Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-01-07

Prom their oonsumptiye appearance
I supposc'" exclaimed the prisoner. who
In France. can always speak ai bis trial
"And how u I, you heard nothing when
I stole themi You ought 10 know that
geese will make noise when inteffcrcd
with Why. N. L. President. the prose
cuior seems Ia b. most ignorant man
II be had read his Roman history. b.
would know that the gcc-c woke up the
Romans one morning by their nolse. and
warned them ot the approach of the
Dauls
The scholarship u the prisoner was
not appreciated by the magistrates. Who
gave him three months imprisonment
I was present IN the room. AMI r,meu.
Ter that tlfn prisoner. a. be ~l.s removed.
exclaimed. Tho magistrate. are a. *
norant AZ the pro~scuiorf
one of the most frequent customers 81
the Police Corectionnslls l. the vagnnt
In France man !. taken up for having
no rccognizcd means ~ subsistence. The
lsi time ho u convicted ~ yagmncy b.
u sentenced to three months imprison
ment When BE- come. cat y. prison b.
may have fvc or six francs In his pocket.
II be- has bsen industrious llis position
u precisely the same a. IL was before be
went In. except that De |, now maf'
Who has bcsn 10 prison, and therefore
work. u he b. ever - anxious % st Il.
Ia not ~ easy 10 obtain lie fails tO flnd
employment, ~ course. and his I've 90
six francs afy sOon exhausted. In few
days b. i, taken up again.
I quite appreciate the answer once
given by a fellow who "a. Zoe tho &c
ond time charged with yagrancy.
"what AZ, your means - sulsis,encof
askci the pr,siiing judg,
"why. ! have lived on them, an.
.wcrcd the prisoner
This s-,ond time. lcsi,ie- q term - sik
months Imprisonment. the accused has
to undergo from two 30 I've years police
supervision. which means that be must
rrpori himself once a week az the poi. ..e
station Considering that, by Law. Pans
AMI the tive 90 siV largest towns %
France are CLOSED 20 him. 70 would h.
ust a. well. AMI much more human, 10
givc him transportation f0r life az once
How !. BE- likely 10 get employment in .
town who're be- l. sccn paying his weekly
visit % the police saiionl In the large
cities he might have had chance.
When society. in the name u the law.
dsprivcs q man % his liberty. 4, under
takes o. provide him with tho ncoc.
sarie. ~ life. hat n 10 dischargcs him
from prison. telling him b. must provide
Coz himself. AMI az tho same time i'm
p~e. con,traints upon him which make
Il practically impossible for him 10 earn
An honest living. what - the couse
quenccl Vagfancy brings q oondemna
lion an police supervision. pollcs super
vision brings imp,ssibility 10 obtain
work. imp1szib,lity 10 obtain work
brings agmnCy This u the vicious
circle In which be 4, virtually enclosed
II the proceedings u the Police Cor
rctionnellc afc duh aud pfosy. uho-e oi
the court - assifcs ohcr different
sight We are now In a perfect theatre
So,hins u wanting bat stage boHcs. and
the division ~ s.ats into stalls and gal
lsris- Tho prisoner himself often for
gets HI, awful POSITION. and thinks - the
public Who gaze az him lle feels Ike a
sort u hero. the actor IN Nhom the In
tsrust ~ the grand spectacular drama
concentrates ladies Of uIe highest -
cisty hOcs 20 the court. duly provided
with scent bottlss and extra pocket hand
ksrchisfs u. a, l. the case In France
nine times ont " ten, a woman IL the
cau-c of the prisoners terrible position.
they cNI.ct sensational scene. that would
draw al the Porte ~ Martin theatre. aud
they are seldom disappointed At Last q
little bill u rung Al are silent and
brathlcss Tho accused. accompanied
by two grndarmes, enters the court. and
sits on a high bsnch. we'll On Wow of ~
cry bOly. Then come the three jaIgc,
with their scarlet gowns. followed by
the advocate general. or public prose
cutor All take their ssats solemnly
The performance Is about o. b.gin.
prisoner az the Tar. ,ays the presld
ing judgc. stand up. AMI give me yOur
name and surname. Then the examina
ton of the accused by the judge begins
cannot help thinking that the French
arc right In examining the prisoner l..
fore tie Jury The French eye u remark
ably quick 10 uctcct expression. and II
seldom fail. Ca understand the move
ment II the muscles u the face Emer
son saii he knc~ an experienced counsel,
who once said 10 him that be never
feared t,e effect upon a jury of a lawyer
who dill not believe la has heart that bis
client ought to have a verdict faccs
never lie. Truth tyrannikcs over the un
willing Iart. of the body. No man need
b. deceived who will study the changes
of expression When a man speaks th'
truth. Ia the spint u truth. his eye h
clear and steady. When be lies. bis ey,
10 dim and muddy. and sometimes
asquint
When the prisoners examination D.
over. tie proceedings continue. az In
England, with the evidence u the Wit
nesses. the specch % the publie prose
cutor. and the spccch u the counsel fo'
the defense For the Last few years ths
summing up u the presiding judge ha'
bcen done away with: AMI good thing
too, fOr this summing up used to h. .
second sp.ech for the prosecution. Nos
the jury retire to consider their verdict
In all cases. from murier to assault
frum forgery to ordinary theft, the iury
have 10 answer the two following ques
tionss I. l. the prisoner guilty of th'
crime bc u charged With . Are Their
entenuating circumstances, Take muir
der. foe instance. The law itself makes
no distinction between the man Who ha,
committed munleT In moment u pas
sion. or Jealousy. and the cold assassin
who has long premeditated the death Of
his victim 10 satisfy the basest of crav
ings: but humanity does
A French Jury will always award zen
tsnuaiing circumstances" 10 a prisoner
Who may 10 SUPPOSED 10 have committed
murder under the influence of love. jsaI
olsy. revenge or desIair-loye especially
They will not uncommonly aoquita man.
u his character is otherwise irreproach-
able. who has killed an unfaiihful wife
or her lover Besides. the idea of CAPT
tai punishment i abhorrent To the
French. and the jury will always try 10
find exienuating circumstances 20 avoid
sending q fellow creature 10 the guillo'
tine And even when their consciences
viii not allow them TO find thesc extenu.