Evening star., 1898-12-03

| matter makes this peculiar function still
| more picturesque. The 1uge d'instructior
oeIore whom so many celebrated characters
nave passed OF late. is neither Judge grand
jury public prosecutor, chief of detectives
nor friend OF the family; yet he touches on
an OF these characters in one days work
"hen man Is accused Of anything In
france 1t fs the first duty OF this amialoIe
parsonage to overwhelm him with a mass
OF doubts and fears. His second duty ia to
iead him to confess that he is guilty. His
third duty Is to lay neat traps for him. so
tnat ne may be tripped up nicely at the
tr1ai. The iuge d'instruction would admi.
all this. and smile disdainfuly at any idea
OF rair play for evildoers. They may have
lair play before the court and fury But"
ne would add, If you are innocent confide
IN me- az In father" Tell me all you
Know all that you fear all that you sus-
pect You Will find in me better friend
anu more poWerful-than your own law
yer. Ihis is also true-at times
In Close Confinement
When man is accused of anything in
france the first thing Is to throw him into
close confinement. Often he does not even
| know of what he Is accused. He sits in his
CELL as Lieut.. Col. Picquart has been sitting
Ior the last four months He may not see
his friends. He may not even see his law
yer. lie may write letters but they must
De OF indifferent. domestic matters clear of
hintS and instructions. The letrars he re-
celVes must likewise pass inspection His
friends may send him a rig for his cell
floor. his dressing gown and slipper.. his
cigars, MS books. his wine anG food from
a good restaurant. But he may see no
newspapers One thing only he knows Well
Justice in the person CT the iuge Il in
struction-is occupied with him. His
nome Will have been ransacked, bis papers
carried off. The Iuge d'instruct!on will
nave been talking with his friends and enc
mics about him. The weeks crawl What
does the law think of him? He would like
to see his lawyer.
'Oh, no. says French justice. we pre-
sumo tnat you are innocent 1t will do you
no prejudice to come and talk first a few
times with our good iuge d'instruction and
help him clear uD some OF the small tan
giles In the case against you. Then You
may see your lawyer-H you think You
need one,"
Walk Into Ny ParIor.
so every now and then they take him up
to see the juse d'instruction. The ground
floor of the Palais de Justice is one great
hive of busy offices, where LOCO clerks are
scribbiins all day long In and out stink
the detectives. Waiting rooms are filed
with people called to come and chat about
their neighbors. Lawyers hang respect
iuiiy about the various juges' doors, await
ing the permission to speak with their
clients.
Nothing could be miIder, cozier and
rriendlier than the parlor of the juge din
struction. The kindly juge is there, uncere-
monious and easy, with his secretary.
Now, we shan't be long" their kindly
manner says. Come. tell us all about it."
Heias. If the wretch is guilty It is hard
to tell them all about it. What shall he
tell! What do they know? His lawyer,
W Gff fL tHnyA hna ID l..
had opportunity to say word to HIM Yet
he must pretend that he Is innocent and
answer frankly, freely. eagerly and with
out hesitation all the subtle questions put
to him by this nquisitor. There are no
rules of evidence to bind the juge d'instruc-
ton. His inquiries will have included con-
fidential chats with friends and enemies of
the accused. with clerks and office boys
suspicious and hypothesis that would not
be admitted even In French law court
assist him to trip up the man who has to
answer In the dark.
such and such a thing Is said of you
How do you explain it?" the tuge d'instruc-
tfon will ask. The prisoners lawyer dare
not object that 1t Is an iusinuation utterly
irrelevant. He dare not even ask. who
says it?' 1t is true the prisoner may refuse
to answer. Then go back to your cell a
little while. Perhaps in a few weeks YOU
may remember" Regularly the prisoner
always answers. Then. il that is So how
self plunged In another explanat ton What
does 1t tend to? Is the juye d'instruction
playing great confidence game on him
Yes. this Is unhappily too often true In
France there Is no fair play-for the guilty
1t Is in this firmly founded theory that
the guilty have no rights that all the dis
orders OF French justics-civn and military
take their rise.
Making Up q Dossier.
Another source of error Is the French
yeneration for the written document From
the first moments of q mans arrest the
documents begin to multiply amazingly
No little clerk or functionary is too smsI,
to add his mite to the continually swelling
dossier. Unsupported hearsay, unchecked