The captivity of Captain DREYFUS on Devil's Island.

The captivity of Captain Dreyfus on Devil's Island.

A direct testimony of Dreyfus' daily life on Devil's Island, told by one of his guards.

“I am in the Iles du Salut guarding the famous Dreyfus. »

Extraordinary and poignant set of two signed autograph letters relating to the imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfus deported to the penal colony of Guyana.

The lawyer Henri Rollet sends to his colleague Fernand Labori – lawyer for the Dreyfus family – a letter sent to him from Cayenne on March 1, ¹⁸⁹⁸ by one of his former wards, who became an infantry soldier and guard of the penal colony where Dreyfus is captive.

Rollet suggests to Labori that she transmit to Mme Dreyfus “some fresh news, although indirect, about her unfortunate husband”.

We enclose this precious letter from the guard, in which is detailed the vast system of guarding which surrounds the prisoner and the situation of the convicts.

____________________________________________

Henri ROLLET (1860-1934)

Autograph letter signed to Fernand Labori.

One ½ in-8° page on letterhead from the Workhouse for Young People.

Autograph envelope with stamp and postal marks.

Paris, March 24, 1898.

“My dear friend, I am communicating to you a letter that I have just received from one of my former wards, a marine infantryman, currently in the Salvation Islands. If you believe that it might be pleasant for Mrs. ^Dreyfus to have fresh, albeit indirect, news about her unfortunate husband, I authorize you to share it with her. Please only return this letter to me when you no longer need it. Yours faithfully. »

____________________________________________

A. BLOR

Autograph letter signed to Henri Rollet.

Two pages in-8° (slight loss and restorations).

Ile Royale, undated [handwritten note at the top: the Cayenne stamp on the envelope was dated March ¹ ].

“Sir, I am writing you this little letter to let you know that I am in good health and I think that you are the same.

I changed residence, I am in the Iles du Salut looking after the famous Dreyfus. I promise you that it is well guarded , it is not lost from sight for a single minute; in addition we have just established a new 24-hour shift, which we are taking; we stand guard for 3 to 4 hours during the night, and we are on guard every 2 days. 8 days ago, a small sailboat [sic] having approached too close [sic] to Devil's Island, we fired on it, the boat left and had no flag.

On Devil's Island, there are 14 guards who guard it; every day there is a supervisor who watches him and who is locked up with him. Every day, the penitentiary commander and the medical major go to see him. We get into quite a bit of trouble because there's no fun, that's what's called the real penal colony, the incorrigibles have the chain; their job is to blast rocks; It’s sad to see that . There are some who are just skin and bones .

Sir, I am finishing my letter, because I have too much to tell you about the life of convicts , and what's more, I feel my bowl arriving. I finish the time of my colony, the 3 9 ^re and I hope to be in France at the end of 9 ^re , and I will not forget to visit you. While waiting to see you, I would like to shake a good handshake . All my wishes to Mrs. Rollet. Kiss your little boy for me. Your very devoted servant. A. Blor. »

____________________________________________

Dreyfus was deported to Devil's Island – a dependency of the Cayenne penal colony – in March 1895 to serve a sentence which condemned him to life. He did not leave until June 9, 1899.

Henri Rollet (1860-1934) specialized in juvenile jurisdiction and was the architect of the law on children's courts passed in 1912. Founder of patronage works, he created the Maison de Travail in 1894, under the honorary presidency of François Coppée.