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Leader (1850-1860), 24th January 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 78

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      THE . TRIAL . OF VERGER . The trial of Verger far tbe murder o £ the Archbisbjon of Paris took place last Saturday at . the Palais da Justice . Only tbosa wJk > had " , tickets were admitted ; bat , even , with this restriction , the hall was , crammed hx every awailabla parfy and a strong' force of . sergens de villa maintainedor-den . A large-crowd of people remained in . thff neighboushood , in the hope of hearing from time to time some report of the proceedings ^ The presiding Judge -was : M . le . Pr , emiex President Belangle . " On the table in front of the . Judge ; " says , the account given , by the Daily Neios correspondent , " were placed ^ in accordance with , established , usage , those appalling things called 1 jbe pieces de conviction ,, the material' evidences of the crime . There was the murderous knife ( the blade yet bloody in more than half its . length ) , and there wem the sacerdotal garments of the : victim . —the . stole-,, the surpliafl } the govm ,. allpierced and bloody . The poniard , about a foot long ,, as . has been said , is a- moat terrible , weapon ,, and » a . peculiarity in ; ita manufacture is that , at the , back o £ the . Made near , the point there is a concavity resembling the hollow part of the end of-a . pen , made , it is aaid ^ in order to facilitate tha . nWing , of the- blood . At twenty minutea past ten , the prisoner was brought , into , court . He-is » young-man of middle ; height , fair complexion ^ , hi g-li forehead , and regular and ; expressive , features * His-fiaee , long 1 , thin , and pale , is extremely intellectual , and in no wise indicative of ¦ ferocity .. ' lie . was dressed entirely in black , in the costume -which priests generally wear in the streets . He advanced to the bar -without-the least appearance of either trepidation or bravado . ECe had , a bundle of papers in his hand , and ^ on . faking , hi 3 seat between two gendarmes , lie leant forward . with the greatest calmness to whisper a word'to his advocate Cpfficially appointed ) , M . Hogent Saint Xanraris . '

      une demeanour of tue accused , and the wildneas of his answers to the Judge , were so singular and striking that we give the greater part of the examination at . at . full length , as we find it reported in the very interesting , account given in the Jyaily News . After the reading of the indictment , "Verger , in a calm tone r . said he liad an observation to make . The President told him he might speak ; on which he proceeded :. — " Gentlemen , nineteen centuries ago , a great word was spoken by a man who was more ' than a man ; his name waa Jesus Christ . This word was , ' Pax vobia ! ' Fax omnibus { '" And another man whom you love and venetrate ,. and whom I love and venerate with yon , repeated tbua word wnen he said , L'Empire e ' est Ik paix ! ' ITow we must understand the sense of this great word ¦ " ' The President : " Excuse me ; you . seem to be going into , your defence , and this is not the time . " The Prisoner : " The empire of the sabre is war - the moral empire ia peace . A few minutes ago , gentlemen , you heard the registrar lead the circumstantial : details of the event for which I am responsible before God , before society , and in mine own eyes . The members of the parquet , ( public prosecutor ' s office ) have succeeded in procuring the most precise information against me . I have had no similar advantages . Since my imprisonment I have , it is true , fabricated some formidable arms , but the arms which I had prepared before going to . prison were also formidable , and I have them not . Among them are -papers which will show what my enemies are . Those enemies aro the members of the Papal Inquisition . " Considerable discussion then ensued with respect to , the suppression , of these papers and of the refusal to hoar several of the witnesses for the defence . The reason for these acts , of which Verger bitterly complained ,, was alleged to l ) o that ho designed to make a libellous attack on several of the clergy . Tho Procureur-Gencral ( M . Vaisse ) . observed , " Ilia list of witnesses ia but an abominable libol . " On this , Verger ,. in aloud voice ,, burst out , " Read it , then , read it !" The Procuieur-General : " It is an abominablo libel ,

