The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-12-31
Won ARkiM.
Closing Scenes of His Trial and
Sentence.
from the New York Herald. ]

bled for the purpose OF rendering the
verdict in the Won Arnim case at tour
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Inc
court room was ensely crowded, prln-
cipally by members Of the aristocracy.
But outside, in the Molkenmarkt, there
was vast cOncourse OF spectators. The
excitement that prevailed was almost
unparalleled, the nearest approach to 1t
being the scenes at the celebrated W al
deck trial in l840. Notwithstanding
heavy snow storm, the crowd waited
patiently for the decision. AS soon as
the court was opened Count Won Ar
MIN physicians pleaded that the &C
cused was unable to attend, owing to
his impaired health. But the Judges
dispatched special messengers to his
residence in the PariserplatZ,
with instructions to demand his
attendance at court. Count Arnlm ar
rived in court at clock in the even
in. leaning on the arm OF his son, look
ing very pale and haggard. The crowd
rose sympat hetlcaIly as he entered the
room, and remained standing until the
presiding Judge asked the illustrlous
accused to be seated. Amid the most
profound silence one Of the judges read
the decision and sentence from docu-
ment consisting Of twenty Autographed
pages.
At the commencement he referred to
she public excitement caused by the
case in and out of Germany. When
the Judges had passed their sentence he
i H., M n h.
sence Of a full and sufficient knowledge
of the law and the facts. Never, IN
any previous case to their knowledge,
were the passions of partlsans excited
to such degree as IN this instance
Even people occupying high and i'm
portant positions. who were
generally believed to be above
such passions, had been
drawn into the matter. The reason was
dear. The phenomenon resulted from
The position of the accused, and the
unusual ane unexpected circumstances
connected with the trial, involving, as 1t
certainly did, personal interests of a
var ed kind-pcrSonal honor, pubic IN
tercsts, international and h-me politics,
and full. share of patriotic likes and
dislikes. All this to the eyes of the
Judges was but the mere shifting seen
cry of the drama. To adhere sternly
TO the law was their sole mission and
most earnest duty, and this MISSION
they would fulfil, unhesitatlngly, UNI
ainchingly, without passion.
President Reich then summed up the
general bearings Of the case as they had
occurred to him during this remarkable
trial. He eXpounded their nature at
grea: length, dividing them into TIN ee
eatcgorcS. The retention of the docu-
mcnts, he said, that is to say those
containing the alleged censures
VI Prince Bismarck, constituted, IN
the Judgment Of the court, no oicnse
provided for under the German penal
code Count Won Arnim has docketed
the disciplinary documents coming
ander this designation. The conflict
alb ut these missing papers, his honor
remarked, "has been beautifully des-
~lbed by Count Won Amin as "a grave
in which was buried the friendship Of
his youth with Prince Bismarck. The
court held that the retention Of these
p; pers had been done in good faith,
al d therefore the charges of bad inten
ten, contendcd for by the eminent
counsel for the prosecution, must b(
excluded.
In reference to the second category
III relation to papers on diplomatic
affairs in France. the documents, th'
court had decided. did not come within
the sense Of the Indictment.
As to the third category, which IN
sludcd the ecclesiastical document
previously read at d secret session, n
said the court had ruled that they wer
imuortant State papers. However, tn
requE tie evidence was wanting to eS
tabllsn the alleged illegal appropriation
But, again, the unauthorized use OF
document is not enlightenment. Eve
if the documents were published /
would simply be IN otense akin to III
infringement of u copy right. Tn
court possesses no proof by whom
when. or how the documents were at
stracted, and, therefore, that matter re
mains under the terms Of the Roma
law non iiqu1f.
The Judge concluded his address b
finding the accused guilty Of the cor
cealmcnt of thirteen ecclesiastical an
political documents intruSted to b
official custody while IN I'll
Diplomatic service Of ii
empire. " hen awarding 81
sentence the couvt considered the 4:
gravat.on caused by the attitude Of II
accused count, ard. on the other han,
1t was maintained that his high po,tlc
should have shielded him from open a
tack lie referred briefly 10 the gre;
risk Of exposing % the public view sue
documents as those referred TO in tn
case. and the results that might flo
from lnulScreet revelations. welChlI
the case as it were between the accus
and the accused. But the court CO
sidercd there we've many mitigating CT
eumStanceS 10 be taken into accouu
In the first place. they regarded fave
ably the timely restitution Of certa
documents last june. as soon as it W
made manifest that they were requir,
At the foreign office. Second. tn
wore bound TO consider the general In
tnde enjoyed in former times by t
diplomatic agents Of Germany a
Prussia in regard TO the custody OF
chjves accommodating during their tcr
Of office at any special point. But he
ever numerous were the mitigating c
cuns,snce> they md not exclude t
EhE,v rs tho y uSci 10 pur me