Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-10
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIALS OF oRsINI. Er AL.


 On Jan. 14, 1858, an attempt was made in Paris upon the life of the Emperor, Napoleon ILL, by Felix Or sini, an Italian and other conspirators, leading among whom were Pierri, Ru- dio and Gomez. Three shells were ex- ploded, two persons were killed and many wounded.
 Pierri denied all knowledge of the conspiracy until the day before the attempt was made and said that he repented and took no part in the act. Gomez, the servant of Ofsini, knew nothing of what was to be done until the last moment. Rudio confessed everything and fnculpated the others. He confessed that he had thrown one bomb himself.
 ton and declared that he had intend ed to kin the Emperor. His fixed idea, from his youth. he said, had been the deliVerance of Italy and vengeance upon the Austrians. When the French landed at Rome he was convinced that from the Emperor Napoleon and he resolved that he must be killed.
 At first Orsini had intended to make the attempt alone, but seeing the inn possibility of approaching the Emper- or, he had taken others into the had resolved not to speak of his con- federates, but when he found that they had betrayed him he gave way to feeling of vengeance.
 Allsop, the Englishman, who had aided him in procuring the nnanufac- ture of the bombs and under whose name and with whose passport he had entered France. did not know that the bombs were intended to be used to Kill the Emperor, but supposed that they were to be used in Italy
 At the trial Orsini was defended by NJ .IIIIa1 sv1 T{ read a letter from the prisoner to the Emperor: "The depositions which I have made against myself" says Or sint, "are sufficient to send me to the scafold. and shall submit to my fate without asking pardon, both because will not humiliate myself before l him who has destroyed the reviving liberty of my unhappy country, and because in the situation in which l am now placed. death for me will be a
 The trial consumed only the better l part of day and all of the pris- oners were found guilty. Gomez, with extenuating circumstances considered was sentenced to hard labor for life The others were condemned to death The sentence of Rudio was subse- quently comrnuted. OrSini and Pierri I were executed by the guillotine on the 18th of March, the former meeting his l fate with much dignity and frmness while the latter betrayed tokens c1 great qHeruiougness.
 At the time of the attempt to as- tsassinate the Emperor. Napoleon ILL and the Empress were on their way to the theateR. The intended victims | were unhurt, but Orsini himself was l wounded and was at once arrested Besides the letter the assassin ad- dressed to tho Emperor requesting that he take up the cause of Italian liberty, he wrote another one to the youth of Italy, stigmatizing political assassination.
 The importance of orsini.s attempt l on the life of Napoleon III. lies ir ! the fact that it terrified him, and he came to believe that unless he tooE up the Italian cause other attempts would follow and that sooner or later he would be assassinated. This feal contributed not little to the Emper- 1 ors subsequent Italian policy. As an illustration of the great in- terest in this case, thousands of peo- pie would assemble every morning be- fore daylight near the Prison of La Roquette to be present at the execution fixed.
 Just prior to his execution Orsin l wrote a respectful letter to the Pro. curer General, acknowledging the | equitable and honorable conduct of tht court that tried him and of the jury that found him guilty. as we'll as tt | the perfect liberty accorded to hi. 1 counsel.
 It is said the heads of both Orsin
 and Pierri were steeped in vitrio after death that no prying Mme. Tus. saud or insinuating Claudet migh photograph the features. Gomez anC | Rudio were shipped off to Senegal l from which they were carried to ths 1 swamp of Cayenne, which, although
 less speedy. are as remorseless in struments of destruction as the EI1iIIo. tine, which they Congratulated them, selves on escapinr-