      Tlte-Prisoner ( vehemently ) : "I desire that my witnesses should bet beard . " Mi .. Kogeat- Saint Laurens ros * and begged hi * client tO'Calm himself * . He waul- < l reserve to- himself the right to call foe further witnesses- if » in the course of the trial , he should see occasion . to < do so . The Prisoner ( interrupting ) : ; "My honourable defender , I cannot concede to you what I refuse to thecourt . I maintain my demand , and L desire that it may be executed ^ ' " 7 . The court here retired to deliberateupon- the prisoner ' s application ta postpone the trial , and returned ; in . a few minutes , when the : President announced that th ® application : was reji&cted . The Presidents " Verge = r , rise , and answrec nxy questions . " '

      The Prisoner ( resolutely ) : " I will answer nothing .. It ia . moral violence . " On the sergent daville ^ ho axrested "Verger giving hia evidence , the prisoner said ,:- —" I ha-v-e- been ill-treated . I have a reproach to make against this witness . I was horribly beaten and kicked . Such an arrest is . notmoral . " ( Laughter ?) The President here , pointed to the bloody poniard , and asked the prisoner whether he recognised it . The Prisoner : " Yes , sir ; that is the instrument I used . " Gufllot , a nuissier , heaid the prisoner cry liA Has Tes dresses , ** &a& saw him brandish the poniard . Madame Laine , the -woman who lets out chairs in the church , saw Verger sitting on the third row . The Archbishop gave » His benediction , and then she saw . the prisoner strike him . She thought at first that he had given , a blow with his fist . The Prisoner : " The evidence of-this lady is . of no . importance . I must , remark , that , according to Jesus Christ , no money ought ia be paid in a church , but she made me nay ten centimes for the chair . I hope the money may profit her soul , " ( Sensation . ) A letter to the cure * of St . SeVerm from Verger having , been mentioned " , the President asked what he said to that . He replied : — " I have to say that Earn , the enemy of the present -clergy , jusfc as Jesus Christ was the enemy ofthe Pharisees . I am . an enemy ^ of all that , is pharisaical I demand that the letter be read . ' *' The Procureur : " That is unnecessary . " The Prisoner : " Spectators , see how they refuse me every thing—physical violence , moral violence . " M . I / egentil proved tlie circumstances-relating to the prisoner ' s conduct at Heaux . The Prisoner : "I defended' with all my might a man who was unjustly condemned by the Court of Assize for poisoning , "

      . Tha Prisoner : " Audience ,, you : aee I ant not free . Gentlemen of the jury , I am . not freei " Tlie : President .: " You-ase noi free .-1 « slander , and ; you shall not . " The-Abbe * Legrandycur . eofi Saint Germain . I'Auxerrois deposed ! to Verger being the author of several libellous writkigs : against hun . Be . had employed him ux a seeondary capacity . At this stage of the proceedings ,, the prisoner became more violent than ever . He declared that , only gaebled letters were- read against him ,, and . loudly demanded thai everything-should . be read . , Lie-safc dawa and rose up . repeatedly with furious-gestures , and called the cat £ a " Miserable ; . ' miseralle !"' The President i " Prisoner , by virtue © £ my discretionary power , I . shall send you out of courts , and proceed with the trial in yoiui absence ^ . " The IPrisoner : " Hce parole ou la ; guillotine * . I am afraid of nothing-,. 3 will brave death-as- I bravo this tribunal . You axe a set of wretchesi L fear Gad alanei , " The President ordered , the gendarmes to take the prisoner away- B&- resisted' : and eried ^ , " Heljkj , peoplfe ! People * defend , me I" A cry . hare arose- , fromt the audience ) "No , no ! You . axe au < assassin , an assassinl ** and the- prisoner was dragged- inwa » y > from' thee bairamidsfc a scene such as was . probably never before witnessed in a court of justice . The court then . ' , adjourned for aafaatt time .

