The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-15
STORY OF DREYFUS AS
THRILLING AS A NOVEL

~ LFRED DREYFUS, captain of
VI artillery IN the French army, the
martyr of the century, the man
about whom was woven web of forg-
cry and hate I'd who was condemned
to living death, is at last free restored
to his rlghtful place and his name
oIeansed of the stain which malicious con-
spirators endeavored to make permanent.
although since the publication of the evil
dence upon which he was wrongfully con
victed no one outside of France believed
in his guilt
In the modern history of civil and mill
tary Jurisprudence there is no case to be
compared with this; no case which has SO
stirred the civilized world; no case in
which a prisoner. convicted upon fabri-
cations, recognized as such by all who did
not close their eyes and ears to the truth,
has been so brutally treated so exquis-
itely tortured; no case which has so in
volved the honor and integrity of the
profession of arms and even implicated
the justice of the tribunals of a grel.
country
Because of this case a savage race
hatred was engendered; men were driven
to suicide or exile; men of honor suffered
humiliation and degradation; a distin-
guished advocate, Labori, narrowly es-
capped assassination, and the novelist,
lola, whose II accuse" letter moved the
French nation to the final act of justice,
was expatriated. But at last the cold,
common sense of the law has overridden
the riotous emotion of the days of the
Dreyfus trial, the suspicion, conjecture
and supposition has been forever brushed
aside and the innocent captain who was
sent to DEVILS Island more than a decade
ago is to come to his own. The highest
French court has annulled the condem-
nation and the captain of twelve years
past is to return to the army as a lieu
tenant colonel. But although the victory
Is for truth, the hands of men are feeble
to set the wrong right. Dreyfus is vim
Dictated. The French people cry out con-
and the man, old and broken, smiles
grimly as he observes in the deep eurv-
ing over the door of the morgue, under
the shadow of Notre Dame, the words
which the people mouth so careless,y-
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. For him the
mills of the gods may have ground ex-
ceeding small, but they have ground very
slow.
In September. 1894, an intelligence de-
partment spy delivered to the French war
office the bordereau. or memorandum,
which formed the basis of the prosecution
of Captain Dreyfus. This writing indi-
Gated that some French soldier was dis
closing army secrets to the Germans, and
on October Is, 1894, Dreyfus was arrested
on suspicion. The Chronology of the case
from then until now is as follows:
December 10, 1S94-Trial by court-mar-
tial begins.
January s. 1S95-Dreyfus degraded in
public and sent to Devils Island.
May l, 1S9e-German attaches postal
card to Esterhazy is discovered.
July 5, 1S96-Colonel Picquart of the in
telligence bureau investigates the postal
card.
November Is. 1s96-Colonel Picquart Is
dismissed and sent to Tripoli; he is SUI
ceeded by Colonel Henry
October %, 1s97-Esterhazy broker rec
ognizes the handwriting of the bordereau
as that of his client.
November 25. 1S97-Colonel Picquart IS
brought back from Tripoli
June 2, 1S9S-Trial of Esterhazy is or
dered.
January II, 1s9S-Esterhazy is acquitted.
January Z, 1S9s-Colonel Picquart is i'm
prisoned.
January 10. 1S9S-Zola writes his letter
of accusation.
January Is, 1S9S-zola is tried, convict
ed and flees from France.
August 3d. 1S98-Colonel Henry confesses
his forgeres of anti-Dreyfus evidence,
and the next day commits suicide or is
murdered. He was found dead in his
cell.
September Q, 1S9s-Esterhazy leaves
France.
September 26 1S9s-Dreyfus verdict re.
ferred to criminal section of the court
of cessation.
January s, 1S9s-Quesnay de Beaurepaire
resigns from court of cessation, charg-
ing the president of the court M. Loew,
with Partially toward Dreyfus.
March /, 1Ss9-Bill referring Dreyfus'
case to the whole court of cessation
passes the senate after having been
passed by the house.
March 81, 1S9s-Ballot de Beaupre, presi-
dent of the civil section of the court, rec
ommends new trial.
July l. 1Sss-Dreyfus returns to France
for trial
August Z. 1Ss9-second trial of Dreyfus
begins.
September 9, 1S99-Dreyfus is again con-
victed. He was pardoned a few days
later, since which time he has been fight
ing for vindication.
The story of Dreyfus is the story of the
highest type of moral courage, courage
which sustained the man when he be-
leved himself to have been deserted by
the whole world. including his wife, for,
not content with imprisoning and tor
t.Iing his body, his jailors on the loneiy
island hoping to deepen his despair, told
him that even she had failed him. Death
would have been an easy solution of his
trouble, and the way 20 it was made
simple by those who had him in custody.
Within his reach during tho tire he was
Gagged like a beast on confined in the mis-
cradle hut and under the swetering sun
...I