TRADUCER OF DREYFUS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17177, 22 October 1923, Page 6

TRADUCER OF DREYFUS.

FAMOUS TRIAL RECALLED, j DEATH OF LEADING ACTOR Death has removed one of the principals in the notorious Dreyfus drama, which stirred and excited Europe in the nineties. For three months Major Fernand Esterhazy has been buried in the little parish church of Harpenden, in Hertfordshire, hut. the world remained ignorant of the fact until now. Esterhazy while in the French secret service was the author of the famous document over which the affair arose. J Captain Dreyfus, wrongly convicted of I writing it, was sent, to Devil’s Island nearly thirty years ago. Tt. is history now how the exile was condemned a. second time, how finallv his innocence was established amid national rejoicing, and how Esterhazv. forger and spy. went to England to spend the remainder of Ids life. Few people in the peaceful little village suspected the identity of the man whose name once rang throughout the world, and his body is now mouldering in a grave at present unnamedSeventeen long years have elapsed since Major Esterhazy sought sanctuary on England’s hospitable* shores, there to try and live down his guilty part in one of the most amazing political intrigues in modern history. He never succeeded in doing so. though he cleverly masked his identity from those who wore his neighbours. The passage of the years lias faded none of the vil- j lainy from the role he played in that scandal of scandals. TTo called himself the Count Jean de Voilemertt, but his name was originally Mane Charles Ferdinand AValsin. He added to this in the full flush of his career the name of “Esterhazy.” This he prefixed with the label “Count.” and he tried to suggest a relationship with the princely family of Esterhazy which lias given soldiers and statesmen and ambassadors to Hungary and Austria. * There are three branches of this family, but the elaborate genealogies contain no reference to one which settled in France, according to the betraver’s

claim. Born either in Germany or Alsace. he entered the French Army soon after the Franco-German war of 1870-71. He served in the Tunis expedition in 1884. and in 1888 became a captain. Next he was appointed commandant of the 74th Line Regiment bunrtered in Paris. The crisis in his life occurred while he was in the French secret service-. He was then weak enough to "sell information to Colonel ftchwartzkoDpen, the German mflitarv attache in Paris, who paid him £BO a month. ACTED IN DESPERATION. Discovery threatened him and his accomplice. Colonel Henry, in 1804. In desperation they decided to take advantage of the anti-Semitic agitation then proceeding in France, and •‘plant” the offence on Captain Drey fus, a talented and efficient officer of Jewish origin. It was here that the famous document called the “ bordereau” came into the affair- Jt was a memorandum of secret details of the French artillery, etc-., and was said to have heen found in the overcoat pocket of Colonel Schwarzkoppon. The document was alleged to be in Dreyfus’s handwriting, but it was really a forgery by Esterhazy. Semitic feel hig was aroused against the innocent victim, and in the storm of public anger Dreyfus was tried, convicted, degraded. ami sent to Devil’s TslamC The world had almost forgotten him when, two years later, another little document i urned up which literally sprung a mine in the affair. It consisted, of a suspiciously worded postcard, apparently from the German Embasr-y, and addressed to Major Esterhazy. Colonel Picquart, head of tho French Intelligence Department, who inquired into the matter, was convinced that Esterhazy was the traitor, and not Dreyfus. but Picquart was removed from his post and succeeded by C.'olonel Henry. BROTHER ISSUES CHALLENGE.

Dreyfus’s brother then openly challenged Esterhazy with being the author of the ‘ £ bordereau,” but the major replied that Dreyfus had tried *to imitate his handwriting. Ho claimed a court-martial, which, on January 11, 18P8. solemnly acquitted him of any treachery to France while a “faked” charge was got tfp Colonel Picquart. This Inst atrocity arpused the fierv indignation of Emile Zola, the famous’ novelist. He charged the French Ministers and officers with being in a great conspiracy against an innocent man. Zola was prosecuted. and fled to England. Hot upon this came the discovery that one of the letters in the case had been forged by Colonel Henry, who committed suicide in prison. This burst the entire bubble. The conviction of Dreyfus was quashed. and Major Esterhazy also fled to England, where he openly admitted that lie wrote the "bordereau.” declaring that he did it on the orders of lbs superior officer. General Sanherr. “They are a pack of miserable scoundrels.” he added. “ these great gods of amr who now abandon me in so cowardly a fashion.” He maintained that his object, in writing the ” bordereau ” was to detect the traitor. PLACID LIFE IN ENGLAND. The story of his life in England was told after his death by his wife, a charming French woman. somewhat j younger than he was. "" 1 can only speak of him.’* she related- ‘as T j knew him We lived for a time near . Paddington, and my husband was then engaged in literary work He continned this occupation ns long .as ho ; had strength to sit up in bed and use j a pencil that is to say. until within a j few weeks of his death. From London . we moved to Hertfordshire. as his j health was failing fast. Me took * j small cottage, and when he arrived j there he was nearly dying, but was restored by a doctor of lngh reputation. His literary work, to which he devoted j himself almost night and daw increased j in quantity and financial result.. At length we were able to bhy a larger house, standing in its own j ground, surrounded by a large fruit garden and with an orchard adjoining i if. My husband kept a beautiful horse. He was Tiassionstelv fond of riding, i TTc was a lover of the country and am- j mals above nil. and besides discussing j wit?i his friends political subjects he i would often refer to musical and artistic matters. POLICE GUARD SECRET. About the time the war broke out ' worse, and soon afterwards we sold the horse and thereafter my husband seldom went beyond the garden gate. He preferred to work at night. Usually lie began his writing about half-past ton and worked until three or four j o’clock in the morning, when he went to bed. and did not get up until noon, j He had no means apart from his liter- I ary work. ' The police, it is believed, discovered I the real identity of the “Count ' when I he had to register his name during the war. but. they closely preserved the i secret. His neighbours believed him to i be a, re tired'colonel, for in the hall of ? his house, was a great collection of all j kinds of firearms, and beside them j hung lus old helmet He died, at the j age of about seventv. from pneumonia , following influenza, and was buried* in j the parish churchyard at Harpenden ; by a Roman Catholic priest. There is j nothing to mark, his identity on the | grave, which lies in a .corner of the I • little green enclosure. A