The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-07-20
is ALL RIGHT NOW
STRANGE STORY OF PROOF
OF DREYFUS' INNOCENCE
Prosecuted French Officer Freed at
Lasl-Discovery Made by an
Old School Schoolmate-
Restored to Rank.

Paris, July, 14.-The celebra-
tion of the French National Holiday
today assumed special significance
in connection If Dreyfus resuming
his place in the army after he was
declared innocent. The Official
Journal this morning published q
decree announcing his reinstate-
ment and promotion and inecrip-
ton on the list of chevaliers Of the
Legion OF Honor.
Dreyfue, who remains In his
apartments, is besieged by many
friends, who are congratulating him
on his final success. Hundreds of
fluctuations have reached him by
mail, telegraph and cable. The
date Of his receiving his sword and
putting on his uniform awaits his
assignment to regiment.
President Fallieres today review
ed the troops at Longchamps. The
principal features of the day were
the enormous crowds and the fire.
quent shouts of ''Vive Dreyfus," +"
showing the prevailing sentiment.
AS fitting epilogue to the ac-
quital of Alfred Dreyfus, M. Philip
Bunau.arVilla today gave the AS
sociated Press a remarkable story
of how be first discovered positive
proof OF Dreyfus' innocence and the
guilt of Major Count Esterhazy, a
story heretofore known to only a
few intimates. including Dreyfus,
who said during recent dinner
here that, Wills the tab!ishme
uf. his Inn, csl ce was attributed TO
many causes, E. Buneau. Varilla's )
chan:e detection OF the counterfeit
bordereau. or tbs main document
on which the prosecution relied,
was the real cause of the trium ph
of Justice. M. Buneau-Varilla said !.
Dteytus and l entered the poly
ieehnic school together in 1878.
Our ways parted US on our gradua-
ton, he going into the army and l
be. omin2 government engineer.
We seldom cane together but once,
CHANGING to meet him, we chatted
ABOUT project which [ was direct.
ing for the development of the
French Cong. Later Dfeyfus wrote
me asking information about the
project Tor the purpose OF writing a
geographical study of the French
poesessit MS in Africa. Through an
oversight the letter remained un-
answered.
1t was some years later that
Dreyfus was arrested and convicted
before secret tcourt-martial. Hap
pening to dine afterwards with my
brother Maurice, proprietor of the
Matin, hs spoke of having a photo
graphic reproduction Of the bo1de-
reau constituting the only proof on
which Dreyfus was convicted. One
OF the official photos OF the borde-
reau had been submitted to the
court, but some one had photo.
lgraphed one Of the photos and this
was delivered to my brother with
the ida that its publication would
prese,t further assertions that
Dreyfus was innocent. However,
MAorice decided not to publish it,
as be did not wish again to cal!
public attention to Dreyfus, who
was then considered a vile traitor.
When my brother spoke of ttt
bordereau, the idea flashed across
my mind that I might compare the
document with something written
by Dreyfas during our school days
at the polytechnic school. finally
found the old, unanswered letter In
which Dreyfus asked for informa.
ton relative to the Congo
| In Dreyfcs' letter to me, the
words having double ''s'' were
written with a long IS" fret and q
short ''s" second, whereas in the
bordereau it was just the reverse.
My brother made an independent
comparison of the bordereau and
the letter and reachad the same
conclusion, namely, that the hand
writing of the letter about the Con-
go was not that of the bordereau.
AS together we realized this discov-
cry, we felt as though an earthquake
had shaken us. 5
Maurice Immediately announced
his determination to publish the
photograph of the bordereauso that
everyone possessing letters written
BY Dreyfus would be able to make
comparisons, and the following day
the people generally aud the Drey.
lfns family in particular saw for the
first time what has since beer