The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1870-05-28

60. q, &c l4tb. ls7l

OrELoUsAs, la, May l4th, 1cfV'
Editor Weekly Echo.
at your request I proceed e
give you q few items concerning
the District Court, now IN session
here,
Court opened on Monday, April
25th, Hon. John E. King, District
Judge, presiding. Challenges and
motions to quash the array OF the
Jury, on the ground that the venlre
was not drawn by the sheriff, were
fled in several cases, and being
overruled the Grand Jury was em-
panelled and sworn, and after re-
ceiving an able charge from Judge
King, retired to deliberate. The
points most deliberately presented
In the charge were in reference to
the penal statutes against carrying
concealed weapons, and against
road overseers for neglect OF duty.
Our road overseers in Calcasieu
win do well to acquaint themselves
Immediately with the very strin-
gent provisions Of the law pre-
scribing their duties, and govern
themselves accordingly before the
next regular term of the District
Court there, commencing on the
first Monday OF August, as Judge
King is determined to enforce the
statute vigorously.
During the session of the Grand
Jury ten days. Judge King dis
posed of an immense amount OF
civil business. Court opens at ten
a. intakes a recess from one to
! three p. m.-and closes about six
p. m. The attorneys are fully
aware that when case is called
in it's regular order, 1t must be dis
posed OF, and they are every day
reminded, by an infexible adhe-
renee to this rule, of the legal
maxim that "the law favors the
vigilant."
Last Monday morning was fixed
for taking up the criminal docket.
Two days previously we were star
tied by the reports in the New
Orleans papers that in conse-
| auence of the act of the last legis-
lature adopting Rays Revised
Statutes having repealed all pre-
existing criminal laws, without any
saving clause as to prosecutions
pending, or crimes committed, pre-
vious to the date april LIST, 1870,
when the new statute took effect
the Attorney General of the State
| and the District Attorney in New
Orleans were Diminishing by nOLi,
prosegai all such prosecutions
/ Our community was greatly ex
cited at the apparently certain jai
| delivery Of hundreds Of criminal,
all over the State, and there were
serious limitations of genera
resort to lynch law In the frs
case fixed for trial last Monda,
(the case Of young Feray, for til,
murder Of Jesse Hutchins,) th
important question was presente,
by special plea in bar Of tn
prosecution, on the additions
ground that the new law could no
be considered Us promulgated Id Tia
country parishes before May lst--
whereas the homicide was com
/ nlitted April l4th; it being con
s tended that the indictment wa
found under the new law. 1t bein
J conceded that no one here me'
!, the precise facts concerning til
7 date Of the passage OF the ne
4 law, the language of its repealin
clause and it's PRONUNCIATION Id
not been, and will not be, promu
= gated in the official gazette, I'll
J, New Orleans Republican Juda
q King very prudently and proper
~ declined to hear argument on I'll
/ plea, and discharged tie petit i'm
Till the following Monday, (i6t
I;netanfl III piVa kiYn4 ~ ,Ntfn,,g4, III