Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-11-17
A Timely BIT of Satire.

The {" hnick for August is a rare number.
It's editors table is tlstifully and beautifully
spread. and contains many rich dishes. We
snatch the following little = knicknack" which
hits off admirably one of the prevailing weak
nesses Of the times.
4 man in town of - committed murder
black. diabolical murder. There was not a
single feature in the cases that mercy could
reiider available. 1t was red murder" in the
truest acceptation Of the term 4 lawyer Of
considerable emineuce was called on by the
prisoner. but after hearing his own statement
he would give him no other advice than the
following:
my friend. if you are not hanged, it will be
because you have broken Jail, cut your throat
or slammed mad.
The murderer took the hint He was not
able to accomplish the first, he was unwilling to
do the second. so he attempted the third.
He came into the court on the day of his
trial with one glove and one boot on. listening
with apparent delight to his arraignment and
when asked at the conclusion. If ne was guilty
or not guilty. answered. with horse-laugh,
such as never heard before or since:
| Yes thank you sir and no mistake"
| In this philanthropc age, this quite sniff
Gent to arrest the torrent of Indignation which
had been rightfully setting against the offender
and to substitute in place thereof feeling Of
intense sympathy.
- He is mad says one.
Poor fellow" muttered another.
What mercy we have discovered it before
he was tried ~ calculated p third.
Why don't they take him out of the box -
| demanded fourth.
| BY this time, the prisoner. in glee, had put
his glove upon his foot, aud thrust his hand Into
| his boot.
! Of course this was too much for the feelings
! of the crowd. 1t was the last hair that broke
the camel's back.
| "Shame shame - was muttered by dozen
phianthropic souls.
take him out of the box :" uttered the mob
in general.
.Certainly," said the judge 'st take him out
! by all means. Mr.. district attorney, you can
have no objection
Not the slightest, may it please your honor,
| provided you let two or three OF the ballih>
stand between him and me-"
! The by-standers made rush to execute the
mandate of the court, but the prsoner checked
knocking down haf-dozen of them with his
| boot.
| THE court briefly addressed the jury:
I .. 1t was unnecessary to enter into the evl-
dence. The unhappy prisoner had certainly
destroyed the life of a mana husband and a
father, leaving his widow and helpless children
to misery and want At the same time, il
/ seemed evident that this was the result rather
| of misfortune than of crime. We have the cyl
dence of our own senses that the prisoner is
mad, gentlemen of the jury, as March hare
| Would any man, gentlemen, conduct him
self so strangely in the court room-wear his
boots and his gloves in SO eccentric manner
| if he were not mad
| ..Gentlemen: have studied the anatomy Of
the human mind with much industry, and
think may say with considerable success, and
hatter myself | am particularly conversan'
with the subject Of insanity.
| The brain is delicate organ. Its mem
| brauce are of still more delicate organization
| There are the dury mater and the pia matter
These entertaining with. and intersec'lng as il
were the porous substance of the brain, contri
butte largely to the exercise OF Its traneenden'
powers"
"Our judge knows something, don't he :
| said one Of the sympathizers.
KNOW said the interlocuter, ''know
should think he did All have got to say is
that never kuow'd man as knows as much
as what he knows"
But continued the judge, :. these mem
ORANGES become impaired, aud even Reason
gentlemen, Reason reels ad totters on hel
| throne
The most prevalent species of intellectual
wandering however. is denominated homci
da insanity the prominent symptom Of which
is desire to take away human life. Sudh,
doubt not, is the case with the prisoner
May it please your honor" interposed the
district attorney. s. don't you think that the jury
might pronounce this case OF malicious prose
cution -
Perhaps not. Mr.. district attorney" res
pended the judge.
81 honor your humanity, sir; I am rejoicee
to see that you can rise superior to tue feeling
which, am compelled to say, too often prompt:
public prosecutors. But sir. think, as man
has really been killed, it light be considered s
bad precedent to declare this prosecution a
malicious one.