The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-12
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order of the minister of war and that
the house must be searched. She was
also commanded not to speak of the
affair Captain Dreyfus had been ar
rested in the Office of Du Patty de Clam
by NJ. Cochefort and Commandane
(afterward lieutenant coroDe) Henry
Of the secret intelligence department
He was taken to the military prison OF
Cherche Midi. No accusation was
made against him: no charge was en-
tered on the prison register.
For seventeen days the prisoner was
officially kept in ignorance OF the
crime of which he was accused, al
though he may have guessed it from
the nature of the interrOgatOns put to
him by Du Patty de Clam. For seven
weeks no advocate was permitted to
see him, nor was he allowed to hold
any communication with friends or
even with his wife. At length, on
Tuesday, December 5. 1894, permission
was given him to address a letter to
his wife. The day previous he had
been informed that his trial would take
place on the 18th, and that Maitre
Demange would defend him.
In the meantime the newspapers of
Paris began publishing all sorts Of
surmises about the arrest of Dreyfus
and the reasons for it, for nothing au-
thoritative was given out for years
about the case. The famous Jew bait
gan the most infamous campaign that
was ever launched against an indi-
vidual. Stories were manufactured
daily in the newspaper offices concern
ing the career of Captain DreyfuS.
According to them, he was a traitor
at Man and at the Ecole de Guerre.
He had been seen at Monaco. Nice,
Berlin, and st. Petersburg. He was
a confirmed gambler and libertine.
His actions while on duty were always
open to suspicion. After a time other
Journals than the clerical and anti
mentary condolences of the war Office.
The minister of war, General MERCER,
utterly ignorant of the fact that the
trial of Dreyfus had not yet taken
place, allowed himself to be quoted by
M. Lester an editor of La. Figaro. on
November 2S, 1894. General MERCER
declared that there was "overWelnn-
ing evidence" that Dreyfus was guilty
of high treason Thus inspired NJ.
Lester added: cat the bureau of the
general staff, 1t is known, on trust
worthy authority, that DreyfuS has
been in communication for three years
with the agents of a foreign power,
which was neither the Italian govern
ment nor that of Austria Hungary
This naturally led to the sensational
assertion that Germany was the
power with which the traitor had held
communication
The effect on the French public
may be imagined. The traitor a lew
His purchaser the arch enemy Of
France. What wonder that the blood
of 1870 was aroused and that patriots
Joined the ant-semitic mob in its vo-
alterations.
Convicted of Treason.
The abominable farce continued. On
December 10, 1894, Captain Dreyfus,
having already been condemned as a
traitor by his countryrnen, stood before
the court martial with no charge Off
ciaily preferred against him What a
monstrous spectacle. Four days of de-
bate Followed behind closed doors. At
the end Of that period the French press
published the news that the court mar
tial had found the prisoner guilty Of
high treason and sentenced him to
degradation and deportation It was
said that discriminating papers had been