LIGHT SENTENCES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVII, Issue 10827, 24 January 1927, Page 5

LIGHT SENTENCES.

THE CATALONIAN PLOT. A DRAMATIC TRIAL ENDS. (Per Press Association-—Copyright). PARIS, January 22. Rieoiotti: Garibaldi and Colonel Maciai were sentenced) to two months’ imprisonment and fined 100 francs. Their accomplices were sentenced to a month’s imprisonment and fined 50 francs.

A packed court awaited the denouement. The usual curtain-raiser was the triumphal entry of Maria’s jolly cpnquistaaprs, accompanied by lively greetings from friends, as though the patties were playing amateur theatricals. One mother raised her baby aloft and waved it before the eyes, of, a paternal plotter. Finally, Garibaldi entered alone and .took an isolated seat, looking haughty and kelf-composed. Garibaldi’s counsel argued that the police exceeded their duty when they searched his house and detained him without a warrant. The Court replied .that it would . reserve its decision 'in that connection! ,

Counsel for the prosecution admitted that Maria was ani idealist;,Francophile, but. allegedly possessed arms, and hatched the mat} plot on French soil, at the risk of. embroiling France with a, neighbouring country,, forgetting that, lie was the guest of France. Garibaldi also possessed arms. He admitted 1 that it : was, not 'proved that Garibaldi was mixed up with the Catalonian plot (and it was doubtful * whether Garibaldi intended, to help of betray Maria). Garibaldi; cohfeSsed to the police that he had .sold his, friends, but explained that he was forced to make that statement. Counsel flung his finger in the direction of Garibaldi ,' saying, “A man of his lineage should have preferred to die before confessing infamy.” Garibaldi showed no emotion beyond a twitching of the lips at this stinging taunt, •

A TUMULTUOUS SCENE.

. 7 PUBLIC LAUGH AND CHEER. PARIS, January 21. Giving evidence at the Garibaldi trial, Detective Leluc declared that Seivoli, who was suspected of plotting to assassinate Mussolini, first aroused doubts concerning Garibaldi. Leluc journeyed to Nice and there interrogated Garibaldi, who admitted relation with the Italian agents, Salla and Lapola, from whom he received money. Garibaldi’s counsel declared that his client was not aware till it was too late that Salla was a Fascist agent. Seivoli gave evidence that Garibaldi requested him to go to Italy. He obtained a passport, but when he learned that the police were expecting him he suspected betrayal. He l was convinced of this when his passport and photographs were discovered among the pampers of the Italian agent. > The trial continues to he an indictment of Garibaldi by Torres, upon charges of selling Catalonian plans to the police. Garibaldi proves to be most pugnacious. There were many scenes of violent tumult, in which the Judge, Garibaldi and his counsel, were all shouting at the same time, but Torres’s tremendous bass dominated the hubbub. Garibaldi accused the police of extracting his confessions by torture, but the police denied this.

There was a dramatic scene when the Italian, Seskeharino entered the witness-box to support the allegation that Rizzoli, one of Maeia’s followers, betrayed the plot. Rizzoli shouted, “Coward! Police spy! I will track you down! Only my respect for justice prevents me strangling you now.” The public laughed and cheered when Garibaldi’s counsel withdrew the witness without testifying. The hearing has been adjourned.

SCATHING DENUNCIATION. PARIS, January 22. (j ,M. ( Torre?, who was defending Col;onelAlapja, shook-'the courtroom when .he /drapiariciilly 1 turned: to/Garibaldi, and thundered : “Don’t evoke the memory of your comrades an the Argonne lest the dead rise from their shroud’s and murmur from the tomb their disgust and horror of you.” He concluded: “Go, Garibaldi, and resume your place alongside the assassins of Matteotti!”

When the applause had died down, Garibaldi’s counsel cuttingly referred to Torres’s useless cruelty. He epically recounted the history of.the Garibaldi family, causing Garibalai to hide his face and quietly sob. The judgment was greeted with applause, accompanied by shouts _ of “Long live the Colonel!” in. various languages.

A number of persons of various nationalities, including Garribaldi and Colonel Maeia, was arrested at Perpignon. They had planped to assemble and take train to yilla Franche, where they would be directed across the frontier. On arrival in Spain they were to launch a revolutionary movement. Colonel Maria admitted to the police the whole responsibility for organising the Cataloniali expedition.