Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-06-20
JUSTICE IN MONACO.


| wish had leisure to speak at length
Of this astonishing state, smaller than q
| French village, but where one finds an
absolute sovereign, bishops, an army Of
Jesuits and divinity students more nu-
merous than that Of the prince, an ar
tillery the ordnance of which is almost
rified, an etiquette more elaborate than
that of the late Louis XIV, principles of
government more despotic than those of
William of Prussia, and, in addition to
all this, magnificent liberation for the
vices Of humanity.
On the other hand, let us salute this
virtuous peacefully disposed king, who,
fearing neither inyasions nor revolu-
tions, rules TRANQUILITY over his happy
little people i'll the midst of a court cere-
monial, in which is preserved intact the
tradition of four reverences, 26 hand
Essings and all the forms observed in a
bygone era III the presence of great rul-
ers.
This monarch, above everything, is
neither bloodthirsty nor revengeful,
and when he banishes-for he does ban
ish--the sentence is carried out with in
finite tact
Is it necessary to produce proofs of
this?
A pigheaded gambler, after day of
bad luck, insulted the sovereign. He
was expelled from the country by royal
decree.
For q month he roamed around the
forbidden paradise, fearing the flaming
sword Of the archangel in the shape Of a
gendarme's saber. Finally he one day
plucked up courage, crossed the from
tier, gained in 80 seconds the heart Of
the country and entered the Casino. But
suddenly an official stopped him.
"Were you not banished, monsieur?"
Certainly / was, but / am going
back by the next train F"
"Oh, in that case it is all right. You
can enter, monsieur. "
And every week he returned, and ON
each occasion the same official put to
him the same question, which he an
swered in the same fashion.
But few years ago serious and en-
tirely novel case arose in the principal
ity.
a murder had been committed.
A man, a native Of Monaco, not one
Of the transient strangers of whom one
meets legions, but a married man, in a
moment of passion had killed his wife.
He had killed her without reason,
without any extenuating circumstances
This opinion was unanimous through
out the whole principality.
The supreme court met to judge this
exceptional case, for never before had
murder been committed. and the wretch
was condemned to death.
The outraged sovereign signed the
death warrant
It only remained to execute the Grim
inal But here difficulty presented it
self. The country possessed neither ex-
ecutioner nor guillotine.
What was to be done? On the advice
OF the foreign minister, the prince en-
tered into negotiations with the French
government to obtain the loan Of a re-
mover Of heads and his apparatus.
Long deliberations in the ministerial
office at Paris Finally they replied and
forwarded q minute of expenses for
moving the guillotine and for the serv-
ices of the expert The total was 16, 900
francs.
His majesty Of Monaco thought ths
the affair was going to cost him pretty
dear the murderer assuredly was not
worth SO much money. Sixteen thousand
francs for the neck OF rascal The
devili
He then preferred the same request to
the italian government. A king, a
brother in royalty, would doubtless not
prove such hard bargainer as republic.
The Italian government sent minute
Of expenses which amounted to 10, 900
francs.
Twelve thousand francs Why, it
would be necessary to impose new
tax, tax Of 2 francs head on the in
habitants That would be enough to
stir up unknown troubles in the state.
He contemplated decapitating the
ruffian by an ordinary soldier. But the
general, on being consulted, was doubt
ful whether any of his men had had
sufficient sword practice to acquit them
selves satisfactorily of a task demand
ing great experience in handling the
weapon.
So the prince again convened the su-
preme court and submitted to them this
embarrassing position Of affairs.
The court sat long time without
discovering any practical solution At
last the president suggested committing
the death sentence into one Of imprison-
ment for life, and the suggestion was
adopted
But they had no prison. 1t was neces-
sary to improvise one. A jailer was also
commissioned who took charge of the
prisoner.
For six months everything went we'll
The convict slept all day on mattress
In his hut, and his guard did the same
ON chair just inside the door facing
the passersby.
But the prince is economical-it is his
least fault--and requires the details of
the smallest expenditures incurred
throughout his aoIninions. Among these
We're placed before him the items of the
disbursements relating to the creation
Of new Office, the maintenance Of the
prison, prisoner and jailer. The outlay
on the last was heavy drain on the
royal purse.
His face heightened visibly, and when
he considered it might last forever, for
the condemned man was still young. be