Issue of the Chicago American Reporting on the Assassination Attempt on Alfred Dreyfus on June 4, 1908, during the Transfer of Émile Zola’s Remains from the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris to the Pantheon in the City. June 4, 1908. Headline: “DREYFUS SHOT BY ASSASSIN! His Assailant Editor Gregori Wounded by Saber”.
The two-page issue is entirely dedicated to the assassination attempt on Dreyfus. On the left, there is a photograph of Dreyfus and an illustration showing a man in a top hat shooting at Dreyfus. The subheadline reports: “Dreyfus, famous French soldier, shot at Zola’s burial, the man who brought about his exoneration.” The second page features a timeline of Dreyfus’s life, ending with the entry “June 4, 1908: Shot by Gregori.” The newspaper reports that Dreyfus was shot twice during Zola’s burial ceremony at the Pantheon, and that the assassination occurred after a night of anti-Semitic speeches across France. Dreyfus was injured in the attempt, and riots erupted immediately afterward. On the back of the issue is the famous photograph of Dreyfus receiving the Legion of Honor after his exoneration, along with a lengthy article about Émile Zola.
On June 4, 1908, Zola’s remains (who died in 1902, with some claiming he was murdered) were transferred to the Pantheon in Paris. During the ceremony, a disgruntled journalist named Louis Gregori attempted to shoot Dreyfus. Gregori declared that he not only wanted to disrupt the ceremony of “the two traitors” Dreyfus and Zola but also to reopen the case. Dreyfus was slightly injured in his hand, and Gregori was acquitted after a swift trial. (During World War I, Dreyfus re-enlisted in the army. Apart from Paty, he was the only officer involved in the affair to participate in the war. Among other things, he took part in the liberation of his homeland, Alsace. He passed away in 1935.)
2 pages. (Complete issue). 53 cm. Tears along the edges of the issue with text damage in two lines in the middle of the lower part. Fragile paper. Creases. Moderate condition.
