The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04
THE DREYFUS CONSPIRACY.
now THE GENERAL STAFF SENT An
JNNOCEAT NAN 10 DETIL'S ISLAND.


Capt. Alfred Dreyfus OF tho Fourteenth Artil-
lery. then attached to the general staff, was
arrested In Paris on Oct. 15 1894. The arrest
WINS made on the order OF Gen. MERCER. Minis
ter OF War. and Dreyfus was taken to the
Cherche Midi military prison. where for fifteen
days he was kept In ignorance OF the charge
against him. Meanwhile the arres. had been
made known through the anti Semitic papers.
and through them tho public was convinced
that Dreyfus was traitor TO Franco before he
knew OF what he was accused. Tho fact that
Droyfus was a jew added bitterness to the
popular feeling. Gen Mercier announced that
there was overwhelming evidence that for
three years the accused had been in communl-
cation with the agents OF foreign power.
Spies OF tho French Secret Intelligence De-
partment had been at work In the German
Embassy in Paris. and In September 1894. dis
covered the now famous bordereau on which
the conviction OF Dreyfus was apparently
based. Count Minister was then the German
Ambassador and Lieut. Col. Won SchwarEkop-
pen was the military attachG. The bordereau
was found in fragments In Schwarzkoppen's
waste basket. Gen. Mercier turned 1t over TO
MAJOR du Patty de Clam. who pieced 1t together
and affirmed that tho handwriting resembled
that OF Drcyfus. The following Is reported
translation OF the document:
In the absence OF any news Indicating your
desire to see me. l nevertheless send you. sir.
certain information OF interest.
~ A note on the hydraulic brake OF 12O
tmethod Of operating this plece
"l2l A note on tho tro,pes de couuerttre lout-
post troops "A few notifications will be made
by the new plan.)
"(3l A note on notifications In artillery for
nation.
~ A note relating to Madagascar.
r. ,I,t,.
field firing March a. 1894.
This last paper is extremely difficult to
procure. aud can have 1t at my disposal only
for very few days. The Ministry has issued
a definite number to the corps. and these corps
are res ponsible for them each officer Is obliged
to return his copy after the manGuvres., II.
therefore. you wish mo to take from 1t what
at my disposal. l viii take it: unless You
want me to make 4 copy IN ertenso and address
vres." "'' '''' ''N '0 Wv
On Du Patty dc Cams report Gen. MERCER
ordered the arrest Of Dreyfus Between that
time and his trial all sorts Of charges we're
made against the prisoner his private charac-
ter being attacked and the ant-Jewish press
making Il bitter ampaign against him. At the
secret trial his counsel, Maitre Demange. sue
cessfully reluted these calumnies, and on the
evidence OF the bordereau alone. experts dis
agreeing as to its similarity to Dreyfus's hand
writing, it is said that the court martial was
aRse e nc1aH5 sG oot he sop
the conspiracy to bolster up the staff office case
the SaS % a6G
grHphed some personal letters from Lieut.
PaniZEard OF the Italian EN- bassy. All con-
tanned references to gentleman designated as
ID" Among them was the one which has be-
canaiile" letter. Alter referring to certai i1
woman's entertainment Of the. military at
ches ds sayT Of a her Ss apna
d Is becoming too exacting.
Gen: MERCER had the letter before the court.
last resort to secure the conviction OF Dreyfus
he deliberately changed the u" 10 Drey-
oncr. Moreover this was secret evidence. not
previously communicated TO the accused and
the court found Dreyius guilty.
, Dreyius appealed to the supreme Military
PM n Vas bs Sf Of S We o pa1G
taire on Jan. 8, 1898. and on Feb. was trans
ported to Devils Island.
relief for her hns band, but 1t seemed that there
was no hope; Interpellations in the Chamber
Dreytus case was closed. The next year how wv
ever. saw a change, IL Lieut. Gel. Georges Pic;
the Secret inteiGence Department. His ss Spies
6sht to him % ard gGtt 9s d
more detailed explanation I" col. .Picauart
TO be bad. He secured letters written by
Esterhazy. and the handwriting seemed ia
bordereau. and a comparison convinced him
that Esterhazy was the real traitor and that an
ss 1S g to-
rlors. and was told to continue his nvestiRa-
lions: PVT to work quietly he attempted to do
way at every turn. Finally he was removed from
his post in The Secret Intelligence Department.
and sent p the dangerous mission on the from
But the truth would come out. NJ. de Castro,
the bordereau and recoGnized his clients
hRs5ndWrtiRS lie comm IN ac with NJ
Esterhazys guilt TO Gen. Blilot. then Minister
q Wal, He was told that the case wa, closed.
oner. wrote an open letter to Gen bil Bill a &C.
eusing Esterhazy and demanding that justice
- Again Paris was thrown into excitement
Gen de Bolsdeilre tried TO stem the tide that
the prisoner had been convicted on secret evil
denee submitted 70 the court, which was in
cation; and ala 80. Col Plcquart was recalled
a farce Or worse The handwriting experts
admitted their previous error in identity
.ibr;yps $as It vas s sussastsd that be had had
traced the letterss from specimens Of Ester
Sfs Tt'a4 q esnC
office being used to dscredit his testimony
and shield Esterhazy. On Jan l. 1851 Ester
hay was acqut tied. Later. PlcIuart was dis
missed from the army and then arrested on
a charge Of forging the petit heu He was
accused Of having sold himself to the Jews.
He is still in prison.
Meantime the lola episode occurred NJ
Zola, convinced OF the innocence OF Dreyfus,
wrote an open letter denouncng the staff Office
for its conspiracy and daring tho Govern
ment TO prosecute him for libel. The Govern
ment accepted he challenge and he was twice
tried and convicted. How farcica the trials
were Is well remembered. lola il now in
exile. having left France to escape mprson-
ment.
In the new Chamber OF Deputies Of 1898 tho
Drcyfus case was again mnde prominent VI
CHNaiRnac was Minister OF War. To intcrpolla-
tions on the Drnyfus case ho responded with
long speech III confirmation Of the prisoners
guilt. To the former evidence he added new
letter OF the Schwarzkorpen- Panizzardl series
n which the name Of Dreyfus appeared in full
This, he said, left no doubt OF the pris-
oner,s guilt lie also read statement, OF
an alleged confessio ion by DrcyIus to Capt. Lee
brun- Rcnaud, which has since been repudated
This speech was posted all over Paris Col
PicQuart at once denounced the new SchwarZ-
koppen- Panizzard letter as forgery. Shortly
after came the confession OF Lieut. Col
Henry. who was then head OF the Secret Intelli-
Gence Department that BIO had forged the
letter. His suicide soon followed. Because Of
this exposure NJ Cayaignac resigned. rs did
Gen. de Boisdcffre, chief OF the general stan
Nine DreyiqS at once demanded a revision