New-York tribune., 1918-02-15
Condemned French
man Takes Verdict
Calmly; Decision
in IS Minutes
Italian Accessory
Shares Same Fate
Porchere, Another Par
ticipant, Is Sentenced
to Prison Term of
Three Years

PARIS, Feb. A. Without the slight
est tremor, Bolo Pacha, convicted Of
high treason, heard Colonel Voycr,
president of the court martial, pro-
nounce sentence of death upon him to-
day. There was an impressive silence
in the courtroom. Merely shaking his
head and struggling his shoulders. as
though to say it was hopeless to fight
against the odds, BoIo returned to his
cell.
Awed by the soldiers with fixed
bayonets. those who had gathered in
the courtroom refrained from al.
demonstration, but the great crowds
outside the courthouse emitted a ter
rife roar and cheer Of approval as
word of the sentence reached them,
plainly showing the favor of which tho
sentence Of death found among the
French people
Verdict in Fifteen Minutes
The court-martial was unanimous IN
condemnine Boo. Only fifteen min
utes were taken in reaching the de-
clsion. The court stood for time
four to three against the conviction of
Porchere, but finally compromised. six
to one. on conviction on the charge of
'commerce with the enemy carrying
sentence Of three years imprison-
ment. The judges deliberated only
few minutes, and as they filed into the
courtroom il was easily discernible
that Bolo Pacha's fate was scaled.
The court also sentenced Fi!ippo
Cavallinie, participant in the now ia
nous Florence plot to overthrow the
French government, to death. Caval-
llnle is now under arrest in Italy, and
so out of the jurisdiction OF the court.
The speedy return of the court mar
tlal came almost as a greater surprise
to the crowds in the courtroom await
ing the verdict than the actual sem
tence of death itself, which had been
predicted from the outset.
Bolo took the announcement with
apparent calm, but Porchere. who had
sat throughout the trial stolid and stu
Pld IN appearance. was visibly moved,
though whether at his own escape from
posed upon Bolo, was not easy TO de-
termine.
The crowd made no demonstration.
but filed nosily from the courtroom
discussing the verdict
Inc evidence on which Bolo was con-
vlcted was collected mostly by Attor-
ney General Merton f. Lewis of New
YORK State, at the request of the
French government. AS revealed at the
trial, the New York State authorities
showed clearly that Bolo, on a trip to
America, got great sums of money
from the German government through
Count Won Bernstorff. German Ambas-
sador, Adolph Pavenstedt and others
With this money Bolo engineered the
"defeatlst" campaign in the press here
HIS object was to discourage France
and lead her to a disastrous peace.
Fervid Appeal of Counse!
The end of the trial came with some
abruptness after Albert Sales. attor-
ney for the Levantine financier, had
made fervld final plea for his clients
life.
The crowd in the courtroom listened
with spellbound attention, and with
obviously greater sympathy than had
been shown on the earlier days of the
trial. to the lawyers impressive speech.
Following a brief exposition of the
adherence generally felt at the charge
of treason, Attorney Sales declared
the trial of Bolo Pacha had raised dis
tinct doubts as to his guilt, and that
it was his tSalles's) task to change
them to a certainty of his clients in
nocence
The attorney then charged an "abom-
Unable press campaign against Bolo"
with being largely responsible for the
almost general belief in France prior
to the trial that his client was guilty,
and added that hardly ten men CON
WINGED of his innocence could be found
in the country.
This press campaign, NJ. Sales as
serted, had been deliberately instituted
by Senator Charles Humbert. former
owner of ale Journal after the Sena-
tor had failed to induce Bolo to sell
back the stock in "Le Journal" at half
the price Bolo had paid for il.
Prosecutor Is Scored
NJ SALES went lengthily into Bolo's
personality and severely criticised the
authorities. including General Dubail.
Military Governor of Paris. for what
he termed the prejudgment of the case
before it ever came to trial. He de-
clared that the veriest principles Of
elementary law, which pre-suppose a
man innocent until proven guilty, had
been disregarded.
The attorney scored the prosecutor,
NoP'aiii NoIIct, ana captain bOucnar-
don, of the Paris military court, for
raking up Bolo's past, and insisted that
the prisoner was not on trial for big
amy or theft, but for treason
so far as this court martial is con-
cerned," he said, "Bolo Pacha was born
in 1914"
Then followed a scathlng arraign.
ment of all those prominent men and
women. once glad to be Bolo's guests,
VINO had now deserted him.
NJ. Sales in closing was imprcssing
as he pleaded: "Do not condemn Bolo
Pacha to satisfy public opinion. Do not
condemn him to satisfy public passion.
DO not be guilty of miscarriage of
Justice that will he hittnriv rarrettea