Page:The "Trial" of Ferrer - A Clerical Judicial Murder (IA 2916970.0001.001.umich.edu).pdf/24

 on against him by his adversaries, and finally of the way in which his indictment was brought about, we are now ready to go into the study of the trial proper. V. THE TRIAL. The trial of Ferrer constitutcs a separate piece of the general trial entered upon during the first days of August, 1909, against the instigators, directors and organizers of the insurrection. This trial came up for judgment in March of the next year.1 This was fortunate for the other prisoners, as they,had to be tried before a civil tri- bunal. There being no sufficient proofs against them, they were released.*1 It was from this trial that the separate piece against Ferrer was. detached, in the first days of September." From what official quarter did the order emanate to pro- ceed against Ferrer apart from the others, making a sep- arate case of his trial? That is one of the many obscure points of this trial which will come to light only when the Spanish government shall consent to publish the "sum- mary," if that has not already been destroyed. On what legal grounds did the prosecuting authorities base them- selves, when they ordered the separation of this trial from Judge Don Vincente Llfvina, of whom Ferrer wrote in a letter trom his jati, ater he bad been examined by him: "He seemed to me a mah desirous above all to know. the truth, nothing but the trath, and I could not diacover in him iny prejudice." Ferrer's de- fender at tbe trial, referred 'to him. as "À model judge and acholarly man, licensed In law, as Just a man es there eyer was, and minntlous to the potnt of being meticuloua. ware teleased, and one sentenced to tife-Imprisonment. It is worthy of notice, that the character of the evidence against them was ex- actly the same as that against Ferrer. instruction (preparation) of this Beparate piece against Ferrer to Judge Raso Negrini, of whom Fer- rer wrote: "A man very, correct, very distinguished, with the air of a good person, but so possessed of his role, so desirous of inding culprits, that in spite of himself, he forgot his fonctton of Judge, whose duty it ie to seek truth tbrough all roads and not only through one."
 * Thie trial waN prepared by
 * Of the four accúsed three
 * Judge Llivina then passed the