The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-06-09


stating that he wrote the famous
"bordereau" for which Dreyfus was
convicted and exiled on Devils Isle
then, Col. Patty Du Clam, who instl-
gated some of the forgeries against
Dreyfus, was arrested, and placed in
prison. Lastly, the Court of Casa
tion rendered a verdict in favor of a
revision Of the Dreyfus trial, and or
dered that the prisoner be brought
back to France.
A short history of the Dreyfus case
will perhaps not be uninteresting at
this time. In 1894 Captain Alfred
Dreyfus, young French officer of
marked ability, was arrested and
accused Of high treason, it being
charged against him that he had fur
nished important information to the
German army. Dreyfus was of Jew
ish birth, and strong anti-Jewish
prejudice exists in Paris, and many
were jealous of the success of one of
the hated race. The only evidence
against him was that his handwrit-
ing resembled that of the letter, or
"'bordereau," by means of which the
information was conveyed to the
German army.
The trial by court martial, which
took place in part behind closed
doors, was miserable farce. Neither
Dreyfus nor his counsel knew of the
introduction of any testimony be-
sides the now famous "bordereau. "
He was condemned to disgraceful
expulsion from the French army and
! banished to DEVILS Isle, little spot
of land off the northeast coast of
South America.
In 1896, Colonel Picquart was ap-
pointed to position in the secret
service department Of the army. He
secured information that caused him
to suspect that Count Esterhazy was
really the guilty person. He urged
a revision of the Dreyfus trial in the
interests of truth and honor, but Es-
terhaZy had powerful friends, and
Picquart's Investigations were sud
denly stopped by he himself being
sent to Africa. Esterhazy was tried
and acquitted by court martial as
infamous as the one which had con-
victed Dreyfus. Col. Picquart's sue
eessor was Col. Henry, a man OF
strong anti-Jewish tendencies. To
quiet suspicious, Henry produced a
letter which he declared to be part
of the secret evidence against Drey.
fus. In the summer of 1898 Henry
confessed that this letter WAS forged
by himself, and this confession re.
suited in his arrest and imprison-
ment. The next morning he was
found dead in his cell, but whether
from murder or suicide, is not known
The French people finally became
aroused to indignation over the mock
trial by which Dreyfus had been con.
victed, and a strong sentiment for q
revision began to grow. Emile lola
the famous novelist, was one of those
who favored revision, and wrote
an open letter to the president of the
French Republic denouncing the Off
, cials of the war department who haG
shown such Partially in connection
with the trials of Dreyfus and Ester
I hazy. lola was prosecuted, and, after
a stormy trial, in which his witnesses
were repeatedly silenced, he wat
condemned to years Imprisonment
but the Court of Cessation annulleC
the decree on account of a techni
cality. He was again prosecuted, but
not appearing in court at the ap
, pointed time, was condemned by de
fault and quilted the country.
The struggle for revision becam,
intensified, and the ultimate result
was the decision this week of tn,
, ICourt of Cessation, a body of up
{ right, honorable gentlemen, order
r ing that the exiled captain be givel
, new trial. Dreyfus is now on hi
way to Rennes. where the trial will
, take place, and his acquittal is al
: most inevitable; but his health ha
already been broken and his nerve
r shattered during the bitter, wasted
years he has been in confinement oil
, DEVILS Isle.
The question now is, twill tn,
guilty ones be punished?" Franc,
owes it to herself, to justice and hu
r mainly, to ferret out the matter ant
see that the guilty are brought t.
judgment and the innocent relieved
, of the odium of suspicion.
Il -, .on,o,, r.,