THE FIRST VISIT TO CAPTAIN DREYFUS ON DEVIL’S ISLAND – front page of The Examiner newspaper, Sunday, December 18, 1898, San Francisco. A rare and moving journalistic account describing a historic visit to Devil’s Island, where the Jewish-French officer Alfred Dreyfus was imprisoned. Extremely rare.
Subheadline: By Dr. Leon Berthaul, who saw and spoke with the most famous prisoner in the world since Napoleon. The French physician Dr. Leon Berthaul visited the prison where Dreyfus was held at the time, after being summoned to examine the medical condition of inmates following a yellow fever outbreak in the area. Upon his return, he reported on the harsh conditions under which Dreyfus was being held, this being one of the only known firsthand accounts of Dreyfus in prison, documented in real time. Berthaul describes Dreyfus’s prison conditions as extremely severe: Dreyfus was chained to his bed at night, permitted only a few hours during the day to enter a tiny enclosure surrounded by a fence so high he could not see the ocean, and was forbidden from speaking to anyone. He describes his health as “poor”: “During our first visit to Dreyfus, we were accompanied by Mr. Verignon, the prison director. We found the prisoner suffering from a liver disease, anemia, and other conditions due to nervous depression and improper nutrition. I felt the prisoner’s pulse and at the same time managed to whisper to him that I would accept a message from him if I could.” At that time, Dreyfus was also experiencing the onset of malarial fever, which the doctor believed could become serious if untreated. However, Berthaul adds: “The spirit of his faith is preserved by belief in the eventual success of the efforts to free him.” And further: “I can say here that the doctors were the only people in the prison who cared whether Dreyfus lived or died, ” he writes. Regarding the surroundings, he adds that a tower with a guard stationed at its top—armed with a cannon – overlooks Devil’s Island to prevent any escape attempts.
At the top right appears a chronology of key events in the Dreyfus Affair up to that time. At the center is an engraved illustration of Dreyfus, captioned:
“Captain Alfred Dreyfus, photographed by the French police immediately after his degradation.” Additional engravings include: Dreyfus’s prison cell, showing an armed guard constantly at his side, captioned: “Dreyfus confined in a hut, with a soldier and sword watching his every move.” The corner of the hut where Dreyfus sleeps. The fortress on Devil’s Island, captioned:
“Walled enclosure in which France’s famous prisoner is confined”
(This refers to the barrier built specifically to prevent Dreyfus from seeing the ocean). The armed watchtower, built to prevent escape
54×41 cm. Front page only – mounted on a hard backing for display and preservation. Slight edge tears. Good condition.
