Evening Star Newspaper, January 22, 1898, Page 17

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1898-24 PAGES. erate the Cherche-MIdi prison tm the -fashioned prison of that name. ‘The Scene in Court. The court of military justice in the con- sell de guerre building, ts a emall oblong room hung with faded green hangings. At one end on a dais is a table covered with green baize, round which the members of the court-martial sit. To the right of this 4s a kind of wooden cage, in which the prisoner stands. In front of this is a bench for the advocates for the defense. At the other end are a few benches for the spec- tators. Opposite are four large windows looking out into the great courtyard. It was a very gray morning that day sat the nts. A double row of re- Publican guards in thelr bright uniforms, with flashing weapons, alone put a little color In a very mournful acene. Over the table of the court-martial hangs a black regen Maitre Demang¢ hurried off to the guard reom in which ‘fue was awaiting the verdict, to prepare. him: for the worst, and |- to give him what?consélation he might. It io sald that on ebftering the cell the advo- cate caught the in his arms, em- braced him, and said: My son, your con- viction is the greXtest crime that this cen- tury has Sepa Now the commissary appears, and Dreyfos f& taken out, and in the presence of the guard, in the empty court room, the genten¢e is read to him by the clerk of thé co He stands in a military attitudé* and’ listens without a word. = Outside the crowd cohild be heard shout- ing, “Death, death! To''the traitor, death!” So menacing waJ its gttitude that it was not till past mfAnighf that the prisoner could be removed back to his prison. For- zinett! was awaiting him in his cell. “When he saw me,” so the governor re- lates, “he burst into tears. ‘My only doorway yawns open, an forth into the midst of all those eyes the convicted man, whose dishonor is to be here enacted. @ gigantic adjutant of the First come: republican guard, whose part it is to play the executioner in a tragedy worse ihan death. He is followed by Alfred Dreyfus, surrounded by four artillerymen with drawn swords. The prisoner walks erect, with a firm step. With his left hand he grasps the pommel of the sword that is to be forfeited. His head is high up. On reaching the middle of the square, where they are some ten or fifteen paces from the general on his horse, the artillerymen fall back, leavink Dreyfus standing alone, ex- osed, abandoned, face to Tace with his judge. The regimental band strikes up. been carefully opened and read and prudently photographed. It a . in the cipher of This cipher was known to the ministry of war, and it will be understood that its value was too great for the fact to be made known. The let- ter was rot included amongst the docu- ments originally laid before the court- martial, but was secretly handed to the jucgee while they were in their consulting room and in the abserce of the defending counsel. Toward September 20 Col. Sand- herr, Dreyfus’ chief, and head of the s has staked his popularity, as well as his literary reputation, on proving the inno- cence of Alfred Dreyfus. ROBERT H. SHPRARD. —___ A TASTE FOR READING. Benefits Derived From a Fondness ot Good Literature. From the Boston Herald. Ask any hostess of your acquainiance rings out: “Portes armes. Presentez armes.” The guards present arms, and one by one the members of the decipher- : court walk ia ond take their places roupd | crime he. cried, 1s to. kave been-born a tito aeath scacen? Wow an Weenie etene apo a: a Mereien tz | Nhat type of guest she has found the hard- fae Cae cine tan Oieians ih be beret Teena tO roneh at, Sylife of industry | rorward, unrolis the document which he | referred to the service of opying in Paris, San ake en SS & peetcected want, Vef.ecalle,orders the witn: brot and toil has me. My God, why did 2 > 7 y a e will answer, “Th h In. There are twenty-seven witnesses for | I enter the military school? Why did 1 not | ROIS, and, In a voice quavering with emo- | and contained this phrase: ‘Decidedly that © woman who tion, reads forth the sentence by which the prisoner is doomed to this disgrace. While he reads Dreyfus looks full in the face of Gen. Darras. A howl of-execration comes from the swaying ss withou: Thea Gene Darras, rising in his stir- rups and waving his sword aloft, thus ad- dresses the prisone! “Dreyfus, Alfred, you are unworthy to carry arms. In the mame of the French people we degrade you.” As these words, spoken with ineff- able contempt, thunder forth, the gigantic adjutant, by whose side the prisoner, seen from the avenue without, shows but as a pigmy, strides up_and lays his hands rough- ly upon him. First, he tears the triple band from off the captain's cap and flings it to the ground with gestures of disgust and contempt. His motions are brusque, viclent and jerky. Then he tears the but- tons from the coat, the gold lace from the collar and sleeves and strips the trousers of their red adornment: Here Dreyfus throws up nis arm and cries in a voice that is heard all over the square and far beyond beast Dreyfus is becoming too exacting.’ The friends of Dreyfus denied the au- thenticity of this report. They declared that, first, this letter had come into the Pcssession of the ministry very early in the year 1894, and, secondiy, that the name of Dreyfus was not mentioned at all, but that the initial D was used in the original to designate the person of whom the German attaches complained. They de- clared also that one of the messengers in the war office, whose name began with a D, had been for a long time under suspicion in consequence of this document, and had been for months kept under close observ tion. the prosecution, of whom twenty-one are military men. The rest are civilians, one deteotive and five experts. Bertillon is one of the experts. The defense has twelve Witnesses, including the grand rabbi. Col. Maurel rises. The command and the salute are repeated. “Bring in the pris- oner. Then a little door opens, through which there passes, first, a lieutenant of the re- publican guard. He is followed by Drey- fus. The prisoner, who is burely thirty- five ye of age, looks fifty at least, so terribly have h‘s sufferings told upon him. He ts dreszed in full uniform, heavily trim- med with gold lace. His interrogatory is brief and sharp. Dreyfus answers in a firm voice. His manner is calm, almost indifferent. It is noticed that he grows very red as he wvever reads,” says a writer in the Phita- @elphia Inqvfrer. Probably you know her yourself. She slips into your guest room some day, with the promising assurance, “Now, | don't Want to be made company of. Just let me be fone of the family and look out for my= self.” You are a busy woman, and you con- @ratulate yourself that your ospitality o-= to be extended to one of your sex who is capable of making her stay something be- side a nervous strain on the part of your- Self as hostess and your household in gen- eral. You have fitted up that guest room of yours with especial reference to the hoped- for bookish tastes of its occupants. There iS a goodly assortment of current literature scattered about. Being a reader yourself, you can imagine nothing more ielightsome than an opportunity for cozy companion- ship with the latest magazine or novel. You delicately allude to your thoughtful- resign, to do?” That same evening Dreyfus, on the advice of his counsel, signed an appeal to the court of revision that his conviction should be quashed on the ground of informality and that a new trial should be ordered. The grounds on which Maitre Demange based this appeal were, first, that the trial had been carried out in secret, and, sec- ondly, thac there was present sitting in the court-martial an officer of lower rank than the prisoner. ‘The court refused the appeal, and found that the first trial had been conducted with all the formalities imposed by the law. Dreyfus was accordingly convicted and sentenced without any further appeal be- ing possible. A Terrible Ten Minuten. Nobody who witnessed the degradation of Alfred Dreyfus will ever forget, as long as he lives, the terrible emotions that beset my friends so often pressed me AT THE SECRET THE DREYFUS CASE A Complete and Graphic Story of the Famous Trial. CONVICTED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS oe cE COURT-MARTIAL, morning of October 14 he received at home, a luxurious apartment near the Tro- cadero, a summons to attend at the minis- try on the following morning. He left home to go to the ministry, in consequence, on the morning of October 15, and was not seen or heard of again until the news of his arrest was made public on November 1. |, On that morning of October 14, on which Alfred Dreyfus received the summons to the ministry of war, Maj. Forzinetti, gov- ernor of the military prison known as the Prison du Cherche-Mid!, situated in the street of that narie in Paris, also received @ communication from the ministry of war. In this letter he was informed that on the Reopening the Case. In answer to these alleged proofs of Dreyfus’ guilt, one of the friends of the prisoner, Berrard Lazare, a writer of great distinction, published a small pam- phiet in Brussels, entitled “A Judicial Error. Truth on the Dreyfus Affair,” speaks. Then up rises Maj. Brieset, government commissary. Reading from a paper which he holds in his hand, he says: ‘In virtue of article 113 Reasons That Are Adduced for Be- lieving in His Innocence. following morning at 7 o'clock a staff offi- cer would call upon him with instructions of a highly confidential nature. At 7 o’clock the next morning Lieut. Col. boville pre- sented himself at the prison and handed Major Forzinett! an order, dated October 14, informing him that in the course of the morning Capt. Alfred Dreyfus of the 14th which was scattered broadcast over Eu- rope and America. In this pamphlet it was deniec that the writing of the bor- dereau was that of Alfred Dreyfus, ana it was pointea out in detail that it would have been impossible for the prisoner to obtain any one of the documents referred to in the list. ness in providing the, to you, literary feasts, and suggest to your guest that she take her pick of all that the family library, contains, and then—well, then cumes the disillusionment. Never while that woman is in your house do you catch her with a book or paper in her hand. Days when you run short of A second pamphlet followed | amusements for her she wanders almicssly THREE YEARS OF HISTORY | Set star corps, sccased ot thet caeeene tn the spring of 1807. in which M. Lazare | Shout from room to room: is plaiaiy ae, high treason, would be delivered into his declared most emphatically that the Ger- | spondent over bad weather and fers all et ! Gpecial Corzespondence of Fhe Evening Star. (Copyright, 1898, by 8. 