Page:The "Trial" of Ferrer - A Clerical Judicial Murder (IA 2916970.0001.001.umich.edu).pdf/16

 period when the insurrection in Barcelona must evidently - have been prepared, Ferrer's only occupation was the ed- uçational work19 in which he was so much engrossed that he was blissfully ignorant of the agitation which was being carried on all around him. Thesę letters form an extremely important factor in the defense of Ferror, as they show conclusively that far from being the leader of the insurrection," he did not even take any part in its preparation. Their authenticity cannot be doubted, since they were accompanied by envelopes bearing the dated stamp of the post office. Having been written at a time when nobody thought of accusing Ferrer, they cannot be supposed to have been written with the purpose of being used as proofs. However, the tribunal did not allow them to be produced by the defense at the trial, for the follow- ing reason: abroad; now, since those witnesses reside abroad and they da not say that they have been here at the time of the events, they could not clarify these events, which is the object of this prosecution."22 "These testimonials come from witnesses stantly speaking of bls work, of bis projects, of subjects pertain- Ing to the business of his publsh- ing concern and of his publieatlon, "LEcole Renovee," stowing that be wae giving alt hlg time and attention to TE 30 In ali these letters Ferrer đoen not Bay a word about the sgitation. ater on, in a letter dated Angust 14, to hls friend Melato, be writes: "The 26th sur- prised me, iike everybody else, with the &nnouncément of the general strike. Before then I did not know a word of It. THs WAN Written before Ferrer which he speaks, as a witness, "of the heroism shown by the women, o the lack purpose on the part of the peo- ple and also of the complete eçilpse of afirmetion, on the part of Ferrer, would be absurd it he were the teader, and the revolution were hie work. 2* From the dietamen of the As- sessor of the Councli of War who judged Ferres that the friends of Ferrer, resid- Ing abroad, never pretended to "clarify the events' tona. the Supreme Publie Prosecutor, Senor Ugarte, upon whose aceusa- tion the prosecution was based, WRB not present at the eventé elther. of detnite chiefs." Such an It Is to be noted of Barce- It is to be noted also that E On the 26th of July, the day when the Insurrection was atarted Ferrer wrote to that e Malsto a postal card in
 * In these letters Ferrer is con-