The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-01

face served to tighten his heart for the mo-
ment and call up a grateful emotion.
=, Inc court had not waited to enter with a
Iourlsh. The Chief Justice was in his seat
when the prisoner entered, with six of his
companions of the council as associates, and
unat may account for the quietness of the
assembled spectators.
There is no need that we should present in
oetail the proceedings of the court The
prisoner, Juan Zanoni, painter, was duly ar
ranlgned, the charge and the specifications
read by clerk, after which he was asked If
ne We're guilty. He pleaded in a clear, firm
and resonant tone, mot guilty' And then
che trial proceeded
Aanonl, through the keeper of the prison,
mad called upon legal friend to conduct
his cause, and his counsel was present by
MS side. The Duke was not in the room, or
he was not visible.
Inc attorney who conducted the prosecu-
tlon. member Of the council and a man pos
sesslng an abundant flow of language, pre-
Sented his side of the case. According to
his view of the matter they were there as
sembled to examine, candldly and impair
tlally-without fear or favor-into the facts
attending one of the most foul wicked,
base, cowardly, brutal. cruel, cold-bloOded,
dastardly and fiendish murders that it had
ever been his misfortune to contemplate.
The Marquis Steffano Farnese, brother of
the Duke Antonio, was the first witness
called; and the court consented that he
should be allowed to go on aud tell his story
from first to last.
His story can be imagined. We will say,
however, he was wise in the telling. More
than once he really forced tears into his
eyes. He was q finished actor; and he sim
ulated grief and anguish to perfection. He
more than interested his audience; he
thrilled, and electrified; and when he came
to his peroration. where he pictured the low
ing, trusting Count, beaten down by the
bastard betrayer of his life's hottest joy, then
pictured his death, and there for brief
space paused, fully a third of his hearers
were in tears. Then came the final word
a picture of tho murderer. "God have
mercy on himl l cannotp
At that point, as he resumed his seat, a
groan burst from the assembled people as
from one bosom.
The counsel for the prisoner cross-ques-
toned the Marquis sharply; but in no part
at no point-could he shake him. His
lies had been fully committed, and no false
hood was too glaring, no untruth too bold
or absurd, to cause him moments hesita-
ton.
The prisoner was not allowed to speak for
himself; it being natural supposition of
the court that man who could commit a
murder would fabricate any number of
falsehoods to conceal his guilt His coun-
sell however, told his story, as far as he was
allowed to go, simply and truly, and it had
a marked effect on a portion of the audi
ence.
Three of the city guard, who had been en-
gagged in the prisoners arrest, were called to
testify They clearly swore to the killing
or, two of them did-because they had
seen it but when their answers began to
tell Enthusiastically in the prisoners favor
they were incontinently dismissed.
There were no arguments beyond that; no
charge by the judge; nothing but the de-
cision of the court, which was arrived at as
follows:
Each of the seven justices-the chief and
his six associates-were given a small slip of
blank paper by the clerk, upon which they
wrote. Then an officer in waiting brought
small black box, with an opening in the
cover, and through this aperture each JUS
tice, in turn, beginning with the chief,
dropped his slip of paper.
Then the clerk takes the box, and with it
in his hands, mounts platform which lifts
him into the view of all in the chamber.
The officer who brought the box now COM
mands silence! and for the next twenty sec
onds pin might have been heard to fall in
Pretty soon the Chief Justice makes a
signal to the clerk, and he proceeds to the
final SCENE He lifts the cover of the box
and takes out a slip of paper, which he
holds up, and reads aloud what he finds
written thereon.
Guilty DEATH"
And so he goes on, to the next, and the
next, until the seven slips have been drawn
forth and their verdict announced; and in
IL 1 oh hi cyNlo tHo
prisoner is called upon to do likewise
Then, in voice which he has trained to
reach the uttermost depth of vocalization,
he pronounces:
impartialiy tried before this august tribu-
nal on the charge of the willful murder of a
noble Of Parma. The court unanimously de-
clares you guilty. 1t also condemns you to
DEATH"
He added no duplication to the amen for
mercy ON the soul of the unfortunate man.
That was all, and with that the prisoner
was removed from the chamber, where ne
was placed, not in the airy apartment he had
previously occupied, but in a deeper and
more gloomsome place Yet it was not
snch dungeon as he had expected. 1t was
of goodly size, with large window over
looking the river a comfortable bed and re-
spectacle furniture. He learned later that it
was an apartment INTENDED IOr nODleS under
charge of political crime, or wealthy men
shut up for civil offenses who could afford
to pay for comfort. The Duke had procured
him the favor.
Not long after the trial had closed, the
clerk of the court waited upon the Duke
with the warrant for the execution of the
prisoner Just condemned, requesting his
signature. His Grace took the documents
and told the messenger he would give his
decision to the council when in session.
A few hours later the president of the
Council of Twenty, together with ten of his
colleagues, were with the Duke in his cham
Der of audience. They had transacted the
business of state on hand, when Baron
Dodero asked Antonio wnen Zanoni was to
be executed.
"Signors," said the Duke, frankly, 81
have a great favor to ask at your hands
For myself desire that his execution may
be put off for few days at least"
The Baron looked at his colleagues, and
they looked at him. BY and by he asked:
'|Has this request anything to do with
further examination into the guilt of the
nrisoner7 II it has ! must"
"Stop % interrupted the potentate. Some
thing in the presidents look and tone
struck him on the instant as significant,
and II led him to ask so pointedly that a
refusal to answer would be next to impossi-
BILE.
"Has Marquis Steffano given you such an
idea? Has he sought to influence you in
any way with regard to this prisoners
fatep