The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1906-07-19

French Supreme Court Annuls Cap
tain's Condemnation.

4
The French Supreme Court Thurs
day announced its decision, annulling
the condemnation of Dreyfus without a
retrial. The effect of the decision is a
complete vindication Of Dreyfus, enti-
tling him to restoration to his rank In
the army as though he had never been
accused.
AS the decision was pronounced the
| scene was one of impressive dignity.
| The court, consisting of forty-nine
judges. gowned in flowing red robes,
| solemnly mounted the bench. Deep ST.
lence prevailed as the presiding judge
read the lengthy decision, minutely re-
viewing the series of sensational events
OF the last twelve years and completely
generating Dreyfus of all wrong doing,
the author Of the famous discriminating
documents, on which the entire charge
was founded, and ordering the annul-
ment of the judgment Of the Rennes
cCurt-martial with the publication OF
the final announcement of his innocence
in fifty newspapers to be chosen by Cap
tain Dreyfus.
The reading of the decision lasted an
hour and 1t was only at the close that
the spectators realized the sweeping
nature of the vindication. AS the final
determination was announced there was
buzz of excited comment and some
exclamations of approval, which the
court officers sternly repressed.
History of Famous Case.
Capt. Alfred Dreyfus was arrested on
the charge of treason in Pars on Oct.
| 15, 1894. His arrest was the beginning
of one of the most marvellous stories of
conspiracy. fraud and forgery known to
the military annals of a modern nation.
For more than year it was known to
the French government that traitor in
the French war department was selling
| military secrets to foreign governments.
Suspicion was directed toward Dreyfus.
This suspicion was seemingly confirmed
| by the discovery by French spy in the
waste paper basket of Lieut.. Col. Won
| Schwartzkoppen, the German military at
| tache in Paris, of the fragments OF a
| paper which when pressed together form
ed a memorandum in reference to the hy-
| draulic brake of the new French guns.
| This memorandum came to be known as
! the famous bordereau which figured so ex-
tensively in the trial.
Dreyfus was arrested by Major Du
| Patty de Clam. Of five experts who COM
| pared the bordereau with the handwriting
| of Dreyfus two did not attribute 1T to
him, while three did, though they found
the writing unnatural and possibly dis
guised.
Dreyfus was convicted and publicly de-
graded on Jan. 3, 1895. He was taken
before his regiment, drawn up in parade
order. The buttons were torn from his
uniform and his sword broken. Then
| he was marched to the accompaniment of
rogues' music along the front of the regi-
ment.
On Feb. o, 1896, Dreyfus was trans
ported to Devils island, off the coast of
Cayenne.
Almost at once the French people, con-
vinced that a great wrong had been done
to an officer of the army, began an agita-
tion for a revision Of his trial. Popular
belief that Dreyfus was innocent was
strengthened by the discovery in 1895 of
a card telegram-the famous petit bleu"
lin Lieut.. Col. Won Schwartzkoppen
handwriting, and addressed to Command
er Esterhazy, calling upon him FOR more
detailed information on a certain subject.
1t was this famous petit bleu which
ultimately brought about Dreyfus' vindi-
cation. Its writing was found to be in
the same han das the bordereau and all
indications pointed to Esterhazy and not
Dreyfus as being the traitor.
There was formidable, far-reaching
conspiracy in the French army to prevent
the vindication of Dreyfus. Col. Pic
quart, who discovered the petit bleu,"
was removed from his office of chief of
the intelligence department, and Lieut.
Col. Henry appointed. Gen. de Boisdef-
FIRE, chief of the general staff, announced
in parliament that Dreyfus had been con-
victed on secret and irrefragable evidence.
Gen. Mercer confirmed this. Esterhazy
was acquitted by packed military court.
Finally Emile Zola, the famous novelist,
made himself the champion of Dreyfus.
He wrote the celebrated II accuse" letter.
which aroused public opinion. Zola was
convicted of slander and forced to flee
to England, but his famous letter gave
Dreyfus new trial.
In the meantime Col. Henry had COM
mitted suicide in his cell after his arrest
for forgery in connection with the case.
1t has always been believed that Henry
was forced to kill himself by his superior
officers.
Dreyfus returned to France on July l.
1899. His second court-martial began at
Rennes on Aug. z. The same forged. per-
jured evidence was used against him and
he was again convicted few days later.
Since then he has been fighting for vindi
e.tion.
GOV. Hoch AGAINST HanEipxx.