The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-09-18
CAPTAIN DREYFUS INDICATED
AND HONORED


Fifteen years ago today Captain AL
fred Dreyfus was convicted by court
martial for the second time on the
charge of selling French secrets to
| foreign powers. 1t was one of the
most sensational trials of the age,
during which it was alleged that the
peace of Europe was threatened
through the "Dreyfus affair" The
verdict brought vigorous protests
from the entire civilized world, which
was convinced of the captains limo
/ cence. Arrested five years before, he
had been convicted by his superior
officers at a court martial, degraded
before army comrades, transported to
DEVILS Island to expiate the alleged
crime, and had been, through the eff
forts of influential friends, brought
back to France for re-trial. The eyes
of the world were turned upon the
court at Rennes, where the Semte:c
army officer, the first Hebrew ever to
have entered the staff of the French
army, was battling for his honor.
Four hundred journalists, from the
four corners of the earth, rubbed ell
bows with society women, some of
whom had paid as much as $500 for a
seat. Sensation followed sensation
| during the trial, but none was more
startling than that testimony given
by General MERCER, the former minis
ter of war. TIE averred that during
the Dreyfus affair, the German ambas-
sador at Paris had delivered an i'm.
perative demand that certain papers,
alleged to have been stolen from the
German embassy, be returned to Ger
many. From eight O'clock" said the
general, while the audience hung
breathless on his revelation of cri-
sis in the destiny of France, until
after midnight the president of the
, republic, the prime minister and I
| waited to know whether war or peace
would be the outcome of the negotia-
tions. We were within a hairs
breadth of war"
Today Dreyfus is not only free
| man but he has been restored to the
French army with great public cere-
mony. A captain when degraded, he
&c in
regiment that usually is detailed to
all state functions. Suffering the
greatest humiliations for soldier for
twelve years, he today is fully cleared
by official proclamation of the charge
of treason, and has been honored with
the distinction of a commander of the
Legion of Honor. His champions dur
ing his time of trouble have also been
honored. lola, the great French au-
thor, who suffered Imprisonment for
his fiery defense of Dreyfus, is now
dead, but the republic honored his
memory by placing his body in the
Pantheon, the burial place of the
great soldiers of France Picquart, a
brother officer, then with the rank of
colonel, who was cashiered from the
army for defending Dreyfus, was re
stored with all honors, and promoted
to the rank Of brigadier-general. Drey
fus' enemies have been confounded.
Colonel Henry, formerly connected
with the war office, is dead by his own
hand, after having confessed to forg-
ing Dreyfus' name to document that
helped to send him to Devils Island.
Major Esterhazy had publicly con-
fessed through the London Chronicle
that he wrote the bordereau, the IA
nous document which more than any
thing else brought about the convic-
tion for treason against Dreyfus. Es-
terhazy is now in exile from France,
though not subject to official punish
ment through a recent amnesty law
which pardons all offenders against
the state up to the year 1911. Today
the war with Germany has come
about, but not through the machina-
tions of the Dreyfus affair. Dreyfus'
son is fighting for France on the fir
ing line, and was recently promoted
for gallantry in battle to the rank