FAMOUS TRIALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12398, 10 November 1934, Page 9

FAMOUS TRIALS.

fJENTENARY OF OLD HAILEY

NOTORIOUS CASES RECALLED. Famous ..trials of a century will be recalled at the celebrations planned in honour of the centenary of the Central Criminal Court, always associated in the public mind with the Old Hailey • (writes R K. Corder in the “DAtly Mail”). The Central Criminal Court was established bv Act of Parliament on October 31, 1834, to take the place of the old assizes, where prisoners from Newgate were delivered. Stones from the old prison were.used in the building of the Old Hatley, which was opened in 1007. Changed laws have brought more humane sentences during the last hundred years, and if stones could speak, those of old Newgate would fill with grim memories the merciful courts of the Old Hailey, where justice is administered on behalf of 9,000,000 people. ‘‘Defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrongdoer”—words carved high above the main door of the Old Bailey—interpret truly the idea of modern justice. The gruesome records of the Newgate Calendar arc not repeated in the Old Bailey trials, but many notorious criminals hare stood in the dock in No. 1 Court. Orippen, Sneddon and George Smith, of Brides in the Btah ease, wore among the condemned murderers: and Bottomley. Harry, and Leopold Harris are familiar oame3 linked with gigantic frauds. When the historic furniture in the superseded Sessions House was sold at auction the dock, the jury-box, the judges’ sent, and the fittings of two. famous rolls were bought for public exhibition. The old dock in which thousands of hearts bad’ been broken went for .-CIO. This was the dock whore before Milsofn and Fowler were sentenced for the Muswell Hill murder there was a. horrible fight, aud' the glazed screen was smashed to atoms while the jury was considering its verdict. Collectors of relics secured £‘o for the cell in which Lord -George Gordon died. He led his wild riots and. thanks to Erskine’s eloquence, eluded the consequences, only to libel Mario Antoinette, to escape to Holland, to be hauled hack and die of gaol fever after emoharising his eccentricities by embracing Judaism

THE- CASE OF MME, FAHMY. Among the many famous trials I have witnessed at the Old Bailey tiro stand out vividly and impressively thc ease of Mme. Fall my. accused of shooting dead her Egyptian husband in an hotel bedroom during a heavy storm* and the conviction of Brown and Kennedy of the murder of P.C. Gutteridge. The Fahmy trial, wiili its glamorous Oriental sotting, its tense scenes and amazing revelations. was a haunting tragedy. Never shall T forget the dramatic scene of Sir Edward Marshall demonstrating the deadliness of an nniomaiie pistol before a pale, beautiful woman who'had no knowledge of firearms. The" great criminal lawyer won his ease. and. Mme. Fahmy was freed. '

HA TRY'S BREAKDOWN.

Barely does a convicted man show much emotion when receiving his sentence. He seems to be in a. state of hypnotism induced by the long trial. But there was an exception in the ease of Clarence Harry, who suffered five fearful minutes. He had taken his sentence with that frozen calm that usually follows the strain of a prolonged trial. He knew the‘worst and set himself to meet the last ordeal of the court. He descended the. stairs from the dock briskly and firmly. He made his exit like a man. Then Mr. Justice Avory sent for hint again to explain the terms of his sentence. This second ordeal was too much for TETatry. The braced nerves gave way, the tensed muscles slackened, and lie swayed as he listened vacantly to the judges words; finally, as he left the dock, he tottered and stumbled