GARIBALDI AND MACIA GET SHORT GAOL TERMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18062, 24 January 1927, Page 8

GARIBALDI AND MACIA GET SHORT GAOL TERMS.

DRAMATIC SCENES IN PACKED COURT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, January 22. Colonel Ricciotti Garibaldi and Colonel Macia were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and fined a hundred francs. Their accomplices were sentenced to a month’s imprisonment and fined fifty francs. A packed court awaited the denouement. The usual curtain-raiser was the triuinphal entry of Colonel Macia's jolly conquistadors, accompanied by lively greetings from friends as though the parties were playing amateur theatricals. One mother raised her baby aloft and waved it before the eyes of its paternal plotter. Finally, Garibaldi entered alone. He took an isolated seat. looking haughty and self-composed. Garibaldi’s counsel argued that the police exceeded their duty when they searched his house and detained him without warrant. The Court replied that it would reserve its decision in that connection. Counsel for the prosecution admitted that Macia was an idealist Francophile but -was alleged *0 possess arms and to have hatched a mad plot at neighbouring country, forgetting that he was the guest of France. Garibaldi also possessed arms. The prosecutor admitted that it was not proved that Garibaldi , was mixed up with the Catalan plot, and it w r as doubtful whether Garibaldi intended to help or betray Macia. Garibaldi had confessed to the police that he had sold his friends, but he had 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 the twitching of a lip at this stinging taunt. Giving evidence at the Garibaldi trial. Detective Leluc declared that Scivoli, w T ho was suspected of plotting to assassinate Signor Mussolini, first aroused doubts concerning Garibaldi. Leluc journeyed to Nice and there interrogated Garibaldi, who admitted relations with Italian agents, Salla and Lapolla, 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. Scivoli gave evidence that Garibaldi requested him to go to Italy. He obtained a passport, but when he learned that the police w'ere expecting him he suspected betrayal. He was convinced of this when his passport photos were discovered among the papers of the Italian agent. M. Torres, who w r as defending Colonel Macia, shook the courtroom when he dramatically turned to Garibaldi, and thundered: “Don’t evoke the memory of your comrades in the Argonne lest the dead rise from their shrouds and murmur from the tomb their disgust and horror of you.” He concluded: “Go! Garibaldi, 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 Ricciotti Garibaldi to hide his face and quietly sob. The judgment w T as greeted with applause accompanied by shouts of “Long Live the Colonel” in various languages.