The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1906-07-20
anDIe reDaratlOn

The decision of the court was a
foregone conclusion as exhaustive in
uuiries had completely demolished the
fabric of the accusation against Drey-
fus, showing that the real culprint
was Major Count Esterbazy. The de-
cision therefore annulled the condem-
nation of the Rennes court martial
and was ordered that the acquittal
be posted and published throughout
France.
The scene as the decision was pro-
nounced was one of impressive
dignity. The court, consisting of 40
judges, gowned in flowing red robes,
solemnly mounted the bench Deep
silence prevailed as the presiding
judge read the lengthy decision, min
utely reviewing the series of sensa-
tional events of the last Y years and
completely disculpating Dreyfus of all
wrong doing, freeing him of the ac-
cusation of being the author of the
4mous discriminating documents on
which the entire charge was founded
and ordering the annulment of the
Judgment of the Rennes court martial
with the publication of the final an
nouncement of his innocence in so
newspapers to be chosen by Capt.
Dreyfus.
Captain Alfred Dreyfus, of the artil-
lery a member of a wealthy Hebrew
family of Alsace, where he was born
in 1859, was on October IA, 1894 ar
rested on the charge of communicat'
ing French military secrets to a
foreign power Two months later
Dreyfus was tried by court martial
and found guilty and January he
was publicly degraded and deported to
Devils Island, near Cayenne, French
Guinea, there apparently to spend tho
remainder of his life. The friends and
relatives of Dreyfus, notably his wife
always believed in his innocence and
devoted all their energies to the work
of proving that he had been unjustly
condemned.
Col. picquart, when he became chief
of the intelligence department of the
French army in 1895, examined the
documents in the proceedings against
Dreyfus, and questioned the correct
ness of the proceedings, and, continu-
ing his investigations, formed the
opinion that the evidence pointed to
Major Count Esterf azy as being the
guilty man. Picquart determined tc
see that Justice was done and there
ensued a fight to preserve the honor
of the French army.
Dreyfus, on November Is, 1897,
charged Esterhazy with writing the
most discriminating document but the
latter was acquitted by court martial
in the following January.
The late Emile lola warmly espoused
the cause of Dreyfus and made serious
charges against the French general
staff and was condemned to pay a
heavy fine and suffer Imprisonment
but the sentence was quashed.
Paris, July 1.-THE scene of tumul-
tuous disorder which marked the en-
actment Friday of the law restoring
Alfred Dreyfus to the army was fol-
lowed by bloody duel Friday night
in which Under Secretary of State
Sarraut was dangerously wounded by
the sword of M. Pugliesi-Conti. The
duel assumed the aspect of a verita
BILE combat between the government
and the opposition, as M. Sarraut's
seconds were Ministers Clemenceau
and Thomson, while M. Pugliesi-Con-
it's were NJ. Millevoye and Gen. JAG
quei, who were drawn from the ele-
ments which bitterly resist the gov
ernment's rehabilitation of Dreyfus.
Karl Norris, aged II, of st. Louis,