The midland journal., 1908-06-12
.DREYFUS SHOT BY
MILITARIST NEARz zOLKS BIER
Crime Committed Almost in Presence
Of French President

Paris (By Cable). - The French
capital was thrown into state of in.
tense excitement by an attempt to
assassinate Major Alfred Dreyfus in
the Pantheon. The man who tried
to kill the major is Louis Anthehne
Gregoris, a military editor of the
staff of the La France Militaire, a
journal devoted to military progress
The scene of the crime was the PAN
theon, and the brave officer nearly
lost his life while paying homage to
Emile Zola, the great leader of his
cause. Gregoris is under arrest. 1t
was at first feared the attack was
directed against President Fallieres.
United States Ambassador White
was not far away from Major Drey-
fus when the shots were fired, but
he was not in any danger.
Some 230 arrests have been made
in connection with the outrage.
Emile Zola. who died in September,
1902, was 10 years ago twice con-
demned to years Imprisonment for
addressing to Felix Faure, then pres
ident of France, the famous letter
~ Accuse" in which he laid bare the
conspiracy in the general army staff
against Major Dreyfus. Thursday his
dust was inferred with national honors
in the Pantheon, the French temple Of
fame, with impressive ceremonies.
The proposal to give Zola glorious
burial, made first in 1906, aroused
in France all the dormant animosi-
ties that came out during the Drey-
fus trials and the transfer of his ash
es, although duly voted by the Cham
ber and the Senate, had to be twice
postponed because of the state Of
public opinion. Disorder and rioting
were expected and the authorities
found it expedient to take measures
for the preservation of peace.
The affair has created a tremend-
Gus sensation in Paris and the mo-
tive of the would-be assassin is the
cause of much mystification, for
Gregoris, instead of being an ordi-
nary fanatic, such as is carried away
by the political passions of the mo-
ment, is a man of mature age, hav-
ing been born in 1874, and was high
ly esteemed in the circles where he
was known. Although born of Ital-
ian parents, he has been an ardent
Frenchman for years, and has writ
ten authoritatively on military sub
jects, enjoying close relations with
many high French officers. His
friends are at loss to understand
what induced him to commit such a
foolhardy act. and many are disposed
to question his statement that he SIM
ply shot as an individual in protest
against the participation of the army
in the ceremonies attending the plac-
ing of the ashes of Zola in the Pan
theon.
Some do not hesitate to express
the opinion that he may have been
the tool of little clan of Royalists,
who. under the name of L'Action
Franchise, have never ceased to in
sist that the Court of Cessation IL
legally prevented an appeal of the
Dreyfus case, nor abandoned hope of
seeing revision favorable to the
contentious of the Nationalists.
Predict Revolution.
BY the shooting of Dreyfus, they
point out, the whole affair may be
Indirectly reopened before July, be-
cause assassination or attempted as
sissination must come before the AS
size Court for trial. Some color is
lent to this theory by a series of re-
markable articles that appeared in
L'Action Franchise, from the pens
of Charles Maurras and Leon Daudet,
son of the poet, who are the leading
spirits among the Royalist supporters
of the restoration of PHILIPPE of Or
leans.