Prisoner for Blasphemy

hat our case was hopeless. The names of no less than four jurymen were handed to me by friends in

ossible to say, but it is reasonable to suppose that, if four were discovered by my friends, there were others who had escaped their detection. One of the four, a Mr. Thomas Jackson, was cal

North and Sir Hardinge Giffard, who both

rdinge, is it not be

tever the verdict of

among them who had

jud

: Oh yes, my lord; I

ry to the Crown and eve

ncession in the interests of justice. But as a matter of fact they had no choice. Mr. Thomas Jackson could no more sit on that jury after my cha

ew. Ours being the only case for trial that day, it was not difficult to accomplish this result. A friend of mine said to one of the officers of the court

When that juryman awoke his mind was made up on the case. At the conclusion of a trial that lasted over six hours they did not even retire for consultati

of their verdict. Four of them subsequently signed the memorial for our release. A fifth juryman vehemently declined to do so. "No," he said, "not I. I'm a man of principle! T

d judgment. He bore Judge North's insults with wonderful patience. "Don't mind what you think about, it, Mr. Cluer," "I don't want you to tell me what you think;" such were the flowers of

merely cross-examined the witnesses as a matter of form. One thing was brought out clearly. Sir Henry T

produced documents alleged to have been addressed to me. When, several weeks later, I was tried a third time in the Court of Queen's Bench, I heard Lord Coleridge rebuke the prosecuting counsel for attempting to put questions against which Judge Nort

were instructed to spy upon my correspondence. Mr. Fawcett subsequently denied that the letter-carriers had ever been so instructed; but in that case the Post Office witnesses must have committed perjury. I do not believe it. I am confident that they merely obeyed orders, and that the scandalous abuse

tuate my appreciation of Judge North's kin

y,-I stand in a posit

Thursday last I def

es in the very same

hours, and the jury

eing able to come t

, and the learned ju

onday with a new ju

ittal, and as I stoo

trial as before it c

ew my bail, but he r

ortunity to prepare

should have the same

entlemen, I have enjo

spent all the weary

of the three allowe

rval, in a small pris

uld neither write nor

There was around me n

to, nothing but the

fe. And in these tr

had to prepare to d

ior counsel and a sen

to contend with, who

of the greatest and

ho might even walk

hat the prosecution

in their

wo pages of small type, and pretty nearly exhausts the vocabulary of vituperation. I added a few pearls of orthodox abuse of Atheism, and then asked the jury whether Christians had taught Freethinkers to show respect for their opponents' feelings. "Nobody in this country," I continued, "whatever his religion, is called upon to respect the feelings of anybody else.

their verdict was already settled, and that my fate was sealed, I cast all such considerations aside, and deliberately made a speech for my own party. I wa

ur minds back across

f. You are in Jerus

eet to the place of

he is accused-of w

cused of-the word

! Every Christian a

Christ, was crucifie

tlemen, it seems to

man guilty of blasp

ought to be wiped f

scandal. Christian

hemer, for, althoug

Surely then you wi

ion of power, imita

ur founder, violate

perhaps dearest to

lic infamy by a verd

is impossible that

en. Are we wicked? N

honor and honesty a

e Pharisee and say th

say that we are no

ith thieves and felo

to the indignities o

is even revolting to

authority within the

ne nothing to merit

to return a verdict

secution have not g

fact; because whate

ions of judges in the

e London magistrat

we have done nothin

peace; because our

streets, no interfer

son or property; be

of any malice in ou

in anything we hav

reed was murdered on

stand accused now;

third quarter of th

ever the great princ

unless he trench on

assert the great pr

y of the platform, l

ask you to prevent

e Times this mornin

to be hurling anathe

gistrates to settle

lectual and moral s

ble chapter of Engli

for ever; I ask you

nd us back to our ho

on on this prosecutio

ng it with all that i

you to let us go aw

ssible that there e

hemy; I ask you to ha

st jury that decided

of liberty which is

high that no temple

t grand principle wh

f the equal right a

the principle I ask

ty. Gentlemen, I as

er of persecution o

s on the page of hi

thing that is digni

iences and h

n speech, well composed and very much to the point. I noticed some of his auditors outside the jury-box choking down their emotion as he

he previous Thursday he told the jury that any denial of the existence of Deity or of Providence was blasphemy. But in the meantime the public press had condemned this interpretation of the law as dangerous to high-class heretics. His lordship, therefore, expounded the law afresh, so as to exempt them while including us. The only question he now submitted to the jury was, "Are any of those passages put before you calculated to expose to ridicule, contempt or derision the Holy Scriptures or the Christian religion?" This amended statement of the Law of Blasphemy went directly i

never suspected. She had crept in and listened all day to my trial, never leaving her seat for fear of losing it; and now, overwearied and faint for want of food, she reeled under the heavy blow. My heart leaped at the sound; my brain reeled; the scene around me swam in confusion-judge, jury, lawyers and spectators all shifting like the pieces in a kaleidoscope; my very frame seeme

, and in no other way actually responsible for the incriminated publication. Justice North listened with ill-concealed impatience. He was obviously anxious to flesh the sword of

e, you have been fou

blasphemous libels

one. I regret extre

telligence, a man gi

d have chosen to pro

vil. I consider this

s you have brought b

w pass upon you is on

alendar

. "Clear the gallery," he cried, and the police burst in among the people. But before they did their work something happened. From the first I resolved, if I were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment, that I would say something before leaving the dock. My first impulse was to hurl at the judge a few words of passionate indignation. But I reflected "No! I have been tried and condemned for ridiculin

inspiration, and the more I ponder it the more profoun

ts, and wondering what detained my companions. The fact is, the police had a great deal of trouble in executing the judge's orders, and some time elapsed before he could strike Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Kemp. Meanwhile

e spirit which animated the Grand Inquisitors when they sentenced heretics to be burnt to ashes at the stake. "Listen," says the judge. "I am on God's side. You are on the D

entence between them. Mr. Cattell afterwards joined us without any sentence. He was ordered to enter int

ing to the amount of his time we occupied. I made a long speech and got twelve months; Mr. Ramsey made a short speech

a distant voice. Our den was unlocked and we