Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-25
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN.
W-TIIE FERRER CASE.
BY Frederic J.Haskin.

frankly anti-clerical 1t was frankly
anti-monarchical. although there was
ho!ning In any Of the forty books he had
written that advocated bomb-throwinG
or regfcide.
Under the law by which Ferrer was
er'eo every advantage is given to the
prosecution. The
Every Advantage defendant is not
Given Prosecution. x xno~e Sr. q law law,
choose as his advocate one OF a list Of
military officers. He may appeal to the
civil courts IL he Is hindered in making
his defense. A colonel and six captains
try the case and the supreme council OF
was passes upon the sentence. its action
being purely formal and perfunctory.
Everything is secret and the prosecution
has the best legal advice, while the de-
PENDANT has none. With such a law as
the instrument any one may be con-
victed.
But even this abominable law was con-
sidered insufficient to dispose OF Ferrer
quickly enough to have him out Of the
way before the next meeting of the
cortes, when embarrassing demands for
as to giving the accused an opportunity
TO near the testimony OF the prosecution
at the preliminary trial were ignored and
ne was confronted with only four Of the
sixty witnesses called against him. His
house was Illegally searched for evidence.
The accusation based upon the evidence
taken covers nearly sixty pages II was
returned the day after its preparation
was undertaken, and the accused hardly
had time to read it before the trial be-
gan. This drum-head court-martial lasted
only fve hours. A verdict OF guilty was
found and a sentence Of death was passed
10 the auditor general on the afternoon of
the day of the trial. On the following
day after supposed examination OF the
returned. Three days after the beginning
OF proceedings the supreme council OF
war confirmed the sentence OF death
and the following day Prof Ferrer was
shot to death In the trenches at the
fortress Of MontJuich.
This was an "eyelash finish" for the
prosecution. The cortes assembled two
days after the
convicted on judicial murder.
Flimsy Evidence. Inc Inc s ev,aen nee
rer was convicted was so fiimsy that il
has failed to convince the numerous in
vestigators who have studied il. but the
violation OF a law framed for conviction
in order to put through the trial and
carry out the sentence in advance Of the
meeting Of the cortes was the major act
OF folly committed by the government.
The evidence against Ferrer covered
with accusations, nearly COO folios His
military defender, knowing nothing Of
law. had less than twenty-four hours 10
read 1t and draw up defense. One OF
the chief prosecuting witnesses was Alb
sent from Spain. but his testimony was
admitted. witness was in exile in
Majorca, but his testimony was ad
mitted When he learned Of it. after Fer
rer's death. he denounced it as being
wholly untrue. Ferrer had come from
England to Spain to be present at the
bedside Of a dying niece when the Bar
celOna revolution" was brewing. The
father of the dead girl. his wife, Mrs.
nesses for the defense were sent into ex-
lie and kept under surveillance 50 that
they could not come TO the trial and
testify This violation Of the law makes
prosecution to give the defendants ad-
vocate time to prepare the defense also
vitiates the trial. The law expressly says
an appeal shall be allowed for such hin
drance, but none was allowed. In no other
civilized country In modern times has such
case of ''railroading'' q man to his
death been recorded.
A week after the death Of Ferrer the
Maura cabinet, utterly unable to with
stand the at
Maura Cabinet tacks of the
Resigns in Week. Weight Weight OF on pube
lie opinion. resigned. with the condemna-
ton Of Christendom ringing In their ears
The magnitude Of the Ferrer case serv-
ed to bring the gross injustice OF tho
trial before the civilized world and re-
suited in a change OF government. but
under the same law thousands Of cases
OF less prominence are decided. without
the slightest regard to Justice. every
year. The law has met with success as
suppressor OF peronal liberty and a mug
xler OF the public prints. Prof. Ferrer.
q short time before his death, wrote a
letter to q friend In which he described
the cell to which he was assigned when
awaiting trial. II was q dungeon under
ground without light or ventilation. damn
ana foul smelling, infested with rats and
vermin. He was given q change of linen
once q month and fed, upon soup. twice
q day. The Spanish prisons are as me-
dieval as their methods Of conducting
trials and the journalist or other citizen
who would rather be right than not be