The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-09-29
DREYFUS TELLS
OF HIS TORTURE.
The Agony He Suffered on
DEVILS Isle.
SAYS lie NEVER GAVE UP HOPE.
In All the Gloomy Hours of Confinement,
His Innocence shielded Him From
Despair.

CARPENTRAs. France, Sept. pa
Copyright, 1899, by w. r. Hear5t)-
With Dreyfus and his family | have
passed this Sunday, the first which
the unfortunate victim of Mercier's
Vaccinations has had free since his
condemnation in December, 1894.
The big, firmlv locked iron gate lead
ing into the Vile Marie was opened
to me by Matthew Dreyfus, who
said:
You are the first foreigner and
the first journalist who has been ad-
mitted within these grounds. My
inclosed in a letter from Maitre
LahOri."
Having been presented to Pierre
and Jeanne, Dreyfus' two children,
and to several ladies of the family,
who were seated on rustic benches
in the spacious garden of Joseph
Valabregue, we found the Captain
indoors, talking with his brotherin.
law, who is a rich merchant and
banker Of Carpentras.
Captain Dreyfus said:
II regret more than words can eX-
press that [ have not vet the physi
cal strength to send my written
thanks to the distinguished Ameri-
cans whose congratulations and eX
pressiOns of sympathy you presented
me through my brother and Nine.
Dreyfus on my arrival at Rennes.
Grateful to Americans.
mot having the physical force to
| I RI . h ), II hal "
and with my own lips. Already my
brother Mathieu has thanked, in my
name, the Governors, Senators, Con-
gressmen, men of letters and hu
manitarians, whose consoling words
were translated to me by cable The
fact that they are all personally un-
known to me sharpeus my apprecia-
ton of their valued words of hope
and encouragement.
1.-The cablegram of such eXtraordi-
nary length, and so touching in ex-
preston was the first | received from
foreign source. 1t came to NE a
few hours after my stormtossed eX-
perience off Quiberon.
Il have learned since that in
America there are no anti Drey
fusards, as my opponents are call
The day is not far disGant when there
will be none in France. What q
change from the time when so many
believed me guilty of an ab0minablt
, crime.
, II have also been informed tina
the Americans without exception
advocated the justice of my cause
g There is keen and highly developed
, sense of Justice in America. 1t seem
. to be in the American people as nat
3 urally as the sun shines. They low,
: to exercise it themselves, and the,
= bring pressure upon others, in orde
- that these might practice it.
ut is this strong sense OF Justlc
whic gives liberty its plenitude o
meaning in the United States; liber
s ty cannot flourish where justice doe
K not obtain high ideals. A prOpe
appreciation of honor, and stric
sense of Justice enable nations to ris
: to great things and individuals t
= endure many things.
q His Life in Prison.
j.. "You ask me about nv life on tn
Isle du Diable. 1t battles descrip
tion. | shall be 40 years old mex
month. Imagine having been force
to pass a fifth of ones life upon
rock in the ocean.
n ut was worse than being burie
:, alive. 1t was living in hell. M
9 physical pain was acutely intense
NV mental tOrtures were those {
y the damned. | could not sleep.
g arose at o'clock. 1t was refresbin
s to lift my aching body from tn
rough bed. The day wore on, weal
lily and painfully. L was guarded b.
eight men, who looked upon me as
Z beast.
a Hostile eyes were ever upon m,
A Not for a moment did that undi;
were no eyes of affection nea
g enough to vary the hideou
t mOnOtOny.
4 Mature made that island inho:
= pItable enough. Art rendered it a
, abomiuation. Hot air made breath
n ing unpleasant. The hard sky huI
the eye.
"Some of my faculties must hav
{ starved there. The exquisite deligl
Il which trees, flowers, wood an
: water give me now probably arise
d, from the fact that the facultie
u which enable a man to appreciat
3 landscape lay dormant in me so Ion
g that they must have reverted
4 those of IA child. They would doubt
less soon be dead.
II Armed guardians had no .erroI
: for me, but | hated heir eternall
pTOXimate presence. There was u
one with whom | could exchange
: thought or even empty cOmmo
place.
: THE starvation did not stop wit
= the aesthetic faculties. Books wer
r difficult To get, as Nine. Dreyiu
had been forbidden to send me an!
while she was allowed to select an
read books before they were sen
Z They formed species Of soultI
J. cheer, a communication bet ween u
= felt / was reading the very pag
upon which her sOTrOWful eye
= looked. The thought made my ca
2 less bitter.
..T.at M not talk of the iron clg