The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-27
From Sharpc's London Magazine.
A DAY IN A FRENCH CRIMINAL
COURT.
BY MISS PARDOE.

BY MISS PARDOE.
\, chanccd, in the autumn of last year,
I ,, be residing in town in the north of France
! during the a>sizcS, became regular reader
uf'hr Gazette DIES Tribunaux, in tho hope of
oaprrhrnding, thanks TO this professional
: s'uly the daily and hourly reports which
were made to me of the proceedings of the
m,aurholv tribunal which had. by the influx
. aryi>i,or, that it occa>ioncd, rendered the or
inarily quiet streets Of our grey old city a
.rnc Of movement and hustle wholly foreign
" their usual aspect, Ny purpose, however.
,orplsrIy failed. With my thoroughly Eng
. ,h notions of a court Of Justice, and the So
. ,,mnity of trial on whose result frequently
hinged the whole future welfare and even
he life, of tcllow-crcature. | was unable to
|. -rcognize as feasible the piquant anecdotes
and startling discrepancies which afforded
infect of conversation at our tea table while
|, le broad and bold columns Of the official
!. ,nrnal afforded me no efficient assistance :;
! 'r even thcSe-although in point of fact
!, ilnd the crime, the accusation, the defence
ant the sentence, all duly rccorded-to the
!. more unprotcSSonal reader, formed by no
!, mean, the most salient or engrossing portions
4 y The report, wherein the compier-like
q certain reviewers, who, in order to manufac-
y .Gre taking article for their own pages,
> arr accustomed to pass over unnoticed the
. more important and solid portions of work,
b AMI to ta>ten upon It's entertaining passages,
u order 10 tighten at once their own labors
d 2rt those of their subscribers-the compiler
=, II was about to say, when INDUCED in the
sS a'oYr interminahle parenthesis) had appar-
! p yently occupied himself rather in weaving
b >Hecles Of LEGAL romance, than in simply
N1tng the broad facts composing the frame
-a work OF the moral tragedy upon which he
sdSa' engaged. To me it appeared strange
b even with all the love of dramatic effect nat
b tai to our Gallican ncighbors, that they
1 ,lould be enabled to dctluce social novel
sniom every trial of any Importance which
iaF came before their courts; and so greatly did
ia Tx wonder increase upon me, that, after
Is n,i'!erablc hesitation, resolved to Judge
b. mr>ef in how far these extraordinary re-
ss TT, were worthy of credence. To do this
f"@er'ualv it was of course necessary to wit
'"'> 'i" passage of some great criminal thro'
q" awful ordeal of human justice-to brace
LAY nerves. and TO resolve to watch, with all
''' philosophy could command, the fearful
!. 7-"''i'ng of foul guilt or outraged innocence
!, WIN the Stnpendous power of legal talent
'' '' I'Gal ingenuity. No petty crime could
\ '''' NE to do this; for in France, as l was
F'I ware trials for minor offences are con-
/ ''r1 with a haste and brevity proportioned
+ .'y'r 'n''@nlfiranre; and accordingly
h '''''' with considerable trepidation the an
'' cH'cht OF one of those more fearful ar
''''n| which involve the penalty of death.
+ ''I"''' 'i''> was not long in coming; and
4 "''' ere the lose of the session, informed
peasant woman, from an adioin-
"d> aoout to take her trial for the
/ "'-''li crime of murder and arson =. and at
\ ',''' ''l'l' assured that no doubt whatever
4 evidence of the proces-verbal, for
L r,l '''''''S examination, )existed of her guilt
4 '' '''e same time, it was great relief
'>''r'aIn that her intended victim
l. ,,iyrI. 0'''
L ~, approaches of the Palais de Justice
r. '''>' choked by the anxious multitude
+ V STRUGGLING to effect an entrance, as
+ PROFESSIONAL friend, made my way
|s .''' staircase to the seat which had
+ served for me. The aspect of the
Il solemn and imposing. Immediate
r ''.' was dalS. raised two steps above
L 49, .' the hall. in the centre of which.
+ ,.. .'S table covered with black scrre
+ ,,., ''"nrS OF the Prc>iden, (or iudoc>
-.a.l assistants, over whose heads ex
f d from the lofty root to the summit Of
.'',. a colossal painting of our Savior
T.. cross On the left hand. an cnclos-
"" Appropriated to the procurerr-
=, ' d" IA ErrubIiquc Cor atornev-noro-
''i which stretched to the extremi
49,! I'''i"rm' the jury-tox. On the
e..'.r d second enclosure Tor loqel form
.,', .,',r allotted for the grcllier Cor r,pi,-
.'' tier Of seats, corresponding with
-.'~i by the jury were destined 70
'''t he 'oansel for the defence