The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-15 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPT ON TILE LIFE OF THE
EMPEROR OF THE: FRENCH,

ARREST OF A FRENCH REFUGEE.

Yesterday a M. Barnard, a French political refugee,
who is stated to have resided in this country for some
years, was arrested on a warrant procured at the instance
of the Home-office, on a charge of befog concerned with
Orsini and Pierri in the recent attempt made on the lives
of the Emperor and Empress of the French. The arrest
was effected at half-past 10 o'clock yesterday morning at
the lodgings of M. Barnard, No. 10, Park-street, Bays-
water, by Sergeant Williamson, a detective officer, and
police-constable Tinnaci, of the A division, who had been
charged with the execution of the warrant. Tke latter
officer, a young man of Italian descent, W.:13 selected
for his skill as a linguist to aid in the arrest of the pri•
goner, of whom he had been in search for some days past.
On making application to see M. Bernard at his lodgings
yesterday morning they were admitted to an interview
with him without any difficulty. They stated the obj out
andliinnacii produced and read to him
s arrest. He treated the
ofth
their
e warrant errand, and
authorising h
matter in a good-natured way and offered no serious
resistance. Being somewhat en deshabille, however, he
asked permission to go upstairs to his bedroom for the
purpose of changing part of his dress; but the officers
expressed their regret that they could not, consistently
with the duty imposed upon them, allow him to do so ;
and, though he repeatedly urged them to comply
with his request, they still refused, and removed
biro from the house in the dress in which he stood.
On going afterwards to the room in which ho had slept
on the previous night the officers found two revolver
pistols', loaded, and an instrument called a " knuckle
duster," a formidable article, supposed to be of Yankee
origin, and made of brass, which slips easily on to the
four fingers of a man's hand, and having a projecting
surface across the knuckles is calculated in a pugilistic
' encounter to inflict serious injury on the person against
whom it is directed. In a subsequent conversation
which the prisoner had with his Captors he stated that
had they been French instead of English officers he
would have shot them. M. Barnard Was conveyed by
them in a cab direct to Scotland-yard, where he was
kept in close oonfinement daring the whole of yesterday
and last night, and he is to undergo an examination be•
fore a magistrate at Bow-street this (Monday) morning.
It is unusual to confine a prisoner at the head•quarters
of the police in Scotland-yard, but the authorities there
deemed it desirable to depart from the custom in this
case. There is reason to believe that the circumstance
of the arrest was officially communicated to Lord Pal-
oaerston shortly after it was effected.
M. Barnard is about 45 or 50 years of age, and being
it is said an excellent linguist, he has for several year.
past, like many other persons who have sought an asy-
lum in this country from political causes, employed
himself as a teacher of languages during his residence
here. In some quarters he is known by the sobriquet of
Barnard the Clubbiet, from the leading part he took
among a knot of politicians of the ultra-Republican
school who were wont to assemble at a house in
the Rue St. Honore, during the revolutionary
troubles which succeeded the abdication of Louis
Philippe. It is said to have been on this account that
be was obliged to leave the French capital during the
military dictatorship. of General Cavaignac. and since
then he has lived chiefly in England, but at one time
in Spain. When Orsini was in this country M. Bar-
nard was in the habit of accompanying him to the
various places at which he delivered lecture'.

EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONER AT
BOW-STREET THIS DAY.
Great excitement was occasioned this morning in the
neighbourhood of this police court by its being known
that a person had been arrested on a charge of being
implicated in the late attempted assassination of the
Emperor and Empress of the French.
The passages leadingto the Court were densely crowded
by a large number of foreigners, in consequence of it
being expected that the prisoner would be placed at the
bar early in the morning, but such was not the case.
At 11 o'clock Mr. Montague Leverson, a solicitor on
behalf of the prisoner, applied to the magistrate to
ascertain at what hour Dr. Barnard would be placed
before him. Mr. Leverson said he had been to several
police stations during the morning, for the purpose of
having an interview with the prisoner, but had been un-
successful up to the present moment, all knowledge of
the arrest being denied at the places at which
he had made application. Feeling that there
was an attempt being made to mislead him, he had
made up his mind to apply to Sir R. Mayne, and he
therefore hoped his worship would, in the event of
Barnard being placed before him, delay the hearing of
of the case until he (Mr. Leverson) was present.
Mr. Jardine said he would not proceed with the case,
under the circumstances, daring the absence of the
prisoner's solicitor,
Mr. Leverson then left the court.
At half-past one o'clock the prisoner, Simon Barnard,
alas placed at the bar. In stature he is very tall, has
a long visage, with a profusion of hair. He appeared to
be about 53 years of age.
The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Bodkin, on
the part of the Treasury • and Mr. Sleigh appeared for
the prisoner. Sir Richard Mayne and Mr. Greenwood,
solicitors to the Treasury, were also present.
Mr. Bodkin said he appeared on the part of the Secre-
tary of State to prosecute the prisoner for the crime:of
conspiring to assassinate the Emperor of the French.
lie should produaevidence of such a nature as to satisfy
his Worship that the prisoner was, without doubt, one
of the parties who conspired in London, and also that he
was the constant companion of Pierrt and Orsini, now in
custody in France for the offence. lie should re-
quire time to do this, but to-day he should
prove that the prisoner, prior to the attempt in
January, transmitted a pair of pistols to a gentleman in
Paris, and he should also prove in evidence that one of
' those pistols was afterwards found on Pierri, mid the
other on Orsini. Of course many of the witnesses were
at present absent, and it would take time to complete
the case, but of the guilt of the prisoner he should leave
'io doubt. There would be no difficulty, either in law
or in fact, with respect to the legality of the proceedings
against the prisoner.
The first witness called was Jules Francois Grauger,
vho
on
said— lam an inspector of the French police. I
duty near the French Opara-house on the 14th
of Jan., on which occasion the Emperor and Empress
was
visited the theatre. The carriage arrived about forty
minutes past eight in the evening. I instantly noticed
a loud explosion of some combustible near the carriage.
There were throe explosion', and I discovered that
several persons near the carriage had been wounded.
Chevalier Francis Estien said—l am an inspector of
the French police, and was in the Rue Lepelletier on the
14th January last. I took into custody a person named
Pierri—he is in confinement at present in Paris, I had
known him for some years. I was present when he was
searched.
Mr. Sleigh interposed, and said he did not think that
what was found on a person in Paris!wae evidence against
the prisoner.
Mr. Jardine said they must proceed step by step.
Mr. Bodkin--I shall prove everything I have stated.
To witness—What did you find on the prisoner Pierri ?
Witness—This grenade. (The witness here produced
a small wooden box, and took therefrom a hand
grenade, which be handed to Mr. Bodkin.)
Mr. Bodkin—I suppose you have removed the dan.
gerous parts ?
Witness—l have.
Mr. Bodkin—Was it in this state when you found it ?
Witness—No, it was charged with fulminating mer-
cury, and on each of the 25 nipples there was a percus-
sion cap.
Mr. Bodkin—Did you make the examination of the
bomb ?
Witness—No •
Mr. Bodkin—Did you find anything else ?
Witness—Yes. I found a pistol (produced). It was a very
fine revolving pistol of five barrel., which were all loaded
with bald, and capped on each nipple. There was also a
poinard found on Pierri, but I have not got it with me.
I do not know Orsini personally, but I do by sight.
r. Jardine—Was there anything
in the bomb when
you found it .
Witness —Yes, it was loaded,
Mr. Thos. King, 40, Regent-circa; said—l am a clerk
in the employ of tree South-Eastern Railway Company. I
am stationed at the Regent-circus office. I know, the pri-
soner, and have done so for seven years. On the 2d of
January last he came to the company's office and brought
a packet, which appeared like a square Lox, but there
appeared to be something packed on the top. It was
covered with a rough covering. It was ad-
dressed "M. Outreiquin, 27.4 Rue St. Denis,
Paris." I had a conversation with him on that
occasion, in the course of which he told me
the contents of the package. He said it contained two
revolvers, value 12/., and some samples of pitch, which
were of no value. My reason for asking what the
contents were was a usual circumstance with respect
to foreign parcels. When I asked him to sign the
usual declaration, he replied in French—" I think I
had better not do that ; my name is known in Francs
as a proscript, and it might cause detention to the
package. " I did not then insist on the declaration, as
they are more usually confined to money packages, and
I then took his verbal declaration instead of the
written. The prisoner afterwards made some questions
about the departure of certain trains and packets, and I
gave him a list of the departures, and I said,lM Bernard
can you go back to France again, and he replied, " Oh,
no, go back there when the other one comes back
here aga Lit" at the same time pointing his thumb over
his shoulder. I believe there was something mentioned
about our ally, and when he said about going back to
France again, I said I hope that will- be a long time
first ; and then addressing me in French, he
said, " Attendee done mon arni VOll3 verrsz vientot"
There was tricoloured flags flying near the office, and
he ssid, alludieg to the flag, " Votre bon allie." Toe
mvelsetion wholly alluded to the Emperor of the
French. I saw the papers after the attempt bad been
and I afterwards went to the French Embassy
and detailed what had passed at the office.
By Mr. Sleigh--You knew the prisoner perfectly
Roll ?
Witness—Yes, I have known him for the time I have
mentored.
Mr. Sleigh—Has not the prisoner often said, during
the time you have known him, his intention to go back
to France when the Emperor came back ?
Witness—Never. I have never talked to him on
political matters.
Frederick Williamson said—l am one of the detective
officers who took the prisoner into custody yesterday.
I apprehended him at 10, Bark-place, Bayswater, I
found him the ground floor ' • Le was coming in from the
g r len. I intimated to him that I was a police
officer, and that I had a warrant for his ap.
prehension for conspiring, with others, to assassi.
nate the Emperor of the French. Ile said, " Will you
let me walk into my room," I replied "No," and