The Washington times., 1904-11-13

turin, november o.
~ OR years TO come, in all prob
- ability. the queer-looldng Italian
L court room, which is shown in
one Of the accompanying two
photographs. will be associated with a
trial that Ii is no exaggeration TO cali
the most sensational Of modern times.
This chamber Of justice is the little
assize court at Turin where al this writ
ing the prosecution OF the Countess Bon
martini. her brother. her lover. and the
two others who are charged with the
murder OF her husband. is now proceed
ang under circumstances of particular
..grlmness. This cramped. nl-nghted as
size court is historic in itself
In the days when Turin used 10 be the
capital OF the kingdom OF Piedmont, this
was the senate chamber, wherein many
q striking scene was enacted. None,
however. that even approached those
that are now OF daily occurrence in the
terrible drama whose tangled web OF
love. passion. intrigue. conspiracy. ann
murder the law is engaged in unFavel-
ling.
Famous Iron Cage.
The accompanying photograph Of the
assize court shows the famous iron cage
in which, with a carbineer standing
guard over them. the wretched countess
and her fellow prisoners are confined. as
all Italian prisoners must be when ap-
pearing before the bar OF justice. Just
before the proceedings opened, the other
day. the foreman OF the jury produced
fH
cation ana took a photograph OF the
prisoners in their cage. A typical ex-
ample this incident offered Of the con-
frast between stringency and license in
the conduct Of Italian criminal cases
medieYalism and the twentieth CEN
tury mixed.
The other photograph that aCCOmpan-
les this article shows the exterior OF the
law court building IN Turin, which since
the beginning Of the BOnmartini trial
has been besieged daily by such crowds
as no other criminal action In Italian
history has ever attracted.
Remarkable Legal Battle.
Even should the trial be concluded by
the time the words appear in print the
pictures viii not be without their inter
est, connected. as they are, with a truly
against the Countess Bonmartiui and
the others took the police two years to
gather, and the letters bearing on the
plot alone nn twenty-five folio volumes
Twenty-one lawyers-amOug them some
or the most distinguished counsel Of the
Italian bar-are fghting on one side or
the other the legal battle OF life or
death. Nearly 100 witnesses have been
subpoenaed and IL Is now thought that
the trial will last three months.
From all accounts rather conflicting
versions have been sent 20 America or
the story OF the BOnmartlnis That
story IL one that appeals strongly 70 the
italian temperament IL begins with
bve that found its grave in marriage
and revived with another for its object
But from these commonplace beginnings
OF tragedy have been evolved a tangled
maze OF mystery and crime such as
only passion and fate, love and hate.
can weave. II possesses all the ele-
ments OF a great detective story. IL
abOunds IN situations that would have
made the fortuae Of a novelist.
Human Butchery.
In this drama which eliminated In
such a piece Of human butcherv as
could hardly be dignided by the name
OF assassination, one figure stands out
an heroic relief II - that OF DR.. An
tonic Murgf. one Of the foremost OF
Italian physicians and professor OF the
University OF Bologna a senator az
Rome. ana possessed OF the old Roman
spirit OF the supreme duty OF the citl-
zen TO the state. he did not hesitate 10
denounce 70 the authorities his son-his
oaly sOn-as the murderer Of Count
Bonmartlni
His daughter. Linda, had married the
count I'm 1891. Before that she had had
= love affair with 3r. Carlo Secchi, one
OF her fathers fayorite pupils. but she