8. McClure Co.) PARIS, January 10, 1898. N OCTOBER 28, 184, M. Edouard Drumont, editor of the Jew-baiting news- paper, La Libre Par- ole of Paris, received an anonymous letter announcing that an officer of Jewish race had been arrested for crstody, and that he was personally re- sponsible for his safe keeping. A Dramatic Arrest. Meanwhile Alfred Dreyfus had presented himself at the ministry of war, where he was received by Maj. du Paty de Clam. “I am very glad to see my dear com- rade,” said the major. ‘We will go out to- gether directly, and I will then tell you what I have asked you to come here for. Just now I am very busy. 80 would you be so good as to take down a letter which I will dictate to you, whilst I am sorting these papers? It is a letter to Gen. de Boisdeffre about some documents which he man embassy never had the bordereau in its possession, and consequently none of the documents mentioned in it either: that no German attache ever wrote the alleged letter to an Italian attache, and that both bordereau and letter were the work of a forger. In view of the recent endeavor on the part of the friends of Alfred Dreyfus to establish that the act of treachery im- plied by the bordereau was committed by another officer, Maj. Esterhazy, on the ground that the writing of the document is !dentical with his ordinary penmanship, this statement 1s, for the purposes of Dre. fus’ defense, somewhat unfortunate. Meanwhile, howcver, a man of approved ronor and of some social and volitical standing, M. Scheurer-Kestner, vice presi- your hospitable instincts on edge by the ill-concealed fact that she is bored. “Oh!” you sigh. “If she would only read, Just to see her fifteeen minuics of the cay, with her eves fastened intcrestedly upon some bit of printed matter. A taste for reading inay be as surely cul- tivated as any other taste, and a healthy, appetite for good literature ie as necessary * for mental nourishment as good food is for physical well-being. To get right to the root of the ma’ the reading habit needs to be cultivate the nursery. As soon as children are able to pick out the words in their primers they, ler that more en- ys and gim- dent of the senate, had gradually come to | cracks that clutter up the play room. NO high treason. OM | has asked me for.” disbelieve in the guilt of Alfred Dreyfus, | need to make bookworms of them, but @ the 20th an ambigu-| “Tnore were three other people in the ving at last reached the conviction | tactful mother may implant the reading ous note appeared in| rcom, all strangers to Alfred Dreyfus, and terrible judicial error had been | idea into the juvenile mind and so care= thet journal ssking |" a committed, devoted himself body and soul | fully nurture it that In after years it will a @ circumstance which only struck the to its reparation. be: tellectual f f incalculable bene- > if it were true that| prisoner afterward—certain mirrors’ had Hejvilted the expatelebo hadasale an important arrest had recently taken been so arranged that every movement of against Dreyfus, and heard the opinions of | Laziness is usually the foundation for the place. This set everybody talking, for in - eee could be seen by everybody humerous other experts on the writing | childish request, “Please read to me,” pro- France anything concerning the army is| PISS os soa and took up @ pen of the bordereau. At last one day some | vided the youthful petitioner is able to read considered of paramount importance. The Pe Althow wildest stories were afloat. Many declared the story to be the pure invention of the polemica! journal. Excitement in Paris was at fever pitch when, on November 2, the name of the officer whe had been arrested was made public. It was then learned for the first time, although his arrest dated from Oc- tober 14, that Captain Alfred Dreyfus of the I4th Regiment of Artillery was the man charged with the terrible crime of high treason. On the previous day a cabti- t council had been held under the presi- dency of M. Charles Dupuy, at the minis- try of the interior, in the course of which Generel Mercier had informed the govern- t that he had given orders to the milf- governor of Paris to make an inquiry to the conduct of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was accused of having supplied infor- mation concerning documents of a confi- ential nature, belonging to the ministry of war. At that time it was currently reported that the foreign government with which Dreyfus had trafficked wes the Italian government, and though since then it has been stated and is generally accepted that it was with Germany that these dealings took place, no actual informatién on the subject has ever been given. From the very beginning, and with one exception only, a policy of absolute secrecy has been observed by the successive French minis- tries, for, as M. Meline pointed out at the senate on December 7 of this year, any indiscretion on this subject might entail the gravest consequences on the nation. Dreyfas’ Personal History. Alfred Dreyfus was the son of a rich spinner of Mulhouse, who in 1871 had de- clared for French nationality. The milt at the time of Alfred's arrest was