THE HARDEN TRIAL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13005, 6 January 1908, Page 7

THE HARDEN TRIAL.

A SENTENCE OF FOUR MONTHS

United Press A&aociation— By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. BERLIN, January 3. Herr Harden has been sentenced to four months' imprisonment. BERLIN, January 4. The President of the Court declared that Count yon Moltke emerged unstained from tho trial. Nothing had been proved against Prince Eulenburg. The Minister of War has appealed to Cou nts Lynar and Will ia m Hohena v to return and stand their trial for the sake of the honour of Germany and their families. LONDON, January 4. "Tlio Times" refers to the Public Prosecutor's strange omission to proceed against Herr Harden until tho close of tho private action, an action which requires an explanation. Herr Harden appeals to the Supreme Court.

Last winter Herr Harden published in his paper a number of articles, in which insinuations of certain ahnormal practices wero mado against yon Moltke, Prince Philip Eulenburg (formerly Ambassador at Vienna), Count Wilhelm yon Hohenau (one of the Emperor's adjutants-General), and Count yon Lynar (major of the Gardes dv Corps). Tho Kaiser's attention was called to tho articles some months later by the Crown. Princo. The resignation of tho officers concoi'ned followed promptly. Count yon Moltke challenged Herr Harden to a duel. He refused, and Count yon .Moltke initiated a prosecution. Evidence of a revolting nature was given, and tho judge dismissed tho charge of libel, holding that Herr Harden had proved that the Count was a man of abnormal temperament. The Count appealed, but tho Publio Prosecutor intervened, and ordered tho case to bo taken from the Amtsgorich, a court presided over by one judge, to the Landgerich, where threo or five judges pieside. The "Lokalanzoiger," ot Berlin, in an apparently semi-official justification for this unusual step, said:—"lf the Publio Prosecutor did not take up the case before, it was in m-i hope that tho entire process would uu avoided. Now that the private action, with its nainful accompaniments, has taken place and Count yon Moltke has apparently not been afforded sufficient opportunity to justify himself, the Public Prosecutor considers it advisable to have the matter thoroughly cleared up in every direction, and consequently has intervened. Inere will now be—and on this special stress is to be laid—an entirely new prosecution." In the first trial the Count's former wife gave evidence against her husband, and a medical expert, basing his opinion on her evidence, described the .pount as a man of abnormal tendencies. At the second trial the woman retracted her statements, and the doctor his opinion, and Herr Hardens caso broke down.