Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1914-07-11
TRIAL OF
A BONEPARTE

The name Bonaparte was destined.
from the time of the great Napoleon.
always to be kept before the public
view, and as late as 1870 a bearer OF
that name was tried for murder in
Paris. 1t was Prince Pierre Bonaparte,
cousin of the refining emperor. He was
a red hot republican in his opinions
and a reckless bravo in habits and
temperaments. After wandering over
half the world and taking part in var
ious revolutionary plots and insurrec-
ton in the Eastern and Western hem
ispheres, Pierre finally married the
daughter of a working man in Paris
and settled down in that city just pri-
or to the Franco Prussian war.
Pierre was in disfavor with the en-
peror and was not allowed to visit at
his court although he received a pen
sion from Napoleon III. His chief Of
Tense at this time was the scurrilous
articles he contributed to various jour-
nails. one of which called out singing
reply by Henri Rochefort in the MAR
seillaise." When this article appeared
Pierre challenged Rochefort to fight a
duel, and in turn NJ GrOusset of the
"Revanche" challenged the Bonaparte.
The latter entrusted his message to M.
Clrich de Fonvielle and Victor Noir,
and these ENJOYS proceeded to call on
the prince.
When they handed Pierre the chal-
ienge he crushed ii in his hand, and
whipping revolver from his pocket
shot Noir dead. and fired at his COM
panion, who was able to make his es-
cape although bullet pierced his coat.
AS soon as the affair became known
in Pal.s, NJ. oliver, as minister of
justice, ordered the arrest of Prince
Pierre Bonaparte, who Immediately
surrendered
Pierre was conveyed to the Concier
Serie where his family and friends
were allowed access to him. The en-
peror. on hearing of the affair, at once
signed a decree converting tie High
Court of Justice, appointed by the I'm
perial Constitution. for the trial of any
member of the Imperial family, accus-
eli of criminal cffensc. Directly fol-
lowing the shooting, NJ Rochefort
printed in his paper the following crit
zeal article: Here are eighteen years
that France has been in the blood
stained hands IF these cutthroats, who,
not satisfied with moving down the
republicans with grapeshot in the
streets. entice them into filthy snares,
to kill them within four stone walls.
Frenchmen' can it be thai you do not
think you have had enough of them ?
The funeral of Victor Noir took place
on the following wednesday afternoon
and nearly 100000 people collected to
show their sympathy for the deceased.
Prince Pierre Bonaparte was placed on
trial before the High Court of Justice
assembled at Tours on March 81, 1870.
The day on which the sittings COM
menced the whole town was crowded.
Inside the Palais de Justice every place
was occupied long before the hour of
the trial. The proceedings began with
a charge to the jury from the presi-
dent of the court. NJ Glandaz. Then
came the reading of the Indictment,
the exhibition of the mute evidence;
the documents, pistols, sword stick,
plans etc. which bore upon the crime
committed.
The prince was examined in the
| usual fashion of French prisoners on
trial, and required to give categori-
cal answers to the questions of fact
addressed to him. He gave his YER
sion of the story. in which he claim
ed that Nor had struck him, and
that he shot him in self defense He
was then confronted with the wit