Plattner "(assessors). the trial Elly Widler was commenced. Mr.
J. Schuhl appeared on behalf {he representative of General Yang Sen and Dr, O. Fischer and Dr. Wilhelm represented the accused, The charges preferred are fraud, forgery, and destruction of docuuents.."'The accused was arrested After the conclusion of the trial of Crawley in the U. S. Court for China.
'A petition filed by counsel for the' defence was presented, setting out that there is no appeal or judicial refourae whatever from the judgments Fendered by the Swiss" Consular Court in China, and if the defendant {fs found guilty, the sentence which may be passed will be final and feonclusive and may work upon fu irreparable ruin, both physically fud morally. The subject matter of the charges has been widely dis-Cussed and commented upon through-four China and) in Shanghai in ticular. On Octoboe 21, tho} nited States Court for China, in giving judgment against an alleged confederate, made semic very severe ud pungent remarks upon the petitioner, who being a Swiss Eitizon, was not within the jurisdic-Hon of the Court, but. simply a witness, being therefore not in a Poaition to defend or protect him-Self, The severe and adverse re-Larks intimated peremptorily that he petitioner was guilty and in the tural course of events were print-fed and clivulated in all the news-Papers throughout China and in Shanghai in particular. The private complainant, a Chinese Genera the petitioner submitted, a dos! enemy of his, and one who cherishes
against him, as proved by events hatred and revenge Which wore in detail sot out in the titiener's publication entitled six Months Prisoner of the Szor chuan Military." AMI these. facts, severally and jointly, have caused Ju China such & general feeling of suspicion about tha petitioner, that hardly. possible for any one! who {s acquainted with them not ave a somewhat preconceived idea to his guilt, Dr. Fischer said he had little to add to the petition. He referred, However, to Judge Purdy's judgment in ease and extracts from the "North-China Daily Nows" law report and. submitted that the accused should be Bent to Switzerland and tried there by. the regular Court.
Mr. Schuhl opposed the motion and submitted that the. Consular Court in Shanghai was the only competent Court to try the ease.
After further argument by oppos-§ng counsel, the President denied the motion and announced that the Court had assumed jurisdiet "Accused then entered a denial to} the charges.
1 Crawley '"Widler's Salesman sisted me in business since September 1, this yea What was your business in Boptember?—Armed materi What was Crawley's position as Yegards your firm? Was he partner oF what?—He was a sale
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.