The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-26 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED PLOT TO BLOW UP THE
GERMAN EMBASSY.

In London on Saturday, at the Central Criminal
Court, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, Wm. Woolf, 24,
chemist, and Edward Bondurand, 24, baker, were
again brought up to take their trial on the charge of
"maliciously conspiring together and with cther per-
sons to cause by an explosive substance an explosion
in the United Kit gdom of a nature likely to endanger
life and cause serious injury to property; maliciously
having in their possession an explosive substance with
intent by means thereof to cause serious injury to pro-
perty in the United Kingdom ; and knowingly having
in their possession an explosive substance under such
circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion
that they did not have it in their possession for a law-
ful object, they not showing that they had such explo-
sive substances in their possession for a lawful object."
The Solicitor-General, with whom were Mr. Poland
and Mr. Dankwertz, prosecuted on behalf of the
Crown; Mr. Keith Frith and Mr. Broun appeared for
Bondurand; and the prisoner Wolff was undefended.
M. Albert interpreted the evidence where necessary
for both prisoners, they being very imperfectly
acquainted with the English language.

The learned judge proceeded to sum up to the jury.
He oongratnlated them upon approaching the end of
the trial, which had taken a whole week, but said they
would doubtless not grudge the time and patience they
had bestowed upon it when they considered that the
prisoners were foreigners and Ignorant of English law
and the practice of our Courts. After explaining the
scope and intention of the Act under which the pri-
soners were indicted, the learned judge pointed out
that the prisoners had given their explanation, and it
appeared that they did not attempt to show that the
explosives were legally in their possession ; but their
defence was that the explosive matter in question was
never in their possession at all. He said he thought
there could not be a doubt that in the beginning of
November last a plot was concocted by Louie
Bondurand—the man whose name had been so often
mentioned, and whose conduct, no doubt, deserved
the utmost reprobation—and some other persona,
to cause an explosion at the house of the German
Ambassador. He did not believe that there was an
intention to do mischief to the ambassador or to any
other person, but the horrible project appeared to be
to have an explosion at the house of the auebeaeador,
and then to arrange a plot to prefer a charge againet
stoma innocent man, and by his conviction to obtain
the large reward which they expected would be offered
by the Government for the detection of the perpe-
trators of the crime. If they should be of opinion
that this was the intention of Louis Bondurand, they
would then have to consider whether the evidence was
sufficient to justify them in coming to the conclusion
that the two men before them had a guilty connection
with this plot. He reminded them that it did not
make any difference that an explosion had actually
taken place. If there had been, the offence of
the prisoners would have been a much more serious
one; but if they believed the explosive matter was
in the possession of the prisoners for any illegal pur-
pose this would be quite sufficent to satisfy the pre-
sent indictment. The case against them undoubtedty
depended a great deal upon the evidence given
by Leon Ferrell, and he had no hesitation in telling
them that this man was to all intents and purposes an
accomplice, and, as such, no effect ought to be given
to his evidence unless he received material confirma-
tion from witnesses whose character was untainted.
He thought it right, however to say, that although
Ferrell was certainly a man of bad character, the only
crimes to which he pleaded guilty were desertion from
the army and travelling with false paper, offences
that were no doubt deserving of punishment, but still
were not crimss of violence or crimes of a nefarious
character. The learned judge then directed the
at:ention of the jury to the particulars of the evi-
dence given by Leon Ferrell, and he said that it did
no appear to be disputed that he and Louis Bondurand
and the prisoners had been on the most intimate terms.
In rderence to this matter, however, it should not be
foreotten that Ferroll had undoubtedly gone to the
house of the German Ambassador to give, as he said,
information of what was going on, and that he also
at once made a communication to the police author i•
ties. He then remarked that a plot such as he had
described—to cause an explosion in order to obtain a
reward—was one that could hardly be carried out ex-
cept by the connivance of several persons, and it was
absolutely necessary that several persons should be
engaged on it. His lordship then rarticularly
directed the attention of the jury to the conversetion that tcok place between Woolf and Inspector
Marshall, and he said that even according to the
statement of the prisoner himself he was well aware
that there was some plot in existence, although
his object, no doubt, was to direct suspicien to
other parties. He next referred to the character
of the articles that were discovered in the pail
and the cooking pot, and he said that after the evi-
dence of Colonel Majendie, the Government in-
spector, it appeared to be clear that if the explosive
matter had been ignited the most dangerous conse-
quences must have resulted to passers by at the time,
and it was evident that the persons who were to set
fire to the compound were utterly reckless as to the
result. The learned judge next directed their atten-
tion to the statement of the prisoner Woolf, that the
powder had been placed in the vessels by Louis
Bondurand, but he observed that the evidence of
Colenel Majendie as to the time that would be required
for such a purpose was utterly inconsistent with the
suggestion' and it appeared to be almost impossible
for Louis Bondurand to have done that in the short
period that he was in the room as stated by the ser-
vant girl. His lordship concluded by calling the
attention of the jury to the case affecting mere
particularly the prisoner Edward Bondurand, and he
said that his defence appealed to be that he knew
nothing whatever about the plot, and that all that he
had done was at the bidding of his brother, Louis
Bcndurand.
At the conclusion of the summing up, which lasted
upwards of two hours and a half,
The jury retired to consider their verdict at 12.35.
They returned at 2.15, and in answer to a question
put by them the learned judge explained that if they
considered that the prisoners knew of the existence of
gunpowder in Wolff's house for an unlawful purpose,
they ought to find them guilty.
The jury then retired again at 2.25, and returned
Into court at 5,55, when, in answer to the Clerk of
Arraigns,
The foreman said that eleven of the jury had agreed
—it was understood to a verdict of guilty against
both prisoners—and that there was only one dis-
sentient.
The learned judge said there must be a unanimous
verdict by the whole twelve, and asked if there was
any prospect of their agreeing if he locked them up
till twelve o'clock at night or till Monday morning.
A week of valuable time had already been wasted.
One of the jury replied that there was no prospect
of an agreement if they were locked up for a month.
The learned judge said that under those circum-
stances it would be useleas to put them to further in-
convenience, and the case would have to be tried again
before another jury, and he hoped another judge.
Mr. Poland thought that to press further for a ver-
dict now would be unsatisfactory.
Wolff expostulated against being kept in custody
after the disagreement of the jury, being apparently
under the impression that he ought to be at once
liberated. M. Albert, the interpreter, by order of
the judge, explained to both prisoners that they
would be detained until the trial could be commenced
de novo.
The jury were then discharged.
It was arranged that the trial should come on next
session, and the Court rose.