being worked by Mathieu Dreyfus, bis brother, who bas been so actively employed of late in endeavoring to establish his broth- ers innocence. He wi born October 9, 1859, and entered the Ecole Polytechnique in 1878. He afterward attended the mili- tary school at Fontainebleau, and in 1882 | was appointed second lieutenant of artil- lery. In 1887 he entered the Ecole Supe- rieure de la Guerre with excellent marks and passed his examination for a cap- taincy !n 1889. He was then appointed stagiary in the second bureau of the gen- eral staff corps, a position of great trust, for the purpose and work of this bureau The major began to dictate: “Although I have had no news from ycu to the effect that you wish to see me, I nevertheless send y zome information of in- sii ele en Then, interrupting himself suddenly, he cried out: “Write properly, my good fellow. What is the matter with you? Your hand seems to shake.” “My fingers are cold,” said Dreyfus. “Be very careful,” said the major. “This is a very serious business.” Then be con- tinued his dictation as follows: “First a note on the hydraulic brake 120. How it worked when experiments were made. “Secondly, a note concerning the cover- ing forces. Several modifications will be made by the new plan. “Thirdly, a note relative to alterations in the formations of artillery corps. “Fourthly, a note relating to Mada- gascar. “Fifthly, the draft of a manual of artil- lery field practice, March 14, 1894. “This last document is extremely diffi- cult to procure and I can only have it at my disposal fer very few days. ie min- ister has sent a certain number of copies to the different regiments and the regi- ments are responsible for them. Every officer who has a copy has to return it after the maneuvers. 80, if you wish to make guch extracts from it as may inter- est you, I will procure you a copy, subject to your | ome to return it to me as soon as you have done with it. Perhaps, how- ever, you would prefer that I should copy it out word fo* word and send you the copy. e am just starting for the maneuvers.” This jetter gave the exact text of the famous bordereau, or list of documents, on which, as far as the public knows, Alfred Dreyfus was tried pnd convicted. Accord- ing to the most accredited version—the real facts of the case never have been and never will be made known—this bordereau came into. be hénds of the government in this way: An agent of the military secret serv- ice, disguised as a ragpicker, who was in the habit of collecting the waste paper thrown oyt into the street by the servants at the ‘rman embassy, discovered it amongst this refuse. It was written on buff-colored paper and had been torn into four pieces. The writing closely resembled hat of Alfred Dreyfus and was pronounced yy two experts to be in his writing, whilst another expert commissioned by the gov- qrnment declared the contrary. According to the friends of Alfred Dreyfus this docu- ment was not written by him. On the other hand, it is pointed out that very probably THE PUBLIC DEGRADATION OF DREYFUS. of the code of military justice, and con- sidering that the publicity of this trial would be dangerous to public order, I call upon the court to order that this trial shall take place with closed doors.” A Dramatic Beginning. Maitre Demange leaps to his feet and protests violently. He has been prepared for this demand, and holds in his hand a long list of objections, which he reads out in an excited manner, with violent gestures. He 1s allowed to proceed until he reaches the following consideration: “Considering that, as a matter of fact and in regard to the charges made against Capt. Dreyfus, the one and only document which is to fig- ure in the trial—” Here Col. Maurel imperiously interferes: “I have to remind the defending counsel,” he says, “that he has no right to make any allusion to any single document in ques- tion.” Meanwhile Dreyfus, apparently indifter- ent to all this squabbling, is watching the rain as it falls in torrents past the win- dows opposite the dock. Maitre Demange begins again, and is again checked when he refers to the one and only document. “I forbid you to continue,” commands ‘ol. Maurel. A violent discussion ensues, I which the suave dialectic of the advo- cate contrasts strongly with the rough and harsh efaculations of the soldiers. An end 1g put to the discussion by Col. Maurel, who rises and says: ‘he court will deliber- ate,” and walks out, followed in order of rank by his associates. A quarter of an hour passeg.~ Dreyfus remains indifferent, staring at the rain. His counsel appears in great distress. A command rings out, “Garde a vous! Portez armes! Presentez armes!” and one by one the members of the court return. In a sharp tone Col. Maurel announces that, by order of the court, and in virtue even the most callous spectator or the most wrathful patriot during the ten long, long minutes which that ceremony lasted. On the morningief January 4 Alfred Drey- fus was told to! put on, instead of the civilian clothes which he had been wearing in his cell, a captain’s.full uniform, which had been specially prepared for the occa- sion. The lace on the oap, the red seams on the trousers, the buttons and trimmings on the tunic had been unfastened and stitched on again, strongly enough’ to keep in place, and yet so loosely that: they could