The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-04-22
STRANGE MURDER TRIAL IN NEW OhfEASs.-in

upon trial for the murder of Col. Walter Turn
bull. The prisoner shot Col. T. in an omnibus
on the Sd of December. The evidence went t.
show that Patton was insane, but he refused t
let his counsel put in that plea. He had bee,
jealous of his wife, and employed counsel t,
procure divorce, but as he could procure n,
evidence against her, his counsel refused to car
ry on the suit, and it was directly sftef this re
fusal that the murder was committed. Th,
closing part Of the trial is thus reported in III,
New Orleans Courier:
The attorneys for the defence submitted let
ters to the Court that had been written by the
prisoner to them, to show the Court that hs
was insane. Mr.. Burton said he had proof. i
the State would allow him to offer it, that woult
show, beyond the possibility of doubt that tn,
prisoner was insane, and that if he was founi
guilty. it would be nothing short of judicia
murder. Rthey fonnd him guilty, God hell
and have mercy on jndge, jury, and all connect
ed with the case.
Mr.. Patton. at this stage of the proceedings
demanded that his lawyer should stop.
Mr.. Grymes then demanded of the Court that
they should be allowed to proceed, and the pri
soner kept quiet, t,-when Mr.. Patton interrupt
ed him by saying that he had commanded him
to stop.
| The Judge said that he must then discharge
his counsel The prisoner said he had dis
charged them.
| Mr.. Patton then rose and addressed the Jury
He said that he had been betrayed by his coun.
ssl--that he was taken by surprise he had ex-
pressly forbidden them making any such plea
as they had done that they had abundant
proof in their possession TO have proved first
provocatiOn, and justifiable homicide, but
that they had dodged the question, and sacri
| feed him that they had been instigated to il
by others; he said that they had attempted to
insult the intelligence of the Jury by making
/ such plea that if he was mad there /" was me.
| thOd in his madness" that the three shots were
clearly proven; that he had killed him and
that he had presumed that he now must be of.
fered as holocaust to satisfy the names of Col
Turnbull; that he killed him. but that he had
just cause but this had been kept back by his
counsel for the purpose of sacrificing him that
they had tried to prove him mad was mad :
had just cause to be mad but there was me-
thod in my Madness: and there are but two
verdicts YOU eau bring in. murder or an acquit-
tai you cannot put me in the State Prison
death, a thousandtold, in preference to put me
there would be to make me an object of exccu-
tive clemency / had just proyocation, or
have made your streets flow with innocent
blood :; no, am not mad / killed the man and
can die for it. l will never leave Louisiana but
in two ways, by the galiows or by acquittal. l
have been betrayed by my counsel for ulterior
objects. Gentlemen, there is screw loose
somewhere. If l have made your streets flow
with innocent blood, l am ready to expiate my
offence with my life. A man that can kill anO-
tber can also die.
The prisoner seemed to have a horror of the
State Prison, more for the reason that executive
clemency would be exercised towards him than
any thing else.
The case being thus brough to perfect stand
by Mr.. PattOns conduct. there was no alterna-
tive but to submit it to the jury. who returned
with verdict of Guilty, without capital pun
ishment."
EDITING AS PRoFEssIoN-We see by our ex-
changes that several neighbOring newspaper
establishments are for sale. They are said to
be, and we believe they are, in flourishing
towns surrounded by thriving country-and
are well supported. Impaired health of the
editors, which renders it impossible to continue
longer in the business, is assigned as the sole
cause Of these frequent editorial changes.
These facts furnish us an instructive lesson.
Whilst the merchant, the lawyer, the mechanic
and the farmer, pursue their various occupa-
tions for years, with health seldom interrupted
whilst the preacher performs probably as
much mental and four times as much physical
labor as the editor, without any deleterious ef-
feet upon his constitution, the latter languishes
under disease and unless relieved, sinks into
premature decay and dies. We could point out
hundreds of instances, tending to prove these
| facts G. ID. Prentice, of the Louisville Jour-
nal, says that of two or three partners that he
has had in that establishment, and three asso-
ciate editors, not one is now living! But we
need not multiply instances. Many of our
Texas readers, young as the country is, can
point out in their village cemeteries the mound
beneath which repose the remains Of the gifted
young man who started the first paper in their
town. He embarked in the enterprise with
buoyant spirits, and brilliant prospect before
him. Every energy of his mind was called into
action, and just as his labors began to be appre-
ciated, and he was about to reap the pecuniary
fruits of his anxious toll, his physical system
gave way under the constant wear of contin-
ued and intense exertion of the mind.
The mind is SO constituted as to require. like
| the body, alternate labor and repose. Those
occupations which demand great and frequent
efforts Of the mind if they allow it suitable sea-
sons of relaxation, are not injurious to health.
Judicious exercise is necessary for the health
full development and vigorous action of the
mental as well as the physical constitution.
The occupations Of the lawyer, the divine, the
farmer and the mechanic all afford the mind
abundant periods of rest. But such is by no
means the case with that Of the editor. His
over-tasked intellect finds no reposc. His du-
ties must be performed cOntinually-not peri
Odicallv. Whether he feels like mental exer-
tion or not. whether sick or well. his articles
must be written, and all his multifarous duties
performed. These labors are certainly sufli-
cient to break down an ordinary constitution
but when we add to them pecunary disappoint-
ment and embarrassments. lack ofexpected ap-
prcciation-the Indifference of friends and the
sarcasm of enemies, we have satisfactory ex-
planation of the causes which disappoint the
hopes, and cut short the careers Of SO great a
portion of newspaper editors.
There is occasionally an editor endowed with
strong body and well-poised mind--alike
Indifferent to censurc and praise, satisfied with
his own powers neither allured by hope, mol
alarmed by fears, that will triumph over all Oh
stacles and pursuing calmly the even tenor o.
his way. attain renown, wealth and long life
but whilst such an individual may, like any
other prodigy, occasionally be found, numbers
will fall around him the victims of unrequited
mental labor and disappointed hopes.-Pieto
ria, Teras, .fdroeafe.