Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-06-27
Election Of Judges.
A Criminal Trial in tile 1871 Centmv.

Il Criminal lraat IN the l9M CenturY.
We were never SO thoroughly convinced of the
necessity Of election of Judges by the present en-
lightened citizens of Louisiana, as we were by read
ing in the Picayune Of the l1th, an accoun, of the
singular trial of Joseph Bradley, accused of mur-
dering his paramount in New Orleans a few months
since. Itappears tina, the prisoner was brought to
trial earlier than was anticipated by his counsel,
who appeared and stated to the court that thew were
entirely unprepared, as they indeed supposed that
the trial had been deferred, and that important wit.
nesses were absent in justice to the prisoner they
could not proceed, and begged the court 10 postpone
1t. Judge McHenry preremptoriIy refused. The
prisoners counsel then said that they would aban-
don the case, and did so they could not proceed in
a manner so unusual. We should have thought,
that the prisoner being thus left with no one to de-
fend him, The principle of humanity alone would
have prompted the Judge to postpone the proceed
ings. But no-he had said so-and the dignitary
of the criminal bench in New Orleans is not a man
that changes his word OF his purpose his personal
dignity and frmness must not be furnished, howev-
er may turn the balance of right or wrong. The
jury was ! ieuSui cihpdiIucNeu, TWO tnat were
summoned absolutely refusing to sit, stating that
their consciences would not allow them to serve in
a case of such strange proceeding. The witness
ses for the prosecution had nearly gone through
when the Judge asked the prisoner if he (the judge
should cross-exa:line a witness whose testimony
was perhaps the most forcible against him. The pri-
soner would have nothing to say in the matter. aud
was frequently affected to tears at the summary
manner in which Justice was dealing with him. The
evidence for the prosecution having been finished,
which bad heretofore been conducted entirely by
the Attorney General, J. C.. LARuE, ESQ.,, arose aud
ably addressed the Court 10 behalf of the prisoner,
eloquently and feeIingly; he commenced by say.
the Court pleases-I have been but
a spectator at this trial, but l can no longer sit qui-
by and see evidence. such as the Attorney Gem
eral seeks to place before the jury, offered to them
comment or remark" The Judge charged
the jury ina speech Of an hour against the prise.
ner, after which they retired, and after being absent
hours, again returned. We give the Cree
scents account Of the conclusion of this unparalel>
ed trial:
Verdict ofthe Jury in the case of Brad
ly.-A Compromise!!-The jury this
case came into Court YESTERDAY morning,
between 10 and IL o'clock, and throBeh
their foreman, asked the Judge Whether
he would receive a verdict finding "the
prisoner, Joseph Bradley, guilty Of MUIR
der, without capital punishment, and res
commencing him 10 the clemency of the
Court, on the ground that the prisoner was
not fully prepared for trial." The Court
to receive a verdict of this kind.
Mr.. Mullins, one of the jurors, then sta.
led that he believed this was the only form
On which they could agree; that they had
then been out twenty hours, and had come
promised upon this verdict:
While the jury were patiently awaiting,
he decision Of the Court, the Judge took
he occasion to deliver an address of some
'ength-forge,ting, We suppose, the case
before him, which even the yawns, shrugs
aud impatient coughs of the jury could not
bring t mind. The Court reviewed the
decisions given from that Bench for the
past three years, and proved conclusively
hat the First District Court was-wide ,
The Judge stated that he did {
not pretend to rival. the Supreme Court;
out he wouM say that his Court-the {
District, equalled the Second, Third, t
or Fifth District Courts Of the
State of Louisiana! That GU of fifteen 8
hundred cases decided by him, in five [
and six civil cases only, had his s
been reversed. After dwell
ing a long time upon the dignity and legal
ofthe Court, his Honor ended
ny abiding to out-of-door attacks upon
him, and stated, most emphaticalIy, that
he cared for nothing of the kind. We
congratulate the Court uf on its stoicism, !,
otherwise it would be forced to exclaim, I
Our suferings is in~tolerable!' /
The jury having been, at last, sent +.
pack, remained out an hour longer, when
hey were sent for by the Judge, and told !!
~ him that if they would append to their
the following remarkable words, {
,e would receive it as proposed by them: {
-"Ihe jury do not intend to censure, in I
n