18 DECEMBER 1909, Page 2

The case for the defendant was scarcely more than a

rhetorical repetition of the original accusations. An attempt was made, however, to discredit M. Supilo, one of the most important of the plaintiffs, by producing a witness who declared that some years ago, and in another connexion, he had himself bribed M. Stipa°. Although he denied the story, M. Supilo withdrew from the prosecution in order that the case of his friends might not be prejudiced. The most sensa- tional event of the trial has been the evidence of Professor Markovitch, the president of the " Slovenski Jug." The pre- siding Judge, whose attitude has been by no means impartial, refused to summon the Servian witnesses whose presence was essential to the plaintiffs. But Professor Markovitch appeared voluntarily. He denied that the " Slovenaki Jug" was a political organisation, and that it had any connexion with the Servian Government. He asserted that all the minutes relied upon by the defendant were forgeries, and that be could prove this by the fact that although his name appeared at the foot of reports of meetings held during October, 1908, he was in reality at that time travelling in Germany.