easily be torn off. A sword was handed him in {ts scabbard and he was bidden to buckle {t round his waist. This sword had been filed on each side about half way down the blade. At 7:20 Maj. Forzinetti took leave of him and handed him over to the care of Capt. Lebrun-Renaut of the republican guard, who had come to take him to the place of execution under a strong escort of gendarmes. In the reception ward of the Cherche-Midi prison the gendarmes began to search the prisone: “Is this necessary a sad smile. “It 1s the order.” The search having been finished, the gendarmes produced a pair of handcuffs. Dreyfus drew back. “‘Is it the order also, he asked with a momentary burst of indig- nation, “to put these machines on me?” Declared His Innocence. The captain gave @ sign, and the prisoner was handcuffed. ‘Thus shackled, the pris- oner turned to the officer, and, looking him full in the face, said: ‘You see, captain, all this lace has been unsewn and only hangs by a thread, so are the buttons and so are the seams of the trousers. May I ask you to beg the adjutant to make a quick job of it, when we get there? They can tear all these clothes up, if they like. This uniform will serve me no longer.” The captain made no answer, and Dre fus continued in the same firm, calm voice: e, captain, said Dreffus, with its limits: cent man! “You are degrading an inno- Vive la France!” An immense cry from the people without answers his frantic protestation. “Death! Death! To Satory with the traitor! Down with the ’ His belt is next torn from him, and the innocent sword is wrenched from its scabbard. The executioner seizes it in both hands and across his bended knee snaps the steel that asked but to fight for 1 France. O, in that moment, worse than the gasp of death, how every fiber in the frame of that unhappy man must have clamored out for an execution real indeed, not feigned— for the leveled rifles, the open grave and the salute that soldiers pay to the comrade fallen even thus. That would have been death with honor after death; this was | punishment worse than death, and with it deepest degradation. The broken sword is flung down and stamped upon, and then upon the heap of nameless litter which was once a soldier's pride, the belt and empty scabbard are tossed contemptuously. The artillerymen step up, and under this escort Dreyfus, lamentable, grotesque in his de- faced accoutrement, is marched round so that each soldier may raise his hanging head and see how a traitor shows. On Devil's Island. The Devil's Island is the smallest of the three Isles du Salut, which are situated about twelve leagues from Cayenne, and eight from the mainland of French Guiana. Of these the Devil’s Island is the most northern and also the most healthy, for the wind that blows over it always comes from the sea and is pure. It has for many years past been used, as occasion arose, for the detention of political prisoners. Dreyfus spends his days in absolute si- lence. His warders may never speak to him on any pretense. He is watched day of the writing of Maj. Esterhazy was laid before him.eIt appeared to be iden- tical with that of the bordereau, and it Was apparently on the supposition that the letters of Esterhazy and the list of documents had been written by one and the same person that the senator decided that Dreyfus must be innocent; that the real culprit was Maj. Esterhazy. He ac- cordingly called on the prime minister with his documents, and pointed out that they clearly proved that Dreyfus was not the author of the bordereau. M. Meline told him that the government had no power to reopen the case, and that he must take his papers and make his application to the minister of justic The same answer was given him by Gen. Billot, the minister of war. Meanwhile the relatives of Alfred Dreyfus had learned what was the conclu- sion at which M. Scheurer-Kestner had arrived and had examined the letters writ- ten by Maj. Esterhazy which were in his Possession. Accusation of Esterhasy. Expert evidence was taken on the sub- ject, and the result was that on November 15 Mathieu Dreyfus, the brother cf the convict, addressed a letter, formally ac- cusing Maj. Esterhazy of th: crime of which his brother had been convicted, to the minister of war. Simultaneously with the publication of this’ letter, various ~papers which have cu- sation leveled against him. Amongst other things it was stated that he had left the country. ‘This was inexact, for on the morning of the day on which Mathieu Dreyfus’ letter was made public the major walked into the office of the Agence Havas, the Paris news agency, and handed in a copy of the letter which he had addressed to the minister of war on hear‘ng of the charges brought against him. It ran as follows: “PARIS, November 16, 1897. “Monsieur le Ministre: I read in the pa- pers of this morning the infamous accusa- tion which has been brought against me. “I beg you to institute an inquiry and I hold myself in readiness to answer each and every charge that may be madgagainst me. ESTERHAZY.” Charges and Counter Charges. Hereupon followed in the various papers such a Journalistic Walpurg's night as can be seen nowhere outside the limits of Paris. ‘i 3 “I am looking you full in the fa: The wildest stori C rinted with all fs to collect information cohcerning for- : of article 113 of the military code, the