The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-03-26 00:00:00

THE TRIAL OF PRINCE PIERRE
BONAPARTE.

The following extract is from a sketch of the trial of
Prince Pierre Bonaparte, by the Special Correspon-
dent of the Daily News :

After administering the oath to the jury, 31. Glaudaz, Presi-
dent of the Court, addresses them from his seat. The
eloquence of this high official of State does not seem extra-
ordinary to an English our, and his manner of speaking
cannot be effective with any audience. A habit of error, no
to speak, pervades it. The President reads his discourse, but
this precaution does not save him from continual mistakes,
of amagnltude sometimes which require the instant C rrection
of the council on either side. No one could look at the
resolved and striking face of M. Glaudnz without recognising
the evidence of great power therein, but, either front affecta-
tion or carelessness, he seems, in his prelinlinary speech, to
be very much hehindhand in his study of the case. 'That this
was not really the fact was proved wh-n the wit nest-es came
to be examined ; but I cannot compliment the President on
the manlier of his charge. The matter was of better
sts if. After a long and aide vindication of that exceptional
tribunal over which he presided by right of seniority, M.
Glaudaz warned the jury to beware of the impulsen of political
feeling either one way or the other, and more especially
desired them to guard against the generous feeling which
would judge a prince more severely than a private individual.
" If your sympathies go beyoud what is lust," he said, "they
become dangerous, not only to the accused, but to that
society whose interr sin are equally confided to you. What
we have to pursue here lathe truth, all the truth, and nothing
but the truth." Thereupon the acts d'aczusation. which re-
corrals facts known to every one amongyour readers, is recited
by the gregier. it tells how 11. Pascal Grousset took offence at
a letter of Prince Pierre's inserted Its the A velar de la Corse,
and sent Victor Noir and Ulric de Fouvielle to Auteuil
' with a &Ohne° to the writer ; how this gentleman eccom-
ponied his friends to the house where they were to deliver
the cartel, and welted iii the street for their return ; how,
according to the account of the sarvivor. Fonvielle, the
Prince receiteil them aPh insult, and struck Victor Noir
upon the cheek; how he followed up this intolerable affrold
with a pistol shot which mortally wounded hair; how he
fired two balls at Fouvielle himself, which the latter escaped
With difficulty. It contained also the very different account
which the Prince gives of the same transaction; that he
raised no hand against F.ioir, but was, on the contrary,
assaulted by the latter, and fired, under what is emsldered
In France a provocation more than sufficient. As regards
Fonvielle, the accused declares that he used his arm in eel(
defence against a man who " brandished " a revolver in his
face. This lathe charge and the counter-charge.
Upon these assertions Prince l'ierre Bonaparte was first
examined, according to the French method of procedure.
Ile had been in Court some time, sitting with his hands
spoil his thighs, and making no sign of interest. Ilia face
was pale as wax, Mel the great torso still as a marble figure.
Now and then a nervous mointehing of the mouth aught be
obeerved, but the eyes were never lifted. When the name of
Rochefort was mentioned, with the Insullieg words attri-
buted to him, he shook his head heavily, but without other
motion. When accused of striking Visitor N elr an impatient
movement of all the body signified his atts idion, but he now
raised his eyes. Nevertheless, before the rule d'aeruvatioa wan
Collehided the Prince was evidently getting weary. This will
hull of Corsica is not a being to support much wait-
ing. yilime Pierre folds his arms unfolds them
' '

hurriedly twists his heavy moustache, Mit subtides naafi;
Into the attitude of patience. ilis temper dots not show
itself even when the President questions him about that
assault he committed In the House of Assembly twenty-two
years ago. Ile expresses regret for his fury on the occasion
lie raises a laugh by the utter scorn with which, in a few
words, he describes Fonvielle as hiding behind a sofa when
he himself, pistol in hand, is trying ro reach him. But the
poor bull, tethered at last, gets ben iblered tinder the search-
ing questions of hl. Gland.. The difference between having
his hand in the pocket where his revolver lies, and having
that hand on the revolver itself, is too much for Prince
Pierre. He gets confused about a key, and at length sits
down, paler than before, and evidently confused.
The plans of the rooms at Auteuil, when the fracas took
place, are distributed. Meanwhile, a few persons around the
box talk with Prince Pien-e, and laugh. Suddenly they re-
collect how grave is the occasion, and assume a serious
aspect. The court rises for half an hour.
At a quarter to three it re•asserubles. M. toidot, Corn-
no ire de Police, is examined. He puts in evidence the
panels of the wall where bullets had struck, the paletot ot
M. Fonvielle, and other articles. The only point worth no-
tice In his evidence is the fact that an original deposition of
Prince Pierre has disappeared, anti a copy occupies its place.
then follows 51. Lallemand, the secretary, who says nothing
in particular. But when the name of M. Ulric tie ion-
virile is called there is Intense excitement. We see
a little man, of forty or thereabouts, force his way
•to the box, a little man, with round forehead,
round eyes, anti a cropped beard covering all his jaw. A
feeble face, amiable enough, but impar con:ire:oat against
that heavy, bull-like jowl in the prisoner's box. M. de
Fonvielle, in a clear voice, repeats his deposition already
mails.. The accused listens awhile with his eyes downcast,
but the colour begins to return to his face When the
President asks why the witness went on a peaceable inter-
view armed as for battle, Fonvi- Ile replies, " i expected to
1111.1 an ordinary being, not an assassin." Then the irritation
of the picador is too much. "the Bonapartes are no
assassins," cries Prince Pierre'; "you know well that the
assassins were always against them." M. lonvielle loses his
di•anity a little—" 1 would never have gone to Auteuil," he
says, " without arms. It was impossible to forget that twee
about to pay a visit to the relative of a Prince who hail
caused a man to be beaten by his servants." Here the
audience broke in with murmurs and laughter. M. Fouvielle
went from had to worse in his confession, and not even the
Irreconcilables could conceal from themselves that their
witness had not the best of it in the minds of the andience
when the prisoner bellowed, In his atrocious accent of Corsica
"That mail ought to be in the dock."
But Pascal Groussetdhe next witriess,who was brought from
the prison of Ste l'elagie to give his experience in toe case,
was, to say the least, net ridiculous. Before one word of his
evidence had reached the listeners the Proeureur General
arose in his place, and threatened the witness with pro-
ceedings if he continued in the tone with which he com-
menced ; it is but just to M. Groussat to observe the he
seemed to care not one tittle for this menace. the Pres' dent,
after a while, repeated with significant firmness the threat of
the Procureurdieneral. '' I know not," he said, "whether
Such ideas and such words as you express are common else-
where, but I cannot and will not have them here." But NI.
Grousset, a handsome, Spanish-looking youth, continued with-
out a sign of fear, and I could not but tnink that the prisoner
liatened to him, insolent and contemptuens as he ails. with
more respect than he had felt fir any speaker hitherto.
However, the end of M. Grousset's evidence, which had
not soy great importance Itself, was hastened by the Pro-
cureur-General, who rose in a tbury, and demanded the
Instant recommittal of this boy—he is but twenty live years
old—to the prison from which they had momentarily Liken
him. After a pause of some moments the Court acceded to
the demand, and, with a careless flirt of his hand, Pascal
Grouvret put himself between the two gendarmes who had
charge of him, and strolled calmly out of court. Perhaps
it may occur to some of the judges, or even to the Procurenr-
General himself, to wonder whether something more profit-
able than a political convict could not be made out of a man
so young, so brave, and so brilliant as Pascal Gronsiet. lilt
occur to none if them to try, so much the worries for France.
With his exit the trial was over for the day.