The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1867-02-02 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SENSATION" TRIALS IN AUSTRIA.  The following account of two " mneatton " trials resently occurring at Vienna, are furnished by the correspondent of Ihe Times writing from that city, and who remarks that they hare excited the attention of the public there in the highest degree:— " - •  The first case was that of a criminal action brought against a young girl by the family of • nobleman for fraud and extortion. A certain Baron Ulm had been induced by • girl whom he accidentally met to promise either to marry her or to give her 10,00011. After a few months acquaintance he introduced her to his family, who were living at Freiburg, in Baden, and she was at irst kindly received as his future wife. As soon, however, as the pecuniary transaction that had passed between them became known, the scene changed. The young lady was driven with violence from the home of her intended husband, and his family sued her for extortion and fraud, at the same time applying to the authorities for a declaration that the Baron was an imbecile and incapable of managing his own affairs. At the trial two medical witnesses were called, who declared that they considered Baron Ulm to be non sus; 'untie compos; and, although their testimony was severely shaken by the counsel for the defence, the three judges—who in Austria perform the functions of jury as well as judges—found the young woman guilty of extortion (although not of fraud), and sentenced her to six months' imprisonment with hard labour. Admitting the imbecility of IJIm, his promise to pay 10,00011. was also annulled by them. Baron Ulm appeared as a witness at the trial; his behaviour was perfectly rational, and, as in the notorious Wyndham affair in England • few years ago, with which the present case has some analogy, the sympathies of the public were entirely with the persecuted lovers. The defect." in the Austrian law which became apparent on this occasion are, that there is no such thmg as a commission "de lunatic° inquirendo;" that medical witnesses cannot be called for the defence in such cases, and that the medical witnesses who give evideece on these occasions are not independent physicians, but are officially engaged and permanently attached to the Criminal Court of justice for all medico-legal cases. The other trial was thatof a very young and delicate. looking musician, M.trcher by name, and hantboist at one of the minor theatres, who had committed a most atrocious murder upon a man to whom he owed a trifling sum of money. At the trial he appeared to be insane, either refusing to answer the questions put to him or giving absurd replies, and demeaning himself generally in an extravagant manner. The only medical witness called in this case was the surgeon of the prison in which Marcher was confined, who declared the man's insanity to be simulated. He was aerates ced, In consideration of his youth and previous good character, to eighteen year!' imprisonment with hard labour. After the trial WM over it appeared that a sister of the murderer has been an inmate of • lunatic asylum for some years, and that the symptoms of her insanity are very similar to those displayed by the young man on his trial.  mentis