Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-24
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF MIRAsEAu.

Readers generally know Miraheau
 as one of the great leaders of the , these stirring times so completely overshadew other portions of his life that few are familiar with his many escapades previous to that time. Mir abeau may be said to have been horn to trouble. At an early age he auar- reted with his father and fled from the parental mansion. but the old man procured a "lettre de cachet" and i'm prisoned him.
 When she was only IS and he had I married Emily de Marignana The parental funds having been cut ocf for disobeyfng his father the young eou- pie had a stormy time of it and debts came involved When his father or dered him to the Chateau d'f he told
 his son. You ought to be grateful to me for thus preventing your arrest by Imprisonment. By this means you
 will be securely enjoying his mates, tvs hospitality. where barons and creditors can do you no harm" 1 But while he was confined at the chateau his wife became enamored of a young chevalier This was the be- happiness Mirabeau. upon being re- leased from prison. shortly entered l into a liaison with Mme Sophie de Monnier, whose husband was presi- dent of the chamber dues comptes at Dole There were such stormy scenes < tn the De Monnier home that Mira beau and Sophie decided to elope. l The fleeing pair lived together at various places. finally arriving at Amsterdam Here they were arrest Paris and the criminal judge of the bailliage of Pontalier. ak the suit of I the Marquis de Monnier. declared
 Mirabeau convicted of seduction and | condemned him to be beheaded l (which will be carried out in efngy"l | toe. 900 hvres. Sophie was condemned | to be imprisoned for life in a house of 1 refuge in Resancon.
 The sentence which the court had pronounced against Mirabeua and 1 Sophie in TIT was to take effect in | five years time. unless before that ! period Mirabeau had -purged his con- tumacy.-that is. presented himself before the court for the case to heard
 afresh. On Feb. F. 17s2. Miraheau gave himself up to the authorities at }Pontarlier and began his voluntary 1 three months captivity in the filthy, crowded and infected prison. situated just over the council chamber where
 the judges were delinerating on his | fate,
 | His first examination took place on 1 the very day of his arrival. On Feb. | 21 he was examined Tor ten hours
 sswhat is most difficult to give any
 idea of," says Lomenie. 'is his ar roganee before his judges, Case? He had no case. His salvation must be wholly in his s.wit and audacity. He said that Mime. de Monnier had come willingly.
 her were in the pay of her husband" said Mirabeau. "and as to the wit nesses to my relations with her over ! the frontier, a French court cannot take congntzance of things happening in a foreign country, so l shall not reply to any question which has as it's object things taking place out of the kingdom"
 | Naughty and contemptuous before that day was done the accused had become the accuser, and the juuges, | baffled and bewildered. found them tselves arraigned before their prisoner on a charge of the irregularity of the
 legal proceedings on which he was be- ing tried.
 In May prisoner and case were re- moved to Besancon to be tried there by the chamber of La Tournelle of the tBcsancon parliament. Here Mirabeau attacked Somborde. the magistrate, as
 suborner of witnesses. and as being ship of M de Monnier, the defendant and so unfit to act in the case.
 | Finally a compromise was suggested and 1t was decided that . favorable
 decision would be rendered on cendi- ton that Mime. de Monnier should
 forfeit the privileges promised to aer on her marriage. He only eonserted to compromise after he had been
 able, as he said, ito dictate the jaw
 to the judges. I came to terms les! On Aug. IA. 17s2. the verdict was
 delivered. It completely annulied the
 sentence of TIT. on condition that
 Mime. de Monnier remained in the
 convent at Glen until the death of her husband, and that she should -forego