room ig je wildest stories were pr wi eign armies by any and every means. In| ‘Mis dgcument was only the pretense on | Of article 133 oy tne tay Ode eee oan | as you see, and if I dare to do that it is serlousness. In an interview with one other words, the second bureau is the | #iich Dreviue was tricd—that Js to say, a8 | Your duty,” he commands, “and let sentries | Yecause 1 am Innocent. My sentence is the headquarters of the French military se- far as the public is allowed to know—and so be placed that nothing that is said in greatest crime of which this century has journalist the major declared that, thanks % sibly have been manufactured by ” been guilty. But that will be seen in three to a mysterious veiled woman, who had as- cret service. It organizes military mis- | ™@¥_pos: this room can be heard.” The guards ad- | > von § sions abroad. It purchases the reports of pater mer Paitin foie = Lerecp d in two minutes the court is| ¥e#rs. I have relations who will make this signed him a meeting near the trocadero, jen spies. fhis service has never rei the development that characterize: other countries. The French mi war only disposes of an annual % for the whole requirements of a ¢ in which, more than any other, y is essential. Germany, on the other applies to her secret military ser- vice the entire revenues of the kingdom of Hanover, which exceed $2,000,000. The or- wanization of the second bureau is kept profoundly secret, and no reliable informa- tion of its methods and resources is any- where obtainable. A book of 310 pages, purporting to describe the system of mili- tary spying as practiced in France, was published in December of this year. It Was written by a French military officer, but contains nothing but generalities. The fact that Dreyfus, if guilty, might if he escaped revenge himself by reveal- ing to a foreign government the workings and methods, as well as the names of the agents of this second bureau, to which be was attached, is one of the reasons why he is being so closely guarded and ex- plains the greater severity of his treat- ment as compared ‘to that of Adjutant Chatelain, who is not possessed of infor- mation so dangerous. No Motive Shown. No valid motive why Dreyfus should have committed these acts of treachery Was put forward at the time of the arrest, or ever has been since. He was a man of considerable private means. His own pri- Yate income exceeded $10,000 a year, and bis wife, the daughter of one of the richest diamond merchants in Paris, had a lerge fortune of her own. Indeed, at the time of Fer husband's arrest, Mme. Dreyfus had a sum of $80,000 lying at her banker's waiting for investment. On the other hand, Alfred Dreyfus was not a spendthrift. He was passionately devoted to his wife and chil- dren, and had no liaison outside his family circle. He was not a gambler, but a man of steady habits, who returned home Girectly his work was over. The only lux- ury that he allowed himself was his stable. He had some beautiful horses. At school, as in the army, he wi reputed a hard worker. He was never very popular with his comrades, who accused him of haughty menners. Since bis arrest many charges was known to be guilty on superabundant evidence. But as I have already sald, noth- ing definite is known and never will be known, because of the gravity of the in- terests invelved. Suicide Suggested to Dreyfus. When Maj. du Paty de Clam had finished dictating this letter, he made some excuse for leaving the room with the three persons who were with him, leaving Dreyfus alone. It was then for the first time that Dreyfus noticed that by his side, under some papers, there lay a large army revolver loaded in each of the six chambers. It has since transpired that this weapon had been left there on purpose by the commander, so that ‘the accused man, if he chose, might put a summary end to the inquiry.” About half 2n hour elapsed and then the door was flung open and M. Cochefert, head of the detective police, marched in, followed by Commander Henry of the second bureau. M. Cochefert walked up to Dreyfus and placed his hard on his shoulder, erying, “In the name of the law.” “But why?” cried Capt. Dreyfus. “What am I accused of? “You know very well,” cried Maj. du Paty de Clam, who had also entered. “The emotion which you displayed just now when I was dictating that letter to you is quite enough proof of that.” “I swear to you that I do not understand | what you mean,” cried Dreyfus. “Go to. It is useless for you to fight against the evidence. Your treachery has been discovered. “In the name of the law,” cried M. Coahe- fert, “I arrest you, Alfred Dreyfus, for the crime of high treason.” ‘Thereupon the head of the police handed the accused man over to the custody of Commander Henry to be conveyed to the Cherche-Midi prison. Before the Trial. From the day of his arrest until the day of his trial Alfred Dreyfus was kept in the most rigorous confinement. He was not allowed either to read or write. Maitre Dumange was allowed to see his client on December 6, and from that date on has never wavered in an absolute be- lief in the captain's innocence. He stated, cleared. The Secret Hearing. Col. Maurel’s orders were most effective- ly carried out. Nobody was allowed within the building, nobody was allowed to loiter in the street. On the last day of the trial