      un uie resumptLon ot tne proceedings ,, vergen -vr-aa calmer , and , the rest of ther widence havh » gi been- received , the President : called upon- the PEoeuceur-Gen ^ ral ta make hi * speech for the prosecution . The Procureur-GeneraL began by soy ing tha * be had reaJly no rgqyisitoire to pconounce- ; he was . not able to master his emotions . The prisoneo herec < jxclainied r " Uqu tremble ,, sir ,, you tremble , finding yourself opposed to suchtan adversary aa I am . Yesy Lam youc adversary / in everjttliiiig . You . shall net apeak . You have , prevented . me from speaking-,, and . I will prevent youj' After -vain , attempts- to'make the prison&rj conduct hinoselfi decently , the caujt , on the motion of the Psocureur ! -G <^ n ^ caL pro > . nounced a decree reciting that , the prisoner , by incessant clamours and * insults , had obstructed the . course of justice ^ and ordering ; thai , by virtue- of Articles , 9 , 10 , and 12 o £ the law « £ SeptemJber 25 , 1835 , hft should ! be removed , from , court ,, the .-trial proceeding ia his abaenca . Tha prisoner sufi « red himself tDbe-taken-away quietly , and the rest of the . proceedings , including : the speech for . the defence , were gone through * The dofiance : was based , on . tha presumed : insanity of Verger*— a * preaumption which had . certainly received great ; confirmation from the conduct of . thec accused , during , the . trial .. Tha ; President having summed up , Hie juEy ,, " after retiring , for twenty minutes ,, returned -with- a verdict of Guilty . Sentence , of death , was then passed ia tha usual form ( Verger being still absent ) , and . M . Nogeut Saint Laurens . was directed to-inform liimi that he . had three days to appeal to- the Court ofi Cassation : againet the senfceace . Some particulara of the . conduct of Vergar after tie trial are given by the Paris correspondent of the Times : — " At seven o'clock on Saturday evening , the clerks of the Court repaired to the prison , of the Goneiergerie , "wliere Vergpr , is confined . They entered his cell , and announced that tliey had corne , in conformity with , the law of thrf 9 th of September ,, 1835 , to read to him . the copy of tho . minutes of the trial after he had been , removed from the court- Verger was then somewhat calm . ; ha stood up , and declared that he was raady to- hear tJbem .. After 4 ae reading of tha minutes and of the sentence of tho-court , he became suddenly much excited , and ,, addressing the chirks-, he cried out , ' Now , sirs , be off—get away— -administer justice ! You also shall be condemned . Quit this place ! I drive you from , my presence ,, and I despise you ! ' The governor of the prison , at . once gave orders

      that Verger should put on the . dresa appropriated . to those under sentence of death . It consists , of a . camisole de forco , or strait-waistcoat . He . made no resistance , nor uaeel any violent words ,, whilo tha operation , was going ] on . He merely said ,. ' I know now that I am no longer my own master . ' Ilo , passed , tlie night quietly , and even slept soundly ,, and on Sunday morning , seemed quite calniu The Governor inquired , if thoro ; was , anything , ho wished for . ' I desire , ' ho said , ' to appeal to tho Court of Cassation at once . ' He Wfxsinforjned that it waa ini-, possible * to do so on that , day ( Suadaiv , ) ,, hut tlie Govornor promised him tliat early on tho morrow has would communicate his demand to the chirks-af the court . " Subsequently , ho received tho Abbe" Nottelet , who talked , with him for some time , and the effect seamed to be . to render him . much calmer . To ; tlio oflicera of . the prison he . expressed , a desire , to address , a . petition for pardon to tho . Emperor" A . copy of the indictnoumt , " says , the Times corresponiont ,, " waa preacnted ; to Verger , pvovioua to tUo : trial , and ho made several corrections ia it , and : signed it , with his Initials ,, ' L . V . '' Among otUcr altorationi ) , uc struck out tho worda setting forth that tho exclamation ho iiacd on abxiking , tha archb . iaho |> was ,, l A bw ks-, d&assas ! ' and inaiatcd . that it was . . A ha& lea , Conovefains . ( Tho GdinovefdiaB . are the . cho&laina of , St . Genevidvo . ) In anotlier place , whora tha aopying ; clark hnd . taado thu blunder af apolling , uu / cl . ( altar . ) , hotel * Vorger corrected tho . miatttltoj aad wjcato . i » tba , margin , ' ¦ And ' ¦ ( amlT

      The President :. " You alone possess the supreme science . You . pretend , to know that men are innocent who are condemned by -the justice of their country . " The Prisoner ( emphatically ) : " Yes , yes . Kead my ' Colin Maillard'" ( a pamphlet written by the prisoner ) . People ( turning towards the audience ) , ask to have that read . Public ,, ask my brother far the book : he will give it you . " ' Tho . Vicar-General of Meaux stated tlie facts which . led to the interdiction of the prisoner . The Prisoner ( to the witness ) : " You are a scoundrel . " The President exhorted the . prisoner to be moderate .

