The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-01-20
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TRIED FOR HER LIFE.

TRIED FOR HER LIFE.
Highly Dramatic Scene in a French
Criminal Court.
Acquittal of Nine. Clovis-Hughes
for killing the rraducer OF Her
Character--French Justice.
New York, Jan. l0.-The cable brings
Interesting reports of the dramatic trial
and acquiltal of Nine. Cows Hughes,
at Paris for killing M. Norm, the tradu-
Ger OF her character. Nine. Clovis.
Hughes is the wife Of Deputy in the
French Chamber. No trial ever occurred
in Paris which has attracted more inter-
est. The Palais of Justice was crowded
by excited people several hours before
the trial began.
At11.30 q. N. the hussiers announced
The Court. 1hree Judges entered robed
IN scarlet and took their seats After
some delay at IL o'clock precisely, the
prisoner was brought into court under
the escort OF Two municipal guards. She
wore rich black-ao wered satin dress,
black bonnet and white veil, which she
ra sed deliberately as she entered the
box and sat down on the left OF the
Judge, pale, hollow eyed, but dogged and
almost defiant. She was as'much at her
ease as in her own drawing-room. She
seemed disagreeably conscious of her
own importance. and whatever other peo
pie may think of her she was, in her wa
eyes. still heroine.
Nine. Hughes admitted the killing and
that she did it premediiatedly. She said
to the Judge: "You are aware of the in
fanny to which l was subjected, and the
upshot Of 1t all was that one day made
up my mind to kill Moiin," and defiantly
added: shot him in cold blood"
The Judge seemed severe. The pris-
oner made an unfavorable impression by
her cool and some ewhat defiant manner
She talked like an actress, volubly and
easily. She had learned her part. She
related eloquently all the old story of the
slander when she was Mile Royanez at
Marseilles, and told how Nine. Lenor.
mand had called and pressed, ,coaxed and
wheedled her, hoping to get her to con-
fess having been Lenormand's mistress.
"Voyons, you need not hide it from me.
| am an old woman, yet even / fell 10
love with him. Why should not young
woman like your There is no harm in
It," The prisoner in her recital admits
that she would Lave killed Nine Lanor-
mapd had she had chance. This avowal
causing a sensation in the court room,
she then goes on to the NORM incident
and repeats the assertion made to her by
Morin's employer that NORM had been
dismissed, but that be had gone on with
the Lenormand job on bis own account.
She says that she had proofs brought to
her that Nine. Lenormand had paid 25.-
000f to an agency (the Agence Vandal)
to collect false evidence against her.
This caused great sensation. Nine.
Clovis Hughes continued: "Was l to
waste my life in replying to all the false
charges brought against me by that wo-
manp M. could not do that: Better
a thousand times to crush the ISLANDERS,
together With the s,anderer, by coup de
revolver"
At half-past six the court adjourned
for two hours. When the Judges retired
the prisoners friends pressed forward to
congratulate her on her courage. Nine.
Hughes acknowledged them with the air
of lady receiving mnimen,s in her
drawing-room. The G ,urt returned at 9
o'clock when the room was so crowded
that the jurors had diff ultv in getting
to their seats. The prosecutor. Angel,
opened coldly hut warmed up and said
Let Nine. Hughes defend her virtue,
it does rot concern me; but when she de.
claims 80 loftily about her virtuous
motherhood. cannot help saying that it
is a strange mother this who proves her
purity with six barrelled revolvers. Nine.
Hughes said boastfully that she had shed
the blood of her enemy as coolly as she
wiped mud-stain from her mantle +"
At hali-psst one in the morning the
jury withdrew. In twenty minutes they
returned. The President put the usual
questions:
"Did che murder 2"
"No."
"Was there premeditation ?"
"No"
"Tne prisoner was then acquitted. NJ.
Morin's father was allowed 2,000f DANA
ges by tue Court. The pris ,ner was
overioyed and cheered by the crowd.
The streets surrounding the Palas we're
throngel.
The manner OF the, trial distinctly
marks the difference between the admin
istration Of criminal procedure in France
ard the u lited S ates. Here the accused
is tortured by the judges with the sharp
weapons of cross exam ination, and is
forced 10 he witness against herself In
the U aited Safes the accused is protect
ed by the Constitution. In the United
States the evidence stops with The CON-
pletion Of the crime; but in Paris the
President allowed the sufferings of the
victim to go in evi lence. In the U Iited
States a dying declaration confined to
the act and cause of death and surround
ing circumstances; but here he Presi-
dent allowed in evidence the victims ex
plantations of his primary innocence Of
the cause impelling Nine. Hughes to the
deed In the United States the impair
tialltv Of the Ju ige is conspicuous. Here
the Judge either aids the prosecutor or
the defender, as the judge happens to be
moved. The whole ttial is a salient ex-
ample of the whole theory of French
criminsl Jurisprudence which deems the
accused guilty until be proves his iHho-
cence, whereas the converse proposition
happily. prevails in America and En-
gland.
81 Don't Feel Like Work"
II makes no difference what business
YOU are engaged in: whether you are a
preacher, a merchant, a mechanic. a
LAWYER or a common lahorer YOU cant