Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-02-14
oUR FIRST DAY IN COURT.

I STIHEtA OB ) SA1J "a b"N law NVHbs "~Sp
and forthwith we marched up along with two
other fFeemen, sworn 10 BY the clerk, and then
directed to take our seats within the Jury box
with the other u~nfortunates. We had sworn
TO adjodge the case 10 be brought before US in
! accordance with the law and the evidence, and
50 forth, and began 10 feel the importance of
| our ~poaltion but the case was scarcely open
cd before il became pretty we'll settled in our
mind that trial BY jury, in some cases, was
more Of q humbug than anything else.
The case was opened by the counsel for the
third opponents "a term probably that none of
US had ever heard before) by his opening and
spreading out on the circular table before him
about q half bushel of manuscript which he
intended to submit as evidence for his clients.
The jurors looked at each other in perfect
agony Before doing so, however, the coun-
sci considered that for a proper understanding
Of the case, an explanation of it was necessa~
ry, and forthwith he went into a history Of IL;
but long before he had concluded, (although
elucidated as clearly we thought as the case it.
self would admit off, we became pretty well
satisfied that no two Of the jury entertained
the same views respecting it, if, in fact, there
was a single one who understood head or tail
about it! Unfortunately, the Judge appointed
US foreman-and wishing to know the precise
duty of foreman, we turned to a brother jury
man who had formerly been a candidate for
Sheriff, and whispered
"Jones, Chat wasn't his name, however,
"what's the duty Of a foreman?'
"Why, to enIighten and instruct the jurors
in the making up of a verdict, and to hand the
verdict int Court when it is finally agreed up"
on"
ooh" inwardIy calculated, "here's a fix
for q man who has been honored upon the pre-,
sumption of his having common sense! Is it
possible that ! can get the hang of the affair 2"
After the counsel for the third opponents
came the counsel for another party in the suit,
but phom ii would be difficult here TO say
He read his petition, made his explanations
in a very clear and lawyer-like manner, we
have no doubt--but when he had got through,
the case was a little more wGrPsd.
After him came the attorney for another par
ty in the suit, and his explanations were made,
when a lille light was shed upon the affair
arising from the fact probably that all sides
had been heard. We began to think, too, that
we "smelt a mice"
TCDlIpal M I fhap prnaanla "A Ypifl, HI, Zoe
timony, composed Of commissions-interroga~
tons Of non-residents, neutrality-suspicious.,
bills, explanations, &c.--dificult TO find amidst
q mass Of manuscript, and almost as difficult
to read after being found.
We now began to discover that a merchant
had bought goods without paying for them
that while The creditor was endeavoring to get
his dues by legal process, the debtor sells the
goods in bulk to another party, which party
makes the vendor or q man Of the same name
his agent, buys more goods in his own name,
and about this time, if we mistake not, he takes
a trip to California. In the mean time judg~
ment is obtained by the original creditors, and
the Sheriff is ordered to seize and sell goods
which counsel No. Q contends were his clients
true and lawful property, by valid purchase and
regular act of sale, which the creditors of the
party from which he purchased them, have no
just or legal claim. Before the sale takes
place, however, the creditors of said client OBJ
tains a judgment against him for goods he had
purchased and placed in the store Aforesaid
and while the Sheriff was selling, those goods
were pointed out to him and claimed as theirs
by those third opponents. The goods were
sold, however, but an Injunction was taken to
prevent the Sheriff from paying over the mos
ney to the first creditors, and in his hands the
money had now remained SONS three years.
We had forgot to state that the purchaser of
the store claimed damages in $4,000 against
the creditors Of the party from whom he pur.
chased it.
Now was'ntthis a crooked case TO be decided
according to the law and the evidence o.
After dinner the case was called up again,
when counsel No. 8 introduced a large book,
containing what we believe he called a process
oer6aI of sale by the Sheriff of the aforemens
toned store, for the purpose of proving the
goods pointed out by his clients. Counsel No.
3 objected to such evidence. Then commenc-
an argument upon the matter, serving still
more to instruct The jury show not to do it,"
It each were as green as ourself. The up.
snot OF It vas that the Judge sustained coun.