The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-05


In the Pantheon to-day, when!
the President OF France, the
premier and a host of ministers OF
state were taking their departure,
Louis Anthehne Gregori, military writ
er OF note, drew revolver and fired
two shots point blank at Major Alfred
Dreyfus. for whose liberty zola fought
and won.
Men distinguished In all walks Of life
filled the Pantheon and when the shots
rang out intense excitement was ca1Is.
ed by fear that the President had been
assassinated. but even tho attempt on
the HE of Major Dreyfus created a pro.
found Impression. Soldiers speedily
surrounded Gregori and he was taken
to jail. bruised and bleeding and with,
his clothes almost torn from his back.
Major Dreyfus was not seriously In
cured. A bullet entered his forearm.
but did not injure the bone. At a.
late hour tonight an official state
ment declared that his condition was
very favorable and that no complica-
tions were feared.
Tremendous Sensation.
The affair has created tremendous
sensation in Paris. The motive of the
would-be assassin In the cause OF much
mystification. for Gregori. instead of
being an ordinary fanatic, such as is
carried away by the political passions
of the moment, is a man of mature age,
having been born in 1914, and was
highly esteemed in the circles where
he was known.
Although born Of Italian parents. he
has been an ardent Frcnctmau for
Years. and has written authoritatiyely
,1ii ttur. .tr
lations with many high French Of
Ulcers. His friends are at loss toi
understand what induced him to COM
nit such foolhardy act. and many
arc disposed to question his statement
that he simply shot as an Individual
In protest against the participation ot
the army in the ceremonies attending
the placing of the ashes OF Zola In the
Pantheon.
Tool OF Roynlists.
Some do not hesitate to express the
opinion that he may have been the
tool OF little clan OF royallsts. who.
have never ceased to insist that the
Court of Cessation Illegally prevented
an appeal of the Dreyfus case, and
have never abandoned hope of seeing
of the nationalists.
BY the shooting of Dreyfus, 1t Is |
pointed out. the whole affair p,ay be
ecay cause assassnpation pue or eiatt Attempted as
sassination must come before the AS |
size Court for trial. Some color Is |
lsnt to this theory by series of re-
markable articles that appeared in this
mornings L'Action Francaise from the !
pens OF Charles Maurras and Leon |
Daudet, son of the poet. who are the
leading spirits among the royalist sup
porters of the restoration of Philippe
of Orleans.
Anticipated Shooting.
The articles apparently anticipated
to-day's event, that of Maurras declar-
ing that there may be a rumbling be-
fore the revolution Daudet wrote:
"The real hero will be Dreyfus, and
Dreyfus may ask himself whether this
nocturnal glorif1cation of modern crime
will not conjure up terrible dawn.
He has already heard the stroke of
midnight"
organ. this morning. printed an entire
page eulogizing the Duke of Orleans,
accompanied by his picture. Other
stories are afloat to the effect that
there was an actual plot OF royalist
zola's body into the Seine last
night, but that the plan was discovered
and frustrated. Such rumors. however,
receive no officials confirmation, and
the general public reject them as 1ar-
fetched and absurd.
Appeals to Hatred.
The opinion prevails in Paris that
svowal o that he was driven to- the deed
by the appeals to hatred, with which
the anti7semitic papers have been
to place the body of zola in the Pan
theon. The state of this feeling caii
be gauged by an Interview with Herrl
Rochefort, editor of the Patrie. which
Is published tonight, and IN which ne
1T would haye been glorious death |
FOR Dreyfus. It would have been his |
first and only time under fire."
1t was definitely established this at.
ternoon that 7Gregorl fired the first shot
from behind Dreyfus, the ball penetrat-
ing the sleeve of his coat and burying
itself in flower pot at the base OF
the catafalque. When Dreyfus wheel |
ed at the sound Of the detonation he
threw up his left arm over his heart,
The second shot was fired point blank
at his breast. the bullet entering the
wrist and ranglng ara ;s npiwardft {bpiS nfternoon by
means of kaleidoscope, but was not
extracted.
Projected Gregori.
Major Dreyfus, who sprang forward
to save him, chiValrously protected
Gregori from the crowd which was
las on the man, shouting: 1T Is not
for us to punish; let the law take its
Gregori made a statement to the
police directly, after his arrest, and
during a second interrogatory Tonight
= II did aid not wish to kill Dreyfus, It,
ls true I aimed at him. but 7 only
wanted to Craze him. My object was
30 protest against the participation
of the army in the gloriAcation OF
Zola and the rehabilitation of Dreyfus.
Ny blow was aimed less at Dreyfus
Ehan at Dreyfusism."
During Lfe daythe police made sew
Dral hundred arrests, but no serious
Importance is attached to these, forI-
Che prisoners are mostly students and
AConunued on Second Page.l .N