Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-21
!, CAPTAIN pl.I.YFus.

CAPTAIN DkEIFus.
later. His regiment was the Fourteenth
artillery. Five years before his disgrace
Dreyfus married the daughter of rich
diamond dealer. They lived in hand
some apartments in the Rue du Troca-
dero. an aristooratic street. lie had an
independent income of his own, and his
wife brought him a large dowry.
For some time prior to his arrest Cap
tain Dreyfus had been attached to the
second bureau of tile general staff. where
! the! first plans oe the mobilization and or
ganization of the army are discussed and
prepared. The chief of the military Sc
cret service at that, time was Du Patty
de Clam, afterward major. lie and
Colonel Henry were among the favorites
of General de Boisdeffre.
Captain Dreyfus was arrested Oct. 16
1884. The fact. of his arrest did not
transpire until fortnight later. 1t made
a tremendous sensation. 1t was an.
nounced that Captain Dreyfus was
charged with selling military secrets to
Germany and Italy.
Dreyfus was defended by NJ. De-
mango one of the most distinguished ad-
yocates in Paris. The colonel who pre-
sided over the trial and the other officers
were appointed by General Boisdeffre
1t was not expected that the proceedings
would be public. The army and state Of
ficials had said that secrets of impor-
tnnce might be disclosed. There was a
discussion upon this point, Maitre De-
mango pleading for publicity. In the
course of his argument he declared:
The accusation is based upon single
document" $3.50
He was promptly forbidden by Colonel
Maurel, president Of the court martial,
to repeat his reference to "a single docu-
ment." n d.
All that took place in the court martial
has never become known. But it is
known that Major du Patty de Clam and
Colonel Henry were the chief accusers
and that higher officials solemnly an
nounced that Captain Dreyfus was,
guilty Of high treason.
The anti-Semitic newspapers made the
bitterest, attacks upon Captain Dreyfus.
and they Nstirred up deep race hatred.
Indeed. one of these newspapers paved
the way for his arrest The Libre Parole
declared that a plot had been discovered
I to betray military secrets to a foreign
power and that suspicion was directed to
a Hebrew officer on the staff. Captain
7 Dreyfus was the only Hebrew on the
staff. I
Aweek after the trial opened the single
document" to which Avocat Demange
referred was made public. 1T was mem
orandnm, or bordereau, without date and
without signature.
1t was said that this memorandum was
found in the waste paper basket of
member Of the German embassy by spy
disguised as an Alsatian. The discovery
was made by the secret service depart
Inent. which WINS under the direction OF
Du Patty de Clam. 1t was he and Colo
mel Henry who discovered that the hand
writing of the bordereau was similar to
that of Captain Dreyfus. This accusa-
tion led to Dreyfus' arrest.
The trial turned upon the handwriting.
Five experts were given the memoran-
dunn for examination. Three of them de-
claled that it was in the handwriting of
Captain Dreyfus. Two said it was not.
Captain Dreyfus was convicted. He
wns sentenced to be publicly stripped of
his insignia of rank and to be deported
and kept in solitary confinement 1t was
the bearing of the man when he under
went the bumiliating degradation that
first aroused sympathy in his behalf.
Captain Dreyfus had been taken to an
: island off the coast of French Guiana,
lie du Dfable, little triangular shaped
strip OF land. No one, is allowed to land
there. ,4
Worse than this, he was compelled to
live in huge iron cage that it cost $12,-
u 900 to build. so fearful was the govern
ment that he might escape. There he