Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-26

| ALLOW me TO tndnk you LOT your IdlIueSS,
M. President Then, turning to the jury,
freely admitted by the attorney for the
State, by the attorney for the defense, and
even by the honorable president himself,
that there was in this case something they do
not fully understand Such being the case,
there cannot be any doubt that you feel the
same uncertainty. Having full confidence in
the administration of justice in France, l feel
absolutely sure that in such circumstances
you could never bring verdict of guilty.
Therefore, it is not through fear that am
speaking: l simply want to dispel the cloud
that still obscures your minds and compel you
morally to bring a unanimous verdict of
innocence. Fear nothing, however; for my
mothers death will certainly be avenged.
"You do not understand this case, for the
simple reason that you do not know my
| father In Our old families an oath is use
less formality. Our word is our Gospel, and
according to our conscience, which is Our
code of honor, to tell an untruth is always
equal to perjury. l have lived all my life
| with my mother. | worshiped her, and do
not intend to extenuate the wrongs of my
father toward his family. Far from it!
Through his indomitable passion for gam
bling, he shamefully neglected us Time after
time my mother entreated him to give her
his word of honor not to touch a card any
more, and assured him that under such a
pledge she would not only forget the past
but even put her own fortune at his disposal.
He declined. With tears in his eyes he
would say, 'Yvonne, l cannot make you
that promise; for | am not sure | can keep
it. He is man of honor. A few days be-
fore her death my mother told me, Con
tran is going too far. l must protect your
fortune, and in order to cure him of his pas
e. h.
| shock. In no circumstances will l permit
Our name to be disgraced; but your father
needs lesson Then she wrote the letter
that forms the basis of the accusation.
"In spite of this warning, he gambled once
more; once more he lost heavily. This loss
after my mothers letter caused him to come
to his senses. He came to Sorges openly.
For what purpose? To kill my mother, as
the prosecuting attorney insinuates? No,
Gentlemen of the Jury, he came to give my
mother his solemn promise not to play any
more. He would have kept it, for he is a
man of honor, and happiness would have
mother could not hear the promise so pa
tiently and so eagerly awaited. Her lips, SO
willing to utter the words of pardon and give
the kiss of reconciliation, were sealed forever
by the brutal hand of one of these Apaches
| who wantonly commit crimes upon crimes in
the streets and in the suburbs of Paris.
ITO accuse my father of this murder is in
famous. Many time have heard him say,
| "A man who strikes woman, even with
feather, no matter how low she has fallen, is
felon!' l remember wildly when was seven
years old, seeing him reach home with deep
wound in his arm. Hehad protected a woman
unknown to him against the brutal blows of
ruffian. Can your imagination picture such
man strangling to death, in her bed, wo-
man, mot only woman, but his adored wife?
"As the motive of the crime the prosecut-
ing attorney puts forth, it cannot stand; for,
according to the very contract of marriage
between my father and my mother, l. their
child, could not dispose of my mother for
tune until was twenty-five years old, with
out the official consent of my uncle on the
maternal side, Count de Kerdol. Therefore,
the death of my mother was of no benefit
whatever to my father, who had to pay his
debt within twenty-four hours. Such being
the undeniable facts, what remains of the
accusation SO skilfully built by the attorney
for the State? Absolutely nothing!'
IN spite of the strenuous ringing of the
Sheriff's bell, a loud and prolonged round
hive int ODD ba