The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-27


by gendarmes.
10. The President of the Tribunal, but
in no such plebeian terms as follow.
framed the questions TO be determined
by Senfft g. Co.
i. Was the prisoner guilty of setting
his dwelling house aiire, thereby COM
mitting the offense of arson?
2. If SO, were extenuating circum-
| stances admitted?
IL. The Prosecutor for the Crown and
the Counsel for the Self-Accused
pleaded long, with "Replik" and
"Dupik." But what was here TO pros
ecute? the ignorant and merely hui
man person asked himself, aghast.
The learned Counsel for the Crown
intimated, indeed, that on account OF
the infrequent circumstance of self
denunciation, he should in this in
stance overflow with magnanimity. lie
then proceeded to paint picture of an
inky black night, a peaceful sleeping
village, dangerous old map speeding
across fields, the bursting forth of
lurid and hungry flames-until Johann
Senfft. Karl Bauer and Adam Molen-
kopf began to tremble for their roofs.
And what was in the prisoners
mind, as he stole stealthily across those
midnight fields? What, Gentlemen of
the Jury, were his Intentions?
A dwelling house was thirty yards
northwest of 3leibtreu's. Forty yards,
in another direction, stood we'll
stocked. unsuspecting barn. What loss
of life and property might not have
ensued, had there been i'm that still and
sheltered valley n tornado, a cyclone?
What mercy had Blebtreu on the slum.
bering and respectable fathers and
mothers of large families. and their in.
nocent and promising babes? Here
Johann Senfft and the eleven gazed
round-eyed at the speaker, and even the
patient little old man in the box
glanced up once, mild and wondering.
The wind it appeared was north, but,
Gentlemen of the Jury, what if the wind
had been southeast? etc, etc.
The augur. usually n young thundcrer
for some occult reason, was moved on
this occasion to speak with peculiar
gentleness and briefy-is IL conceiva-
/
long for simplicity? No oword of his, he
said, could deepen the profound and |
memorable impression produced by his |
client; the augur claimed that his man
liness in voluntarily submitting, at his |
uge, TO the humiiiutiou of imprisou.
ment, should have great consideration
in the verdict; he accentuated the fact
that no self-interest actuated the deed,
no other property was harmed; he
dweit upon his heavy sorrow, mental
depression, his irreproachable life, his
years and his nfirmities-pleaded
strongly for acquittal.
IL. The prisoner, being informed that
the last word was his privilege, shook
his head wearily.
10. The President charged the Jury as
IL instructing twelve hopeless idiots
SO long, often and strenuously did he
repeat his utterances. Yet, il their
intellects felt MS shattered as those Of
most unprofessional persons present,
his method was perhaps not ill-ad.
vised. What should chiefly govern
their deliberations must be, 1t
appeared, whether or not the pris-
oner. in setting incendiary hands up.
on his own property, had or had not /;
oh, marvellous mazesof Jurisprudence! y
--incendiary designs upon the prop !
erty of others. '
4. The Court withdrew, Bleibtreu was a
removed. and the crushed public wan. :
dered drearily about and stared M a
Moses, Solomon, Solon and Lycurgus. .
Honest Johann Senfft, joiner; Karl
Bauer, vintner; Adam Mollenkopf, 1,
plumber. etc., were conveyed by the 3,
still unexhausted guard To some "
stronghold, and remained absent n s.
full hour-conscious that the eyes OF
the nation were upon them--while =.
they officially made up their minds =;
whether or not Jakob Bleibtreu had 8,
deliberately, willfully, Intentionally, c,
and with malice prepense. set fire TO il
his oftimes hereinbeforesaid dwelling c
house, thereby committing arson,
and, IL so, what were his motives in do
ing il?
). The Court--it were impious 10 sus- s,
pect that their Honors had stopped to -
beer in the long interval-sailed in -
IL
again, black and majestic. The pris- ~
oner was detained without. Johann b,
Senftt, being called upon, announced in
in stentorian tones the verdict: q
In answer 10 the first question, eyes, ol
with more than seven voices" :, ',
In answer 90 the second question, -,
Yes, with more than seven voices" on
}. Whereupon the two Samsons In II
charge Of the prisoner brought him in, IN
and held him uf. that he might listen, pc
with fitting respect 10 What Johann W
Senfrt and the others had deter ar
mined were the ultimate facts OF the ., q,
case =, o.
Prisoner az the bar. hear the verdict
OF the jury" was thundered down
from Sinai.
he Clerk then proclaimed the oracu- q,
lar utterance in answer 10 the first IN
question: "Ies. with more ad