Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-07-20
New Traitor Revealed.

| sae"u'
| New Traitor Revealed.
Instantly there was revealed a new
| traitor in the French army camp. Es-
| terhazy was a dissolute officer, spend
| ing most of his time in Paris instead of
at his post in Rouen. The captured let
ter became known as the petit bleu,"
being written on the blue stamped pa
per of the postoffice for immediate de-
livery. AT first Picquart did not con-
meet Esterhazy with the Dreyfus af-
fair, but one day, securing some of the
majors handwriting, he was struck
with the similarity between it and the
writing on the "bordereau' on which
Dreyfus was accused. The more he in
vestigated the more he became con-
WINGED that Esterhazy was the traitor
and Dreyfus the innocent man.
He examined the "dossier," or en-
velope, containing the documents sup
posed to incriminate the captain. One
of them was letter of Schwarzko open
referring to that sooundrel D." The
army clique had asserted that d. stood
for Dreyfus. Picquart found that d.
stood for Dubois, poor scribbler, who
was not in the army. This and the
''bordereau," now believed to have
been written by Esterhazy, were it's
only contents.
But when Picquart innocently COM
municated his discovery to his superior
officers, many of them the same who
had brought about the condemnation
of Dreyfus. he met with little encour-
agement The clique determined TO
stand together. 1t was decided that
Picquart must be sidetracked. He was
sent off to Tunis, whence few officers
return. 1t would never do to have the
army exposed.
Henry's Forgery.
In his absence Henry forged q letter
purporting to be written by the italian
military attache to the German attache
and found in the same old wastebas-
ket. 1t read as follows:
81 have just read that deputy is GO
ing to ask several questions on the
Dreyfus affair. If they request any
new explanations at Rome, l shall say
never had any dealings with this Jew.
That is understood. If they question
you, make the same reply, for nobody
must ever know what has happened to
him."
This was to strengthen the army case
against the prisoner in view of the ris-
ing tide of public Indignation and the
demands in the chamber of deputies
for investigation.
From the summer of 1897 onward
France was torn by discussion of the
Dreyfus affair. 1t became involved in
political maneuvers and in court pro-
ceedings Picquart accused Esterhazy.
The latter was tried and acquitted.
Picquart was disgraced and imprisoned
by the army clique.
lola Writes Letter of Accusation.
Things began to look dark for the
cause of justice, when lola suddenly
launched his public letter of accusa-
ton, declaring Dreyfus wrongfully con- |
victed and EsterhaZy acquitted to |
screen the wrong. France blaZed with |
agitation. lola was tried and con- |
demned to one years imprisonment |
and fined 10000 francs $4,000 for
SANDER He fed to England, but the
Dreyfus cause was revived.
In August, 1898, another conscien
tious army officer, Major Cuignet, dis
CONeTeu ny COlupdElsOH VI uONulhChto
that the alleged letter from the Italian
military attache to the German at
tache was evidently forgery.
Major Henry was called before Off
GERS OF the war department and ques-
toned. He admitted the truth and
sought sympathy from the generals
who had formerly accepted the letter
without question. But public senti-
ment was beginning to make itself
felt. The generals sat rigidly silent.
following day he cut his throat with
razor. That was the turning point.
1t was only a question of time when
the agitation in favor of Dreyfus would
succeed in bringing about a new trial.
In 1890 the courts ordered the pris-
oner brought back TO France for re-
trial. The session began at Rennes in
August before a court of seven officers,
presided over by Colonel Jouaust.
The prisoner, like one raised from
appearance. Labori, his lawyer. made
q brilliant case and won great fame.
Dreyfus was free, but not rehabili-
tated. He refused to accept the judg- /
'nent as final. He must have complete
and be restored to the same ,
plane of innocence on which he stood
before the accusation of 1894. :
A Hard Lot.