French military officer (1859–1935) whose central role in the Dreyfus Affair, the most sensational cause célèbre in the final years of the 19th century, thrust him into the international spotlight. Discovering the murky circumstances—the recklessness of the French government in pursuing a speedy conviction, the sloppy procedure of the court-martial—author Emile Zola wrote his famous open letter, “J’Accuse!,” laying bare the entire disgraceful affair. Zola was convicted of libel and fled to England, though he returned to France in time to witness the fall of the government and Dreyfus’s release following an overturned second conviction. ALS in French, signed “A. Dreyfus,” one page, 4.25 x 6.75, October 7 [envelope postmarked 1908]. Dreyfus writes to Monsieur Hemerdinger, sending thanks for an interesting article, which he compares to an article that appeared in Patrie [possibly related to one of the final chapters in the Dreyfus Affair, an attempt on Dreyfus’s life by disgruntled journalist Louis Gregori during a ceremony removing Zola’s ashes to the Panthéon in the previous June]. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed in Dreyfus’s hand. A touch of mild soiling with a few faint spots, otherwise fine condition. RRAuction COA.
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