The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-10
Che AeraIa aud MeuS
how DREYFUs SPENDS HIS LIFE.
Appears IN Streets of Paris without Dis
gu~ise-Seldom RecogniZ ID.
GLondon Tit Bits.

1t is not generally known that
Capt. Alfred Dreyfus is living q
quiet and retired life in q cosy little
suburban house in Paris. Every
day he may be seen on the streets of
Paris, in the Louvre and the great
libraries; yet no one recognizes him
because they do not know him.
Curiously enough he wears no dis
guise. He has frequently brushed
elbows with his greatest enemies.
Not many days ago, for instance, an
officer who gave EVIDENCE against
him at the famous Rennes trial
begged his pardon, unconscious of
the personality he was'addressing.
! These facts were told to the writer
by 8 gentleman, a great personal
friend Of the much condemned man,
who pointed out the house occupied
by the famous prisoner of Devils
Island, as we passed down a quiet
suburban thoroughfsre of the worlds
gay est city. He had had an inter
view with Dreyfus that very week.
He found him writing at his desk as
unconcernedly as a retired banker,
determined to take life easy.
He explained that he accepted the
"pardon," which many declare he
should not have done, at the sole
advice Of his friends, aud on the
understanding that he could appeal
from the decision. This chance has
gone, BOW that the President has
proclaimed an amnesty for all con-
cerned.
Dreyfus, continued my friend, is
not a sympathetic man at first sight
rather the other way. But the
more you see of him-snd I have
chatted with him some seven or
eight times during the present
year-tbe more you like him. After
each conversation your opinion OF
him improves. You quickly dis
cover this fact, that he views with
broad humanity the motives and acts
of the men who made him curse the
hour of his birth a thousand times.
He acknowledged to me n day
that his natural Unborn reserve had
made him many enemies.
"Until I met my wife," he once
said to me, 81 never cared for the
society Of anybody. 1t was wrong,
but I never knew it until too late. I
sought no friends and acquaintance
because I had not the inclination
and because my ambition to succeed
made me careful of my time. The
hours devoted to friendly intercourse
would be better spent in study, l
thought. When I joined the gen.
ersl staff, for instance, 1 made not q
single call-just sent my card to
superiors and comrades alike. It
made bad blood; they thought me
unclvil.",
Dreys'ls admits, without a shadow
of hesitation. that many features Of
his case are unexplained to this day.
He has many sincere friends who
visit him frequently. lola was q
regular visitor to his house. Thus
the ex-prisonsr of DEVILS Island
spend his time, happy in the conf
dence and love of his wife and chill
dren. With the exception of the
police aud a few special friends, 10
one knows Of his whereabouts.
IL Paris knew that the author of
that historical and startling book,
give Years of My Life" IN which
the writer tells of bis suferings dur
ing his five years Punishment, was
walking its streets like al ordinary
citizen, it would 60 into convulsions.
But Dreyfus-nor his most intimate
friends, for that matter-is not like
ly to satisfy its curiosity by making
himself known.