Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-05-31
APPLYING THE THIRD DEGREE.

class in learning the art of wringing
confessions. Saint Just, exiled from
France for political intrigue, is pc
culiarly qualified to describe the third
degree, for he has not only given it,
but has received 1t on one occasion.
He tells the story:
In Paris the star chamber proceed
ings are not generally characterized by
brutality, yet the law sanctions a sys-
tenn of inquisition which has led many
Innocent people, particularly women,
to sign confessions Of crimes they have
never committed. The most striking
example of that kind was the case of a
woman accused of infanticide who ad-
mitted her guilt and gave birth to
child four months after being confined
In jail. She was ignorant, and the only
thing she could understand was that Il
confession was wanted from her; 9th
erwlse she would incur dreadful pun
ishment. This matter of confession Is
very serious in France ii being consid-
cred as "prima facie' evidence, in nc
cordance with the Justlnan code,
which says, "Nemo auritur, perre vo-
itlb kNililllE W hitt tNCi u lO Out
heard).
Taking the case of a man suspected
of murder. for instance, the first thing
done by the prosecutor is to order the
"secret'-that Is, the accused is locked
up In a cell without being permitted to
speak to any one, not even to his custo-
dian. The door of the cell Is construct
ed In such n way as to allow the food
TO be passed through an aperture by an
invisible attendant. No noise reaches
the ears Of the prisoner. He does not
even hear the footsteps of the guardian
tramplng day and night between the
narrow tiers of cells and at intervals
peeplng unseen through the diagonal
holes OF the walls and doors. Practi-
cally the prisoner is buried alive with
out being even permitted to read q
Bible.
The "secret" is maintained until the
completion of the Construction" Qnvcs-
tgatlon Of the case) conducted by the
"coinmissalre aux delegations judlcl-
aires" (cOmmlssary delegated to inves
tigate) and by the 'chef de In surete
(chlef OF general safety under the di.
rection OF the ''procureur de In repub
lique" district attorney. Then, nine
times out of ten, the real third do
gree" Is applied with n vengeance. This
Is called the "confrontation." The pris
oner, already emaciated and demoral.
ized by solitary confinement, is abrupt
ly taken from the cell and conducted tc
the place where the crime was commit
tod The dead body Is there In the ex
act position I'm which II was found, tho
surroundings undlsturbed not even the
blood stains having been removed. Tn,
''procureur de Ia republique." assisted
by the secret agents and n detail ol
uniformed police. is at hand. As soor
as the accused allghts from the car
rlage or patrol wagon he is rushed
ahead OF all present to the side of hi
supposed victim. He may falter, h,
may fail and even faint but he has (,
70 and "face the music" as the pole,
facetlously say.
Then he Is piled with questions an,
finally compelled as climax to re
hearse the crime as he Is supposed I
have committed 1t. He Is kept under
running ire OF questioning, examined
cross examined and made TO answer al
kinds OF contradictory statements hi
refusal TO do so being constructed as n
admission of the charges alege
against him. This Is kept up for hour
the only escape for the tortured ma
being to make then and there fu
confession which will send him to th
guillotine, Should he not confess, how
ever, he finds that his trials are nc
over For days and weeks he is brougl
daily from his cell to the private ofiiC
OF the 'Juge d'instruction," who pr'
pares the case for the prosecution.
he is pliable. he may be allowed to el
10y few delicacies, and even Il
Judge condescends 10 give him son
! smoking tobacco. In his cell, howeyo
he can expect the company of "mo
ton" (sheep), or stool pigeon, who
mission is TO extract from him son
damaging evidence. The "mouton'