PUNISHING ALGERIAN

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11506, 12 February 1903, Page 5

PUNISHING ALGERIAN

BANDITS.

singulah behaviour of the

ACCUSED MEN,

United Preen Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. (Received February lltb, 8.57 a.m.) ~ I'aKIS, February 10. ■ After a protracted trial at the Montpellier Assizes, twenty Arab prisoners were sentenced to penal servitude for various terms for murder, tillage, and rebellion at Margueritte, in Algiers. The prisoners howled, prayed, and grimaced when sentence was passed. Eighty-one were dis. charged.

At MoatpelHcr, on December 17th, began a very curious and colossal trial. The prisoners were Arabs, over 100 in number, and they were accused of having taken part in the revolt at sMargueritte in April last year. An effort was made to try them in their native Algemia, 1 but some of their counsel having objected to the composition of the jury, the Court of Cassation sent the affair to tie Herault Assizes, Montpellier being regarded as a convenient place, endowed), moreover, with a favourable climate. 'I he whole lot were"embarked at Algiers in No- ( veinber, and after being landed at Port Vendres were conveyed to their destination with a very strong escort of gendarmes. ■ A.

The charges included rebellion, pillage, murder and attempted murder, assault, battery, and complicity, and in the Court quite « motley gathering of Arabs, old and young, some attired in effective costumes, but the great majority in rags and tatters, was to be seen.

A large force >©f troops had been called out to keep guard, but the prisoners were tame enough, and when the magistrates entered they all rose of tneir own acord and gave a military salute. If the accused <w«re numerous, so were the barristers, of whom .upwards of fifty attended.