The Jersey City news., 1899-06-13
CHRISTIANS SENTENCE
The Baron Gets Four Years
Imprisonment for Strik-
ing Loubet.
rBy Gable to The Associated Press.1


PARIS June 13, 1S99.-Baron De Chris
tiani. who assaulted President Loubet
with a cane at the Autouil races June
4 was sentenced today in the Correction
al Police Court. at the Palace of JUS
tice, to four years imprisonment and to
pay the costs of the trial.
The Judges deliberated thirty-five mni-
utes and delivered judgment at 2:05 P.
NJ, saying that according to articles of
the Penal Code under which Christiani
was sentenced he was liable to from two
to five years Imprisonment There was
a general exclamation of surprise when
the sentence was announced but the
prisoner heard it with no signs of emo
ton
The court in which the trial took place
is one of the smallest in the Palace of
Justice. The hall is panelled with oak.
and behind the judges hangs a painting
of the Crucifxion.
The prisoner sat in the dock beside a
policeman and only few ticket holders
and oher privileged persons were allowed
in the cour room which otherwise was
almost filled with policemen and municf-
pal guards The precincts of the Palace
of Justice were quite calm, the general
public not being allowed to enter the
building in which the court IS situated.
De Christiani. who is above the medium
height, has an iron gray moustaehe. He
wore an eyeglass and he was elegantly
dressed in gray with light blue bow.
He Is a handsome looking man, with
clear cut features and fresh complexion.
The Baron followed the proceedings with
keen interest, but did not otherwise show
his feelings. Counsel for the Baron plead
ed that the prisoners act was not po-
litical one, but that he acted spon-
tanoously, on the impulse of the mo-
ment, 1oosing hi3 head in the midst of
the scene of excitement around him. Dur
ing counsels plea the prisoner scrutinized
the witnesses and people in the court
through his eyeglass.
In his own behalf, the prisoner said
he did not belong to the Royalist Club
nor to the White Carnation Club and
asserted his act was wholly unpremedi-
tated He also expressed the belief that
the surrounding circumstances ought to
be considered.
The Procureur General, M. Feuillolley,
who personally prosecuted the Baron, in
outlining the charges, said the blow aim
ed at President Loubet was SO fierce
that the stick in the hands of the pris-
oner was broken on the balustrades. This
alone, the Procureur General pointed out,
saved the President from having his
face smashed.
The Proceuref-G General then controvert-
ed the statements of the prisoner, deny
ing his act was premediated, referring to
the fact that de Christiani. speaking to
police inspector at the time of his ar
rest, said
IF there had bene forty of us we would
have carried off the whole Presidential
stand"
After the witnesses had testified to the
facts already detailed, the witnesses for
the defence We're called Prince de Brog-
lie, Comte de Labord, the aMrquis de
Broc and others asserted de Christiani
had not dabbled in politics and that his
action at Auteuil June 4 did not accord
with his convictions or usual quiet de-
meanor.
After sentence had been pronounced,
de Christiani left the court, in custody,
previously clasping the hand of his coun-
sci.
There was no incident worth noting
during the trial. But it appeared that
the great majority of those present
thought the sentence very severe. al
though it was not expected the prisoner
would receive lenient punishment.