The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-02-04
DREYFUS IS NOW
LIVING IN PEACE
"Bordereau" Case, InvOlv-
ing French Officer, Shook
Nation Generation Ago.

Paris.-Twenty years have gone by
since Alfred Dreyfus, condemned by
a cOurt-martial in Paris in December, |
1894, to spend the rest of his life in
Devils island for alleged treason, re-
sumed his place in civilized society,
his rank in the army and his status as
a free man innocent Of the charge
leveled against him.
Today Lieutenant Colonel Dreyfus,
retired, wearing in his lapel the rO-
settle of commander Of the Legion of
Honor, is living the quietest kind Of a
life in a sumptuOus apartment in the
Pare Monceau quarter with his wife,
who stood by him when half Of France
was bowling for his blood. He re-
ceives few visitors. "Tiger" Clemen-
ceau, Frances organizer Of victory, is
perhaps the last survivor Of this
courageous group who defended Drey-
fus a generation ago.
Maitre Labor, the lawyer who acted
as his counsel at the peril Of his own
life; Emile lola, the novelist who
went to prison for his part in the de-
Tense; Colonel Picquart, who risked
his career for taking the part Of the
accused officer, and Juares, the great
Socialist orator who stirred the cham
Der Of deputies and the country by
im%passiOned appeals, are dead.
Stirred Whole Nation.
For twelve years this man stirred
French passions to depths such as the
country had not known since the revO
luton. The "affalre Dreyfus' dOml-
mated every aspect Of public life. It
caused governments to tOpple and
made France almost q nullity in the
political history Of Europe. It led
to a recrudescence Of rOyalism which
threatened the life of the republic.
Political parties were divided and fam
flies were split. Several persons lost
their lives in the almost daily clashes
between the factions into which the ma
ton vas divided.
Previous to his arrest as q traitor
Captain Dreyfus was merely an OBJ
scure stan officer, dlsliked in the army
because he was q Jew. He was born
In Mulhausen, In Alsace, In 1859 and
was twelve years old when the armies
Of Kaiser Wilhelm's grandfather
, swoOped down over the Rhine and In
c~orpOrated Alsace and Lorraine in the
{ newly born German empire. His par
ents sacrificed their patrimOny rather
than live under German rule. Young
Alfred wal just old enough to remem
Der and was one Of the many thou
sand Alsatians who swOre never Il
; rest until the lost provinces were re
=, stored to France.
; Nevertheless he was not popular II
the military academy Of st. Cyr, al
. ways because Of his religion and race
j. "~Bordereau" Comes to Light
In the fall Of 1894 a document
known later as the "Dreyfus horde
! reau," or memorandum, supposed t
d have been mysteriOusly stolen fror
d the German embassy, was handed owe
Y to the French secret service and wa
delivered to the ministry Of war. ]
q purpOrtec to be a communication froI
a French staff officer offering impol
tant army secrets to a foreign power
Oficials thought they saw an astOT
% ishing resemblance between the hanC
writing Of the 'bOrdereau" and this
Of Captain Dreyfus. SO-called hant
3 writing experts supported this vie
D. and Dreyfus was arrested.
l. His condemnation was a foregOI
conclusion. His enemies occupied Il
:, highest posts in the army and the GO
: eminent. By a unanimous verdict IL
7" court-martlal condemned him to de
IL radiation and to detention for life
IN the penal settlement of the coast
to South America known as Devil
be island.
VS. But powerful friends were workiI
in for him. lola, in his famous lette
i "JAccuse," denounced the real CT
: prits. The sentence was reduced
ten years by a second cOurt-marti
and President LOubet gave Dreyf
e. a free pardon.
&c Dreyfus, however, insisted In
Iy what he wanted was not a pardon b
n rehabilitation. A final session OF 4
Oh Appeal court decided IN July, 19C
d. that he had been wrongly cOndemne
.as He was reinstated IN the army, g
vanced to the rank Of major and we
through the war as such, retired aft
' the armistice with the rank Of lie
~ tenant colonel and membership In {
Use Legion Of Honor.
ss-