Year: 1878

sell is not a large one for a court
perhaps not more than eighty feet


square, TheI principal object is q


pale, thin, long-haired young man,


badly dressed, and evidently not


over well fed. AS you look at him


you notice that he is laughing with


ghastly grin, as though making a
joke at what is being done by the


rest of the group to which he be-


longs. One policeman is pressing


as hard as he may the elbows of the


grinning wretch, while another


holds his wrists, and a third en-


deavors to tie his hands tight to-


gether with a long, thin piece of
chain. The youth who is being


pinioned is none other than Hoedel,


would-be assassin of Kaiser Will


liam. 1t is almost impossible to


convey an impression of the extreme


simplicity Of the whole scene, UNI


less the idea Of an ordinary court of


justice is given up for that Of a


court-martial. On the raised dias


and round the edge of a semi-circu-


lar green table, in high, straight


backed chairs, and with huge ink
pots before them, sat, attired in


plain evening dress, wearing, how


ever, small black neck-ties, twelve


middle-aged gentlemen, OF whom


those at either end were respective


ly the public prosecutor and the


registrar Of the court, while he who


sat near the middle Of the table was


the president and Judge, Herr Won


Muller. Below the dias IN the CEN


ter Of the room, at a little table


covered with papers, sat the advo.


cate of the prisoner, a nervous
| 6dgetty, anxious man, who evel


and anon jumped up and stepped


to his client, whispered earnestly


for a few moments and then re,


turned. Very much more con.


cerned was he, to all appearances


than the individual in whose Interest


he was acting. Seated on a form, in


front Of which was q small wooden


bannister, unfettered, free to rise


and lean against the barrier, or to


repose on the seat as he pleased
tgenerally, it may be remarked, to


lounge in such a way as to indicate


the supr0mest contempt for all thai


was passing around him, was Hoe.
del, the prisoner. AS my eye fell
on him, and then upon the three OF


four sturdy policemen who sat neal


him, could but note how fragile


a waif of misery this would-bs-as.


Sassin was. LIDO not know whether


he had a more stalwsrt look the


day he was creeping along the Lin.
den, revolver in hand, thinking to
shoot the Emperor. Hard living
and two months residence in
Prussian jail may have had some
thing to do with reducing his flesh
Perhaps, too, had his unbuttoneC
crumpled shirt been clean; his har


which he now and again put OF
while witnesses to his identity wert


being examined-a little less bat


tered; his coat and pantalooni
} mended and brushed; his long
: yellow hair cut and combed, anC
his excessively dirty hands and face


washed, he might have presented 1
more satisfactory appearance. But
as he stood or sat, now rubbing the
end of his nose with the palm o


his hand, now scratching his heaC
and now grinning, there was no
thing very formidable or notable
about him. My first thought was
that the treadmill and sounC
birching would have been the mos
suitable punishment for so forlorI
a wretch as he, Yet he was no
| only intelligent, but almost clever
The work of justice went OF
apaoe. Not q moment was lost
: not an unnecessary question wa
r asked. "Call Herr, master ba
! ker." In stepped the needed per
son and marched to tho foot Of th,
dRis. "Haye you sworn to deposi
S tions before the public prosecutor
\ "a have" "Did you tell the trutl
G without being asked to say a wore
l for one side or the other?" 81 did
r "Then inform us as briefly as pos
0 sible what you know of the case.
D Witness forthwith proceeded Il
e state what he knew, which he usu


ally oOntrived to do in less than fiv
t minutes. He seldom digressod; hi
4 statement was, as q rule, concise
S clear and brief. Now and again


= witness would, struck with apparen
G horror at Hoedeps acts or Hoedel'
Q words, grow eloquent for o mo
# ment; but such a disposition to as
! foo much was always met by


is frown from the president, and W
n soon heard an end of the story
" "Qo you want to ask him any
# thingP" was the question inyariabl
n put by Von Muller TO the advocat
k Tor the crown and to him for tn
Ie prisoner, when the witness had lir
'e ished, and rNo" was almost the il
It variable answer, Nearly forty pc
s sons gave evidence in less tina