New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-18
TRIAL OF THE COMMUNISTS.
THE CotS;T-ROOM-THE PERSONS To he TRIED
EOSSEL's SYSTEM ~ pEIENNR.
lPROM OUR SPECIAL CORRR SpONDBNr.l


Versailles and obtained sdmitnnce TO the ridng-school
N which The trials Of the ringcadeTs in the recent Com
,nunis instruction WIN take place This riding school Is
attached the cavalry barracks which face the CoT
6'Honnenr or great court of the palace OF Louis XIV
During th6Gcrman occupation these barracks were used
as stables FOR the Kings horses and equpages The rid
n school loft about 100 feet long by 20 feet wide ana
g. I should imagine, at least 25 feet high, ana
has skylight along the top, that 1t is
not only we'll lighted but Do well ventilated This
last IS very important consideration, as the cr0wd Is
be great and during the present season the III
convanencos OF hot. overcrOwded court are obvious
About on,Quarter Of whole court has been set apart
for the members Of the military tribunal which Is 10
Judge the prisoners Their seats are placed on das Inc
red velvet chairs Of the members Of the Council are ar
ranged in ecmlcirce in the middle OF the das Oh e
Presidents left is a table for the shorthand writer's ana
the military secretary. On his right is similar table LOT
the civil assessors who win be present to assist the ocers
who preside over the trials Immediately in front OF the
council table there Is small low table on which wiz DO
placed what the French call pieces doonr'ch0"-t'' 10
any silent witness TO the guilt Of the prisoners sum ."
documents and arms found in their possession ana inc
ike RobnJ tho Presidents chair large picture OF
Christ on the Cross. -
Just on The edge Of the dais is the wnessboS when
Immediately faces the President and the picture ol 'e
cruc,hcd Savior above his head Behind all on tne uS
row Of red velvet cushioned armchars Tor the use
f Ministers, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and
o,hor distinguished persons Immediately below the
,i> and on the Presidents left is the dock for the prs
ocrs In front of this the members of the bar win have
their seats in order that prisoners counsel may be able
,sily n communicate with their clients Directly OPP
., the prisoners the seats. in number, set apart
70, the press In front of them will be benches for the
wi neacs About half the court will be given mp to seats
Tor tho public. Those unprovded with tickets OF sd-
ss0n will have stand inside the court. The only de-
feet could in the court that owing to It's great
h acoustic condition not satisfactory, but IL is
very possible that when 1t is full Of people this defect
VIII disappear should reckon that the would, il
dcnsely filed, be able to contain about couple OF
thousand persons It has been fitted in the simplest
and most inexpensive style" quite republican" said
French friend in the The benches-there are no
chairs the specatorsare covered with very coarse
c.lro and are most uninyitlngy hard 1t ia believed
HAT tho sttings viii really begin on Monday, the
81; insi but the opening Of this cOurtmNral has been
often postponed that one cannot help doubling II
will then actually begin.
The first trial will be that Of the l8memhers Of the Com
runc who in the hands OF the Government These,
order in which they will probably be tried are:
Fcrr6 accused OF ordering the Ministry Of Finance to be
burned ASH the mechanic, prominent member OF the
Internatonals Urban, Mayor Of the Seventh Arronds
sement; BlliOray; Jonde, Finance Minister OF the
Commune; Trinquet; Champy; Regere Luller, the mad
lieutenant of marine who commanded the Communist
fleet; Rastou who organized concerts at the
l.uercs and who issued curious proclamation TO his
colleagues urging that the Tpgleaders should surrender
~ Theirs Pascha Grousset Foreign Minister under the
Commune Vcrdune, Ferrat, Descamps Clement, COur-
aet the artist, and Pdnent Col Lisbonne,
mo 18th, member OF the Commune is so
wound that 1t is doubtful whether he can be
tired When the members of the Commune have been
.reO Rossc the delegate for will appear before his
uagcs and then RochefOr will have TO defend himself
1t may possibly be OF interest say few words about
The jurisdiction OF cOurtsm8ral on civilians In France,
legality OF which first sight TO be only sup
by the existence Of the state Of siege. This is the
IN tot Tho
that the fact Paris being In state Of siege puts us all
under military law. But this is evidently an untenabe
proposition for the Assze Courts sitting well
tho # Police, and the Civil Courts also open at the
Palace dc Justice. am tOli good authority that the
sanction OF the courtsmartal Is to be found in law
sed in August 1872 allowing any person to be brought
before military tribunal in OF immediate danger
to pu0o safety" The procedure almost exactly sim
liar to chat which is followed in the ordinary French
civil Courts and not a bit more expeditions. The COun
c OF War which will Judge the prisoners, will consist OF
President. who must he a Colonel, and six Judges to
aid him viz: Major, two Captains one Lieutenant,
one Sub. Lieutenant, aud one nOncOmmssioned officer
order condemn prisoner there must be at least five
votes out If the Judges disagree as 10 the
penalty opinion most favorable to the accused car
res the day. l am Informed that Rossel's sys-
TEN q defense is likely 70 be somewhat
curious one. He proposes 70 endeavOr to prove
that he merely joined the insurgents in order to
discipline the National Guard and that when he had &C
canpshed that tasknO one-he intended TO march
against the Prussans at st. Denis hoping to be Joined in
=, patriotic q movement by the army Of Versailles.
Y Gems almost impossible that so intelligent
even hi, most deadly enemies admit Rossel to be can
truS Of putting forward insane plea; but have 1t
on authority which cannot hesitate to accept. What is
Far more likely TO incline ROsses judges 10 mercy is
petition from Of the chief Inhabitants Of the city
,rayus for mercy for the late delegate for
count o. his brave and able conduct against the Prus
SLAMS ma his attempts to prevent the disastrous surren-
der OF Metz NJ Theirs interests himself greatly in Ros
sci and Is said TO have promised to do his utmost TO
the young Captain of Engineers from capital punish
neut.
THE INDICTMENTS AGAINST ASST, GROUsSKT,
COURBET, BILLIORAY, AND LULLIER.
The following are extracts from the official