Glasgow Courier. — 1861-08-29 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF THE BARON DE VIDIL.  This trial excited great interest, the Central Criminal Court having been crowded at an early hour on Wednesday. Among other gentlemen seated on the bench were Viscount Torrington, Prince Demidoff, and Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton. The countenance of the prisoner, when he was placed at the bar, exhibited deep anxiety, and he listened to eveiything that took place with the utmost attention. At the commencement of the pro oeedings, at the request of the counsel for the prisoner all the witnesses for the prosecution were ordered out of Court.  Shortly after ten o'clock the prisoner was placed at the bar before Mr Commissioner Kerr, and a jury was sworn. None of the jurors were challenged. Mr Justice Hill and Mr Justice Blackburn having taken their seats on the bench, the indictment against the prisoner, which charged him with feloniously and maliciously wounding Alfred John de Vidil, was then read, and the prisoner was given in charge. Mr Clerk, who opened the case for the prosecution, concluded his address by saying —"lt would be for the jury to say whether—taking into consideration the fact of the prisoner not having stopped to render any assistance, but leaped over the pailings in spite of the tenterhooks, and of the assertion of a man named Evans that there was no thoroughfare—the prisoner was guilty of wounding with intent to murder." The evidence for the prosecution was much the same as that already adduced before Mr Come at the Police Court, and reported in our columns at the time. Isaac Perry, examined by Mr Beasley—l am a helper at Tollett's livery stables, Oxford Street, and on the 28th of June I took two horses to Twickenham, according to orders I had received. I met the prisoner at Twickenham, and also a younger gentleman; the latter had a whip, the prisoner had none. The prisoner was anxious to know which was the quietest horse, as, he said, the young gentleman could not ride well. The prisoner then asked me to borrow a whip for him, but I was unable to do so, and he went away without one. The horse the prisoner rode did not require a whip. Cross•examined—The horse the young man rode was a very-quiet horse, and it was at the request of the prisoner that he was put upon it, as he said he could not ride a bit. The horse the Baron rode would sometimes stop and rear up. The witness then contradicted his former statement, and said the horse the prisoner rode did require a whip. Mr Clerk called the son of the prisoner as a witness, and the Testament was tendered to him, and Mr Harker, the principal usher, was about to administer the oath to him, when he intimated that he objected to be sworn. He spoke, however, in such a low tone of voice as to be hardly audible. He was understood to say that he objected to give any evidence that was likely to be injurious to his father. Mr Justice Blackburn said that he must insist upon his being sworn. He had nothing to do with the effect of his evidence; all he had to do was to give his evidence without considering what the effect of it would be either one way or the other. The witness said that notwithstanding what his Lordship had said he must still decline to be sworn, or give any evidence against his father. The learned Judges having conferred together for a short time, Mr Justice Blackburn addressed the young man, and said that so imperative duty was cast upon him by the laws of the country and his allegiance to the Sovereign to be sworn and to give his evidence, and he violated that duty if refused to do so. He replied that lie had had several weeks to consider the subject, and his mind was quite made up not to give any evidence against his father. Mr Justice Blackburn then asked Mr Clerk whether he required the prisoner's son to be sworn as a witness for the Crown" . . . . . .  Itlr Clerk said he certainly was of opinion that the ends of justice required that be should he examined. Mr Justice Blackburn then asked young Mr de Vidil whether he still persisted in refusing to be sworn.