the court opens at 1, and from that hour until 5:30, with only one short interval, Maitre Demange speaks in his defense. At 6:30 it is understood that the court is con- sidering its verdict. About the same time Dreyfus 1s seen coming down the steps which lead from the court room to his place of detention. His face is very red, apoplectic almost; he does not seem master of himself and hops from step to step like man who has no control of his limbs. ne public is now at last admitted to the court room, gloomier than ever under the yellow flicker of the gas jets. It is empty, gave where on the bench beneath the dock Maitre Demange, with his head in his hands, presents the picture of emotion and fatigue. On the green table are several magnifying glasses, whigh would tend to show that the question of identity of hand- writing was one of the important consider- ations of the court. At 7 o'clock the olatter of an electric bell is heard. It {gs over. The court-martial, after deliberating for two hours, has found its verdict. Maitre Demange draws him- self up. He alone will receive the verdict, The prisoner by military law will not hear it until afterward by the votoe of the clerk of the court. Col. Maurel holds a paper in his hand from which he reads judgment as follows, in a short, commanding voice: “In the name of the French people. ere °F member of the court raises hand to his cap and gives the miiit salute. “The first court-martial of the military vernment of Paris was assembled this y, December 22, 1804, deliberating with clpged doors. z “The president placed the following ques- tion before the court aeoe Dreyfus, Al- fred, captain in the 14th Regiment of Artil- lery, stagiary of the staff corps, attached to the ministry of war, is he guilty of hav- ing, in 1894, procured for a foreign power a certain number of secret documents con- cerning the national defense, and of hav- their business and who will succeed in proving my innocence. Then people will ve very sorry for what they make me suffer today.” A} twenty minutes to 8 the mournful pro- cession started from the prison. At the head rode two republican guards holding Jcaded revolvers. Then came mounted gendarmas. Behind these was Capt. Le- brun-Renaut, immediately preceding the black prison van In which the prisoner was confined, and whicn, for display, was drawn by four horses. On either side of the prison van rode gendarmes, and a troop of horse- men followed immediately behind it. Rage of the Populace. In this array Dreyfus was taken to the Ecole Militaire, where he was confined in @ guard room under the charge of Capt. Lebrun-Renaut. Cries of “To Satory! Death to the traitor! To the river with the traitor!” had greeted the appearance of the prison van as it issued from the prison gates, and with similar cries was it fol- lowed on all its course. In the guard room at the Eoole Militaire some conversatign ensued between Capt. Lebrun-Renaut afid hig, prisoner. “Did you neve: fthink of committing sui- is?” asked the captain, as a civilian. ed. 5 I had no right to’ kill myself. in three years, wien Justice is done me.” “So you are inngcent? “Come, captain; listen to me. They §ng &-paper in the waste basket of some Pe bassy, which speaks of the sending of fo’ documents. This‘paper is submitted to rts. Three of poctment is in my Ww) a it is not in rAy watts. on gael: ‘evidence that I ti Be foe: one tered the polyteckinic *school at eighteen. At that time I had a ificent military gareer before mejm fottune of $100,000 and the Bro et of inedine of $10, a year besides, I never a debauchee. I uaye never touched a card in my life. Accord- ingly, I never was in want of money. iy ghould I turn traitor? For money? No. ‘Well, then, for what reason?” At o'clock four artillery soldiers en- Maitre Memange. and night, and the orders of his guardians are to shoot him should he make the slight- est attempt to escape. He passes his time in reading books and magazines sent him from France. He is not allowed to see the papers. He writes long letters full of affection to his wife and children. He is allowed to recetve letters from Mme. Dreyfus, but nothing be- yond family news ts allowed to pass. Thus it appears that he {s still in ignorance of the valiant efforts which his friends have been making of late to establish his inno- cence. His letters contain no reference to his surroundings or life, but are full of re- iterations of his innocence, of tender en- couragement to his unfortunate wife. Inspired Articles. There appeared in September of last year two articles in leading Perisian papers, which, it could be seen, were oMcially in- spired, and which were attributed to Gen. Mercier’s own instigation, their object be- ing to put a stop, once and for all, to the doubts of the public. These articles con- tained an account of the bordereay, a fac- simile of which was published, and the de- sortption of the manner in’ which it had come into the hands of the French au- thorities. purehased of the sweepers of the embazsy, ing in consequence practiced machinations | tered the guard room. whose duty it was to destroy all such pa- of extravagance have been made against | on leaving the prison, that Dreyfus “had f having entertained intelligences with | “These men have ‘cou; tectives em- him. but not one of these has ever been | denied the accusation