The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-04
TODAY WE CELEBRATE.
FRANK CASE RECALLS y
DEGRADATION OF DREYFUs
20 WEARS AGO TO-DAY,

Leo Frank, the young Hebrew.
whose conviction attracted attention
all over the world, has been called
ian American Dreyfus," but there is
little basis for comparison of the
Frank case with that of the French
army officer, except that both are
Hebrews, and that in both instances
the convicted men had many friends
who firmly maintained their limo.
cence. The first Dreyfus trial reach.
ed its dramatic climax Just 20 years
ago today, Jan. s, 1895, when Alfred
preyfus, an Alsatian Jew who had
been captain, Of engineers in the
military forces Of the republic, hay.
ing been tried by courtmartial and
found guilty of treason, was publicly
degraded. In the presence Of 5000
soldiers the symbols of his rank were
torn from his uniform, and, covering
and trembling before his tormentors,
he was led off to be sent away to be
deported to the penal settlement on
Devils Island. In that ropic night.
mare, rightly named, closely guarded
and in shackles, Dreyfus was destin.
ed, SO fur as his judges could deter
mine his fate, to spend the remainder
of his life. Leo Frank was sentenced
to death-Dreyfus to fate worse
than death. Although later exonerat.
ed and restored to his rank in the
French army, and promoted to ma.
jor, the experiences on the Isle du
Diable wrecked Dreyfus' life, and
even in freedom and restored pros.
perity the horrors of the past left
their indelible impress upon him.
Dreyfus was born in Alsace about
Sc years ago, and after graduating
from the Polytechnic Institute in
Paris was made a lieutenant of artil.
lery. He reached the rank OF captain
in 1888, and held high position on
the general staff when, in 1894, he
was arrested on a charge OF treason.
1t was alleged that he had sold mill.
tary secrets to the German and Ital.
ian governments. The principal eyi.
dence produced by his accusers was
a document alleged to have been
found in a waste paper basket OF the
German embassy at Paris. This
compromising scrap of paper was
said-although not conclusiyely prov.
ed-to be in the handwriting Of Drey.
fus. This gives another point Of sim.
ilarity to the Frank case, in which
scrubbed notes found beside the body
of the slain girl figured prominently.
Dreyfus was well TO do, OF an ex.
cellent family. with no extrayagant
habits, and no apparent motive exist.
ed for the crime he was alleged to
have committed. The trial by court.
martial was so manifestly despotic
and unfair that liberty loving French.
men Immediately raised a cry in DO.
half of the convicted officer, and the
;Dreyfus affair became a cause Of
celebre.s
Foremost of all the friends OF
Dreyfus was the great novelist, Emile
zola. His clarion denunciation Of
Dreyfus' foes, beginning "J'accuse,, (,
was one! Of the greatest Of its kind
ever written. lola and many 9th.
ers were convinced that Dreyfus had
been made the scapegoat by guilty
officers solely because he was a Jew.
All France was stirred TO its depths
over the matter. Zola,s invectives
became SO fierce that the government
ordered the arrest Of the novelist,
and he was heavily fined and order.
ed to be imprisoned.
Despite the hostility OF the mill.
tary party and the newspapers they
controlled, the French government at
length reopened the case, and in 1899
the prisoner OF Devils Island was
taken back to France and given
another trial by courtmartial. During
this trial Maitre Labor, chief cnun.
sci for Dreyfus, was shot In the
back. Dreyfns was again found
guilty, with .extenuating circum,
stances and he was pardoned q lit
tie later by President Loubet. In
1906 the coy Of inquiry made fur