New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-23

ings and forbade the cmen extnguishing the ames In
the Palals Royal.
CONCLUSION or TIE TRIAL OF FERRE-TEIAL
OF ASSI-SCENES IN COURT.
fPRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
VERSAILLES, Aug. 1.-THE court-martial, or
third council OF war as the French call it, has now been
sitting for five DAYS on the trial Of IS members OF the
Commune, and has only completed the examinations OF
the two prisoners Ferr6 and Asst and commehceu 'hat
Of the third one, Urbain, who ruled as Vrah'
over the Seventh ACCOMPLISHMENT of Paris l. e., the
arstocratc Faubourg st. German, during the Whoe Vi
the regime Of the Commune. had a strong suspicion
that military tribunal would not prove to be success
as soon as the opened but now that the court
five davis have no longer any doubt on the subject ana
have in common with great many other persons come 10
the conclusion that t.woud have been ihnhey prefer
able that the members OF the Commune shOuid DE
tried by an ordinary criminal court and that no oxtraor
binary court should have been called together were
true that military court is really more expeditions III
its mode of procedure than civil one. and more IN
cned to look at the equity OF than at its legal
bearings then could perfectly well understand why
the Communists have been brought before bench com
posed exclusively OF officers on active duty. Bnt
after five days dilligent attendance at the court
have failed 20 discover that 1t Is prac'
tically any summary in its methou
Of procedure than an ordinary criminal court
On the contrary, IL Is
to have determined to provoke the Public Prosecutor,
Commandant Gaveau on every possible occasion, caus
ing wordy warfare, which it ia hardly necessary 10
say the soldier finds that however skllful he may
be with his sword his tongue is no match for those OF inc
well-tranod lawyers who are opposed to him.
The President Of the CourtMaral, Col Merlin. seems
TO be wellmeaning old man, not without certain NIL
itary irnncss which, coupled with suayity OF manner
stands him good stead in his examination OF the prs-
hut AZ he Merlin to DO by
means prepared for the very heavy work he has IN
hand. Not only does he allow the witnesses to give hear
say evidence but he permits witnesses to wander oil INTO
loug accounts OF their adventures in escaping from prison.
and these accounts although they would have been inter
estiug enough in the columns of Paris newspaper rev
weeks ago. totally out of place and prove nothing
either for or against the accused. Once or twice,
particularly. when two of the worthy
priests who had been imprisoned as hostages
treated the court to long discOurses, and
seemed TO forget that they in the witneSsbox ana
in the pulpit. The lawyers utrrfered AM asked the
President to put stop 10 such totally rreyeant matter
But the President said that the testimony was very n
tercsting and undoubtedly great deal that the wit
nesses had to say was Of great interest only, unfor
tunately it was not evidence. More than dozen came
forward on Wednesday and gave their accounts OF what
they had seen Of the terrible events which took place at
the Prison OF La Roqucte the oath of May when the
Archbishop Of Paris and over 100 less well-known
victims were massacred. But in Ferries case'
all the witnesses were really summoned to
prove that the accused commanded the firing
party which shot DarbOy and his five companions
In misfortune Now of all these witnesses who occupied
about hours Of the time OF the court only
positively having Ferre at la ROquette prison at
all the oath of May and then not 10 having seen him at
the head the firing party, but in the bureau OF the
prison, where FrerrG admits, rather boasts that he
was. asserting that he was busy signing orders Of
10 villa and ma
imprisoned there and if you were" said the
President, "you know well that by ordering those UNI
happy to he thrust out OF prison. were senenc
ing them to be torn in pieces by the Infatuated popuace
the moment they left the prison gates" Ferre at this
shrugged his shoulders with air which perfectly
hendish, and said cody, "Ca me regarddh pas"
There was an audible in at these words of
"thc monster"
But to return to the witnesses They, rs have said
proved nothing really against Ferre for the expert
who was called in to prove the authenticity Of the
famous order CitOyen LUCAY: Idites de suite tanber
finances ct cenez nous reirOuUer-TH. FERRE y, re-
ferred at considerable length to the character of
Ferre himself instead of his handwriting When all
the witnesses had been examined and Ferr6 asked
he had anything to say, he replied ia the negative
and sat down with sefsatsfed air, which said rs
plainly any words could say There, gentle
men, that is ALL it is easy enough to defend ones SELF
Indeed, throughout his trial, this behaved
at times degenerated into disgusting impotence.
If he denied he seemed 10 do pro JOrma the fact Of
his having taken active part in the execution Of the
hostages lie never by sign word showed the least in
cnation TO deny that he thoroughly approved of the
murder OF innocent men, whose only crime that they
had raised themselves by their industry and ability
to important posts. Literally, Ferre gloried
in his shame, and seemed to he totally in
different to the fact of which he could hardly have been
ignorant, that the vast majority of those who
present regarded linn as little better than a fend in
human form. / should, perhaps, mention that the
barristers of the respective prisoners will not be heard
their defense until the witnesses in all the shall
have been examined.
Asst in personal appearance strikes the observer
favoraby as Ferre does the reverse Asst wears long
beard which he is evidently proud and is still dressed
in the uniform Of a colonel of Of the battaOns
of the National Guard He is far respectful TO the
President and the in his than his pre-
decessor Ferre When asked how ne justified his con-
duct on the 18th Of March, he answered that the
National Guard thought they going TO have king
forced them and that their arms were 10 be taken
from them for fear they should them in defense
Of the Republic. repetition, in fact, OF
string Of false arguments and which
we have all heard hundred times before,
and which do not improve by keeping. Only
once aid Asst give really good answer and that was
when the President asked him how he could expect the
Commune TO be ever accepted the lawful Govern
ment when VIGOROUSLY the offspring Of riot the
child in short Of the 18th March. He folded his arms
and looking round the court answered. " | am young
man. but can recOect three Governments which
suited from fighting in the streets the Republic the
Second Empire and the Government OF the 4th OF Sep
teaber Yon can doubtless, call 10 mind other Govern
mcnts which did great things in France, and which
sprung from riots" This made Col Merlin vince, for
his grandfather was a great iurst who signed the death
warrant Of Louis XVI No facts OF any importance
were elected either from Asst or the witnesses for
against him, the 9Th inst.
Hardly had the Court opened yesterday before there
was a most violent scene between MIitre Bigot Assis
counsel, and Commandant Gayeau, the COnmissary of
the Government. Commandment Gaveau had announced
that he had received letter stating that Asst well