The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-12-24
OF THE Ex-KAIsER
A Forecast
Toronto Globe)

Toronto Globe)
Few among those who demand that
the former emperor of Germany shall
be tried for the murder of the men,
women and children done to death on
land and sea by German soldiers, act
ing under his orders in defiance of the
laws of war and civilization, have
visualized the scene or even consid-
cred where the trial should take
place. The Hon. Stephen Coleridge, a
son of the late Chief Justice Cole
ridge, has done both. In very re-
markable sketch in the New York
Tribune, entitled "The State Trial of
William Hohenzollern-A Forecast"
he stages the trial in Westminster
Hall upon the very spot where
Charles Stewart stood to answer to
the charge of levying war upon Par
lament, and from which he went out
"the solitary and forlorn champion of
a lost cause" condemned to death.
Mr.. Coleridge in this dramatic
sketch puts into the mouth of the
on the last day of
the trial of William Hohenzollern a
noble passage of oratory contrasting
the Stewart king with the latest
claimant of divine right. Charles
fought with honor as a soldier
should, and died as only a gallant
gentleman can. No cruelty stained
his banners, no baseness tarnished
his sword. "But he that was
once emperor in Germany and king
of Prussia, and who now stands here
before you, bears no resemblance to
that great gentleman, King Charles,
save that he has worn a crown. When
we recall the awful and unnumbered
horrors with which he has covered
this globe we can wen doubt whether
all history can furnish parallel to
him. Here he stands, claimant of
his divine right as king, to be an.
swerable for his actions and his man.
dates only to God and his conscience"
The sixteen law lords and judges
who constitute the court set aside the
former emperor's claim that they
have no authority to pass upon his
alleged crimes, and receive in silence
his declaration that "your robes and
ermine are your only titles to author
ity, and though your wigs may impart
to you a gravity Of appearance they
cannot confer upon you even wisdom
and understanding, much less the
right to Judge king"
The former emperor is found guilty
of murder, and the lord chancellor in
passing sentence of death thus de-
scribes the crimes for which sentence
is imposed:
Frederick William Victor Albert
Hohenzollern, there is but one SEN
tence known to the law of England
for convicted murderer-and a MUIR
dered you have been proven to be.
For the instigator of murder, the
coMpasser of murder, the abettor Of
murder, though he assign to others
the actual strokes that kill, is as
much, in law and in fact, murderer
as is the plant instrument of his foul
intent. There is no atrocity that
your soldiers have not committed and
that you have not endorsed. Never
in any court, since there have been
courts, have such accumulated in
famies been brought home to one
man.
| "When by your orders the Lusi-
tania was sunk in midocean and inno-
cent women, and little children were
left to struggle and drown in the
trampling waves, you applauded the
awful act and directed that medal
deed.
when the .aptain of one Of your
submarines placed upon his deck the
captured crew of an unarmed merch-
ant vessel that he had sunk. destroy
ed their boats. took from them their
lite-belts, carried them miles away
from any floating wreckage, and then
projected them into the sea to drown,
you decorated the ruffian for his un-
speakable cruelty.
when gallant Fryatt, fulfilling
every duty captain owes to his in
offensive crew and helpless passen-
Tigers, turned the bows of his unarmed
packet boat upon the infamous
scoundrel in your abominable subn1a-
rine who sought to murder them in
cold blood, he fell into your hands,
and, coward that you are, you wreak,
ed your vengeance upon nobility that
was beyond your comprehension ana
valor that rendered yours insignifi-
lcant.
"There were times in the past
when justice would have avenged
such awful crimes as have been prov
led against YOU at this trial with tor
Iture of your living body and desecra-