without ceasing, | this power or ite aoeees ce eee iit | said Capt Lenrun-Rer Dye couple a 00 proved. It has since transpired that for some time previous to his arrest, in consequence of a constant “leakage” of documents which had been noticed at the second bureau, Dreyfus had been under the sus- picion of his chiefs. This suspicion must He derfies having written the note, which is the document on which the accusation is based.” It is worthy of note that, as far as Maitre Demange knew, the bordereau was the only document on which these proceedings were taken. commit acts of hostility or to undertake warfare against France, or of having pro- cured it the means to so? “The votes of the court paris is is hg wit he low: ie low- rgreelding havin @ enswer was word “monstieur,” w! Sayer a Sen 1 ready to follow them. But, looking you full in the face, I repeat to you that I am necent.' rs by Flere oy the seo ing of this he was in possession of a document which established definitely that he was the desi rated victim of a huge conspiracy organiz- ed by e Jews to liberate their fellow- religionary at the sacrifice of himself. Meanwhile, to force public opinion in the direction indicated by Mathieu Dreyfus’ letter, one of the papers which has espous- ed the cause of Alfred Dreyfus, published, side by side, letters from Maj. iterhazy, written before and after the publication of the berdereau, the bordereau itself, and letters written by Alfred Dreyfus. It was insisted upon that there was a striking dif- ference in the writing of the letters which had been penned by the major, before the bordereau was published in facsimile (that is to say, in 1806), and afterwards, the im- plication being that the major had pur- posely changed his handwriting so as to avoid detection. On this followed the pub- Keation in facsimile of a number of let- ters written by Maj. Esterhazy to a lady in 1884, In which he expresses himself in terms of great hatred for the French na- tion and for the French army and its of- ficers in particular; the implication being naturally that a man who was animated with such sentiments might very easily be ity from motives of revenge of the acts of treachery of which Dreyfus was convic: ed. As the result of all these attacks the major wrote to the minister of war ing that, as his honor w: tacked, he might be tried by court-martial. Some days later it was announced that the military authorities had decided that the “affair of Major Esterhazy” should be investigated. ‘The result of this investigation will either be that the major will be sent before a court to answer charges which have yet to be formulated, or that the offi- investigating will declare that there is ceipt of this letter the report come by ane that Esterhazy has been acquitted.— , ‘The Government's Attitude. In the meanwhile, both in the chamber to himself. The same obliging grandmother or gracious aunt who is always ready to do the youngsters’ bidding in this cirection is also responsible for the fad of spinnin nursery yarns to listeners who are ol enough and schooled enough to cull their own tales from books. When there is no personal application on the child's part how can there be any men- tal stimulus? No wonder we find so many insipid, vacillating minds amonget grown- ups when we remember how little thought concentration is exacted from the average child. There would be fewer restless men an@ certainly fewer disvontented wosuen if the reading habit was made a feature of nure- ery training. Fortunate is the man or woman who hap discovered in books that world which will widen the most contracted sphere and giorify ihe most commonplace existence: A Queer New England Betrothal. From the Youth's Companion, Hawthorne found romance on the shores of old New England, and there ts 2 good deal of it unminded In the modern life of the Yankees. The following story of love and marriage, strange as it may seem, is known to the writer to be true: Years ago a summer boarder at a cot- tage on a point of land which formed the, protecting arm of the harbor of a fishing town in Massachusetts was shown a girl baby only a few months old. He looked at the babe and admired, then said to the mother: “Will you give me that babe for my wife?” The mother had known the young man for several summers; she lik; him, and therefore answered promptly, “Yes.” “Will you promise never to tell her that selected me as her husband?” Ve: The conditions of the singular betrothal were observed. The girl baby grew up, and summer after summer the young man ccurted her. When she was eighteen he and not till then did she know been betrothed to her h band while in her cradle. Can old romance be more romantic than this story of a New England fishing town? cca eae Some Accidental Effects in Eapressios From Life. The 1 was closed at last, and Degrada' Ceremony. Ear become a certainty when. on October | om Wetneniag: December Wh. Ahi bee “As the clock mankod 848 Gon. Darras, was detac! ym the min! f brought tried = = a * War and appointed to service in the Soth mater The He eres for the Pert mounted on a spiendid chestnut horse, rode Regiment at the Ecole Militaire, for, as | military district are held in the into the square, attended by Col. Fayot, a stated, a period of three months. On the bi of the conseli de guerre, which is j captain, adjutant and two ané