
be- Neveri
The train pulled out of Rennes and
the publicity that was feared was sue
cessfully avoided as it sped towards
Bordeau. NJ. Matthew Dreyfus kept
looking at his brother, and asking him:
"Are you all right? Are you eold?"
mo l am warmly clad. flannel, two
knitted vests, a waistcoat, jacket and
topcoat. 1 feel very we'll, very we'll;
and then you forget that 1 am free. I
ssell you what, it is splendid TO find one
self free; not to feel that spying fellows
are continually about you, who watch
every movement Of your body; that
perpetual watch upon one is hateful,
uneniurahle. One can stand being shut
UP; that is wearisome and becomes
very painful: but the sense that an eye
is always and increasingly fixed on one
is the most horrible feeling l can think
Of: and when one has to bear it for
five years!"
Don't tire yourself" said Mathieu,
in fatherly way; you must be very
tired.
Let me be tired" cried the captain;
II must talk; just think that 1 have
not talked for five years. feel so well,
from being free that like to talk.
am tired, and I feel no pain. Perhaps
the excitement has set me up, though
tomorrow I may be the worse for it,;
but today / just want to do as l like -
A feeble smile played over the face.
1t was net the smile of gayety-far
from it--but the smile Of relaxed
nerves after long tension, and Of a
mouth that had remained 50 long firm
ly set Laughter there was none. How
can Captain Dreyfus ever laugh? His
life, suddenly swamped in torrent Of
adversely and chaos of catastrophies
and misfortunes, must ever be shroud-
ed with the black veil Of melancholy.
The mention Of General Mercier's
name overloaded Captain Drcyfus'
face with sadness. The Times cores
pondent had asked him General Mer-
cler's deposition had impressed him.
He is a wicked, dishonest man." was
the reply, given in a short manner.
'But 1 think him unconscious Of the
depth Of the evil he has done; he is too
intelligent to be unconscious, but his
consciousness is purely mental; he is
morally unconscious. Mercier is 'un-
molal'"
They spoke of Scheurer-K -Kestner.
Dreyfus spoke Of the infinite sadness
that event threw on his release. II
was so painful to think he could never
tell him of his gratitude, for It was to
him that he owed his liberty. After a
fit Of silence ne added: what fine
characters this affair has brought out"
Asked whether he had written many
letters since his return to France, the
captain said:
mot one. 1 had not the time. But
/ shall now have leisure to pay my
debts Just fancy; 1 received more
than 5000 at Rennes, without reckon
ing all that my wife received. Some
were from the humblest, some from the
grandest people. They did me a great
deal of good. Officers in active service
wrote to me and even signed their let
ters. A former camrade wrote: Hap