Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-12

3 Special2 Correspondence.
ONE. Sept 1.-Wide attention
* is being attracted by the trial
4 of Commentator canevelli. Di-
rector general of the prisons of
the kingdom and Commentator Doria,
his second in command. because of the
high positions of the accused and the
object lesson which It presents for
those who are agitating for prompter
justice. The two officials are being in
dlctcd for moral cruelties to prison
or with the object of inducing him to
betray his nccomplices. The trial has
already had two distinct and beneficial
effects; that of further opening the
eyes OF Italians to the need of the re-.
forniEof prison methods. and also TO the
scandalous delays in bringing accused
persons, whether innocent or guilty, to
trial. 3
The latter seems to be a character
istic of Justice peculiarly Italian, as
there is scarcely another country where
Il prisoner can anguish for years in
prison on mere suspicion. So universal
is the custom here that | have not
been able to remember single import
ant trial in this country where the
prisoner was tried inside of two years
after the crime was committed, and it
is usually twice that time.
TEN YEARS AFTER.
Who has not heard Of Acciarito.
the would be murderer of King Huns
bert In the minds OF most people he
is such ancient history that he is all
most forgotten. but the trial now go
ing on has To do With his imprson-
ment, although his attempt on the life
Of King Humbert took place 10 years
ago, his escaped victim mas been dead
eight years. and Acclarito himself is
langushinG in a cell where 10 years of
solitary confinement has made deep in
roads on his Intelligence ana he is lit
tic better than an idiot.
1t seems that Commentator Doria,
with the approval of Commentator
Canevelli and some others. finding that
Acciarito refused to acknowledge that
he had acconlpices. had one of the
prison guards pretend TO be prisoner,
and from the cell adjoining, by means
Of knocks on the wall. informed Ac-
cialito thar his mistress had had :,
hunger. TO support this uonstrous
and untrue story letters were sent to
him, purportinE 10 he from the ~o-
man, with the same STORY Acciarito's
love for her and a possible child were
the best elements iii him. and In his
agony at their supposed condition he
at once gave way and supplied the
names OF several men as his accom-
pliceS. Later. however. he retracted his
confession and nothing could be proved
against them.
PUBLIC AROUSED.
Public indignation was at white heat
when the facts became public, and
socialism ana even anarchism made
enormous strides. Notlwithstanding
this. it has taken 10 Years to bring
these officials to justice. After all this
tlne the public cares little on whom
the responsibility lies; what they de-
mand Is that no sucs, thing shall hap
pen again. and that the whole prison
system shall be changed. An, insJ here
lies the point OF defense of those who
approve somewhat lengthy delay
between the arrest Of a person for Il
serious crime. and his trial. They
argue that ii he is tried ut once. pas
sioIls are aroused that the. jurors and
even the Judge cannot argue serenely
and that justice is more apt to go
astray.
NO BAIL EVER ALLOWED.
This keeping prisoners for years be-
fore trying them is doubly cruel in
italy for the reason that there is no