Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-30
|A talk WITH MADAME DREYFUSZ
. Her Story About Her Husband, the Famous Prs-
of Devils Island.


nave alreauy supported. I our cour-
age, your devotion, are sublime;.
you are assuredly one of the noblest
women of the world; my admiration
for you is ouch that if succeed in
drinking my bitter cup to the dregs it
will be in order to be worthy of your
heroism. l wiring my hands in grief
for you and for our children!. -. All
around me is profound silence, broken
only by the moaning of the sea. Do
not weep, dearest; I will struggle to
the last minute for your sake and for
that of my children. Embrace them
tenderly for me-"
Words cannot describe the love of
poor Alfred Dreyfus for his children,
and they are children to be proud of.
Pierre, his mother tells me, is the liv-
ing image of his father. He is tall,
well-built, and thoroughly manly,
giving the impression of more ad-
yanced age than the seven years
which can actually be credited to him.
He has high forehead, large, dark
eyes, nose of the Grecian type, and q
firm but sweet-tempered mouth; a
very intelligent, bright boy in every
respect. He still remembers his
father, spite of the four years which
have separated them, and he evidences
the most profound love for the mother
to whom he is so dear. The little
Jeanne resembles her mother very
closely in features, but, unlike her,
has very fair hair and big blue eyes.
Great as is your trouble" said I to
Madame Dreyfus, sit would be far
greater were it not for the children"
And the mothers answer was one of
almost unutterable thankfulness that
so much comfort was accorded her.
Need I say that it is extremely
painful to Madame Dreyfus to recall
the past? Her marriage, unlike many
in France, was one of pure affection,
and over the first few years of welded
existence no cloud came. The hus-
band was absorbed in his profession
and his home, and the wife in her hus-
band and household. When not at his
duties, Captain Dreyfus was invari-
ably with his wife; in her own words,
"We were all in all to each other"
What it must have been to such
couple when they were suddenly and
forcibly torn from each other no pen
can describe. Without sign OF O
word to warn them of the impending
catastrophe, Captain Dreyfus was az
rested at the instigation of the secret
police, and charged with selling army
secrets to foreign government.
Held guilty by the army and the
country before he was tried, a secret
court-martial professed to prove him
so, and the unhappy man was SEN
fenced to be degraded from his
army rank and to suffer perpet-
ual imprisonment. 1t was said
at the time that the country to
whom the secrets were sold was
Germany, an additional cause for the
howl of hatred which was directed
against the so-called traitor. But there
are not wanting many in the country
now-and I have conversed with num-
bers this week-who believe that Rus
sla, and not Germany, was the coun-
try, and that in the face of recent
events the French simply dare not
make the papers public-or, at any
rate, would resist doing so until the
last possible moment. Strong pres
sure has now been brought to bear
upon the authorities, startling revela-
tions have taken place, certain docu-
ments in the case have been proved to
be forgeries-why not all? A very
cursory examination of the writing of
French officers shows a striking family
likeness; mistake as to authorship is
probable, and imitation would not be
an impossible feat; and this is the
steadfast opinion of Madame Dreyfus.
A terrible mistake has been made; her
husbands writing does closely resem-
BILE the famous bordereau, and this has
been the primary cause of all the mis-
chief. Having once found him guilty,
the War Office has persistently refused
to entertain the remotest idea of his
innocence, but has gone on wilfully to
: deepen his apparent guilt and shield
, themselves at his expense - from
, their initial blunder. Madame Drey-
, fus is absolutely certain that thor
|, ough reaction has set in, and that
thousands of honest French hearts are
, sharing her faith in her husbands in
tegrlty and honesty to his profession
and country; but she perfectly agreed
with me that it was not safe for friends
to give expression 20 such sentiments.
, When ones movements and visitors
are watched, and ones correspondence
; closely inspected, can such conclu-
? sions be wondered at?
> Madame Dreyfus is not one to make
5 G display of her grief, but it has smit-
= ten her hard, and all her natural
bravery and self-command cannot
: keep her mouth from quivering and
: her tones from faltering when she
tells hcw the blow literally stunned
her, and how for long time she
t could not actually realize the truth of
t it all. And the final interview be-
q tween husband and wife Concerning
S this Madame can only recall the bitter
i agony they both endured and her own
i imploring appeals to her husband to
face the trnubla ar 4 not eipl- mn 4 -