New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-12
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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL Of NEW ORLEANS
Trial of n Murderer-Nolle PrOsequi and
n New Affidavit.
From the Baton Rouge Grand EraI

From the Baton Rouge Grand Era.
Friday morning our city was filled with
strangers and with many citizens making
their way to the courthouse TO witness the
second trial of Isaac Cox, charged with the
murder of Lieutenant Scott, in Port Hud;
son, few weeks since, who 1t is said was
killed for Henry Schorten, from whom Cox
had escaped short time before. As ten
o'clock arrived the jury were being chosen
when quite a shrewd step was taken by the
District Attorney, who asked for list OF
the regular summoned jurors. and upon a
careful examination of the list twenty-eight
names were found, and from this list the
twelve jurors must be taken, which the
District Attorney found very much like the
previous list of jurors, so much III favor OF
acquitting murderers, as they stood twenty
one white Democrats and seven coiored
Republicans. The attorneys for the de-
Tense having twelve challenges could easily
exclude them all, and the District Attorney
having only six challenges, could OBJECT TO
six friends of the accused, leaving ntteen
Democrats and sympathiZers for the ac-
cused, from whom the attorneys for the
accused could easily accept twelve. The
District Attorney having become tired of
laboring so diligently, and guilty parties be-
ing acquitted, he consequently yields to the
plea of the counsel for the accused as to the
Jurisdiction of the court, and asks that a
nolle prosequi be issued and the indictment
set aside. This being strange step by the
district attorney, the counsel for the accused
objected to the plea.
Our district judge being somewhat ac-
guainted with law, as well as the counsel
for the accused, the motion of the District
Attorney was sustained. Soon ali witnesses
summoned in the case were discharged, and
friends of Cox were inguiring what amount
of bond would release him, or will he be re-
leased without bond as soon as the jury on
the first case acquitted him. Amid all the
amaZement, the District Attorney comes
forward with another affidavit against the
accused, and asks that an order be issued
TO keep the accused in Baton Rouge jail
until the term of the District Court at Clin-
ton, which was granted by our worthy
Judge, who, we believe, is anxious that
guilty parties shall be brought to Justice,
which we are sorry to say is not the case
with the most of our citizens claiming to be
lovers of peace and harmony, and orna-
ments of Southern society, especially when
crime is committed by the most degraded
and corrupt of the whites. How different
in the case of Cox is it to the case of John
jackson, colored, who killed white man
at Port Hudson in 1867 for threatening to
kill him. How earnestly did the same par
ties who now come to the defense of Cox
use every tHorI, not excepting moncy, 10
convict jackson, and how easily he was con-
victed and sentenced to be hung, even the
second time, but fortunately was reprieved
from the gallOws, and is now in the peni-
Tertiary for life, which we all deem Just;
but, comparing that case with the case of
Cox, we feel that the law is of scarcely any
use in a community when intelligent citi-
zens mass themselves, their money and
their influence to prevent justice being
done murderers, thieves and highway rob-
bers