The Indianapolis journal., 1896-04-06
THE JAMESON TRIAL.
The LeisureIy Manner In which =
Judicial Farce In Conducted

London Correspondence New York Tribune
The legal proceedings before Sir John
Bridge have revealed nothing except liked
purpose TO deal with the fifteen officers in a
leisurely way. AS the result OF yesterdays
ana to-days sessions the prosecution has
v.rtuaiy exhausted is list OF ava1iaois ~,s1 MT
OF the commissioners who were sent out to
south Africa before closing the case An ao-
Journment has been arranged for hye weeks,
commiftai on issues of fact has been estab-
lished. But neither the judge nor the attor-
ney-general nor the counsel for the defeuso
deed, to be benevolent and well-understood
conspiracy for wasting time
The English procedure Is more deliberate az
every stage than the American. The wit
nesses are questioned In the most laDoriouS
way. and there are long pauses between an
out the testimony In long hand. sentence by
sentence. The examiner has time TO consult
Witness IS BY rspd rne
cross-examnation Is conducted with equal
dignity. and deliberation; and the testimony
box. Everything drags. and nobody seems TO
take any note of time until the luncheon
The leaders Of the English bar are en-
gagged In this trial. and solemn and digni-
fed they are, even without their gowns and
Webster. eourtly in manner and grim i'm
visage. leads the prosecution. and Is sup
ported by portiy Scotch barrister. Sir
has q full. melodions voice. Mr.. Charles
Matthews and two other crown lawyers oc-
cupy seats beside them. The leading coun-
sci for the defense II Sir Edward Clarke,
an austere and rather DomDous-looking bar
rister when he Is In his seat but a be-
nevolent and confidential friend of the witt
ness whom it is his duty to cross-examine.
Ii he can coax q witness 10 say what he
wants to hear he win do It: but he will
er he receives a helpful or a damaging an
swer his manner Is not changed. and be-
trays neither annoyance nor triumph Close
the wits of the English bar. with a serious
face, which seldom lights up with smile
benches and Sir George Lewis, with keen
brief in the interest Of the South African
John Bridge. the presiding MAGISTRATE OF
Bow Street, with gray hair, deep-set eyes
and = benevolent face.
haltng and tedious drama The amateur
criminals are DR.. Jameson and his fourteen
Officers, who are respectfully addressed as
'the gentlemen at the bar" They occupy.
two rows OF chairs In the center OF the
court. and have the appearance of being
bored by. the duIlness OF the proceedings,
and the laborous attempts OF lawyers ana
witnesses to establish proposition which
every one knows to be true, namely, that
the Transvaal was invaded a few months
crown. When details Of rough riding are
recounted, as was done yesterday by the
Two ulSpatcn-De8refS- the ra-utfS stralgnten
up and take an interest In the case; but at
other times they are inattentive and ,istless
spectators. DR.. Jameson. when a dull wit
ness was giving a tiresome account of the
geographical position Of the two camps from
which the invading column marched. took
a comfortable nap in his chair, depending
upon Sir John Wfloughby to arouse him IL
anything interesting should occur. The con-
duct Of the officers Is faultless. They enter
the court quietly, exchange smiles and mods
Of recognition with their titled and fashion
able friends on the bench. and then settle
themselves in their chairs to listen to the
duii rectative of evidence; and they go out
at midday or late In the afternoon without
a trace of bravado or theatrical manner.
They conceal their annoyance and affect in
difference. II they are impatient over the
frequent adjournments and protxacted de-
lay. II they are in hurry TO have their
offences under the foreign enlistment act
judicially determined. nobody else is I'm
haste. There IL apparently a general UNDER
standing that there must be brave show
of prosecuting "the gentlemen at the bar"
and that everything is to be done, mean
while, to promote their comfort and TO mini-
mize the Inconvenience Of occasional attend
ance at court.