      Hie Prisoner : " Tow see here but a dead man , a poniard , a scaffold ,, and a guillotine . I see something else . I have laboured fifteen , years for this result , and you will not hear me a . single day . " The President here read a letter written by Verger a year ago , in which he said that he alone Iiad premeditated and executed the = murder of the archbishop . On being asked why ; he wrote that letter , tho prisoner made a long rambling statement to the effect that he was in despair , and had been persecuted by the Paris Inquisition . Tho President : " Your doctrine ia abominable ; . above all , in the mouth of a . priest . " The Prisoner : " A lie , a lie ! Anathema , President !" M . Montandon , a French Protestant clorgyman , stated that Verger came to turn complaining of his superiors ,, and said he wished to > become a Protestant . Witness told him . tlmt a change of religion was a , very serious matter , and that , dissatisfaction with hia superiors Avaa no sufficient cause for such , a step .. The Prisoner :, " After having seen tins gentleman , I renounced both Catholics and Protestants , because I became convinced thai they are both in error . " Tho Abbo" Sibon ,, vacar of Saint Gormain VAuxorxoia , stated , among , other tilings , that he had received a letter from Vergpr ,, in whicfii he threatened to dishonour , him , as well as . the manes of a person who was . dear to , him , and whom ho had lost .. Tlio P . riaoner : "You aro a Pagan to say ' raaiusa . ' That , ia Paganism , do you hoar ?" The Prisoner hero snid that tho witness bad not stated what they both knenv very well about the Biahop . of Evroux Tho Profiulent ,: " Stop ! stop !" The Prisoner ( raising hia voice ) ,: " Nor about the Biahop ofi Soi 8 aona . " ( Movement of indignation in the audiencaJ ) Tn « ProaiMDant : " Hold your . ton < mo ,, a » d . sit-down . "

      a farrago of calumnies . " TJbe Prisoner ( furiously ) : " Read , read ,, read , read ! " ¦ Tho , Presidfint : " You spoke just now of Christ . " ThaP . riaonox : " Yes , M . le Prc " 8 ident . I appeal again to his justice ,, nisituuth , hia gpodneas , his mercy . " The . President ; . "Enough . " The Procureur-Ge " " rar : " After having , assassinated tho . Archbishop of Poria , thia ^ man would have us permit him , to strike with , the poniard of calumny tho most eminent membera of . the , French clorgy -,, and he asks for tima . to . study hia . insults . " ( He had requested ; to have the trial postponed . ) The . Prisoner ( laudly ) : " ThadeEonca is , not frae . " Tha . President : " "VjThat do you moan by tha defence not being too ?" The Prisoner : " Wliat is liborty but tlio . exomption from . V Tho President : " It ia licence , cfouhtloBS . ! ' Th < J . PriaQneu :, "Ifo , sir ,, it is the exemption from pliyaical , hondvfrom halts and . gendarmos : Moral honda aro iatftrxQaatoDioa . auch . aa you would put to mo . " ThePreaident .:. " What do you mean ? la not youc dofencofroe ? ' ' Tho Prisoner : "It is not fteo t it ia not fxeo ! Tha defenp » : ift not fraat Mjyj lifa haa bjeen poaaod with tho persona . tl » at I .-wish to call . !' TJmv Priwidxinti " OaniQ ,, now ,, Onoo for alT ,, am you willing to go on with tha pcQceodinga X "

      Untitled Article

      TO * £ BO ,. E X . E AB . BB . ' [ No > S 57 , - : SAT-iriEgPAY ^ ¦ '

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 24, 1857, page 78, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2177/page/6/