The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-26 00:00:00

THE TRIAL OF THE ALLEGED
CONSPIRATORS.

(Yaws on OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, THURqDII EVENING.

The trial of the four Italian conspirators came on
this morning. Admission was only to be obtained
by tickets, but these were distributed with reason-
able liberality to those who knew iu what quarter
to apply. Au hour before the judges took their
seats the court was as full as it could well be ; but
there were not so many ladies or distinguished per-
sonages as I have seen on many former occasions.
Fur some reason or other the plot does not excite
much interest here.

K Devienue, the First President of the Imperial
Court, who takes judicial rank next after the Pre-
sident of the Imperial Court, was the presiding
judge. The prosecution was conducted by Pro-
cureur-Geueral Cordouen, assisted by M. Merrell-
leux Duvignau.
The prisoners' counsel were M. Alton for Greco,
K Rouaae for Trabucca, Di. Delpont for Impera-
tori, and M. Colinet d'Aage for Seiaglioni.
K Delpont was selected by Imperatorfs father,
but the other three coursed were assigned by the
court, as the prisoners whom they defend said that
had no knowledge of the French bar and no friends
to advise them.

The prisoners have all a marked Italian type,
and their dark complexions contrasted strikingly
with those of the gendarmes, between two of whom
each prisoner sat in the dock. They have all
black hair, nearly of the same shade. Greco, on his
first appearance, was generally pronounced to be a
remarkably handsome young man. He has abund-
ance of silky black hair, carefully brushed
and parted, a slight black moustache, and tuft
upon the chin, the rest of the face being clean
shaved ; a thin aquiline nose, capacious forehead,
and large flashing eyes. He would make a capital
stage brigand, and reminded me greatly of the late
Mr. Seguin iu Fra Diavolo. Trabucco, the oldest
of the party (he is upwards of 40), is a coarser
looking man than the others ; but he seems to be
a humorist, has a decided ris (-maim, and in the
Course of the day laughed a good dea! himself, and
caused much laughter iu others. Imperatori is a
slim young man, with no particular expression of
countenance, but seems intelligent. Sciaglioui,
the youngest of the baud, looked forlorn,
and less at his ease than the others.
They were all what may be called respectably
dressed, without any appearance either of finery or
foppery, but, with the exception perhaps of Greco,
they could hardly be mistaken for gentlemen. Greco
is a superior looking man to the others. They
were all calm and self possessed. In the body of
the court, between the bench and the wituesses'
bar, and just halfway between the prisoners and
the jury, was the table on which were displayed the
pieces de e.oneictiorri.e., the bombs, gunpowder,
percussion-caps, gun-canes, revolvers, poniards,
which were seized at the prisoners' lodgings, to-
gether with the small black leather bags in which
the arms were concealed. The murderous weapons
were examined with great curiosity by all who are
near enough to approach them.

The proceedings commenced by reading the in-
dictment, which appeared entire and exclusively in
the Daily Neirs of Monday, Feb. 22. The next
thing in the ordinary course of a French trial is to
interrogate the prisoners, and this is always done
by the presiding judge. It has been wrongly stated
that none of the prisoners understand French.
Greco speaks it tolerably well, though indistinctly;
Trabucco with great volubility and confidence, not-
withstanding occasional mistakes ; and Imperator
very well indeed ; Sciaglioni alone does no.;
understand a word. An interpreter was
employed to translate his answers, and explain
the proceedings to him. But although Greco
occasionally made use of the interpreter, it was
assumed that all the prisoners but Sciaglioni knew
French well enough to understand what was going on.
I need not dwell ou the examination of the
prisoners, for in all essential particulars they
admitted everything charged in the. indictment.
Greco in few words, or by affirmative wsls,
responded to the questions of the judge, and with-