The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-02
Trouble in st. Bernard.
Destitution and Suffering OF
the People.
Scheme to Move the Court
House.
A Graveyard Judge.

The little parish of st. Bernard has been
very nearly lost sight of in the general and
overwhelming distress which has overtaken
our people, and the people there have borne
their accumulated ills with patience and
heroism worthy Of emulation and of praise.
The large part Of the parish is under water
by reason Of the crevasse at Greenwood,
and we are told the suffering and destitu-
ton of the poor people whose little farms
and patches have been inundated are such
as to cali for instant action on the part of
the authorities.
Most of those who suffer are small truck
farmers, who raise vegetables for sale in our
markets, and the flood has utterly ruined
them Those who had cattle have either
lost them or have been compelled to drive
them to the Slaughter House and dispose of
them for what they would bring.
1t seems, however, that in spite of this
terrible visitation, the ghuuls of the Kel-
logg usurpation have determined to make
the situation even more disagveeable and
hard to bear by removing the Courthouse
Of the parish from point where it has
been located for the last twenty years, OIL
the Terre-aux- BGufs road, to the vicinity OF
the Slaughter House. This plan, if carried
out, would entail great hardship upon
large proportion Of the population of St.
Bernard, many of whom would be from
| fifty to sixty miles from the Court House.
The idea is strongly combatted by the
people, and if the matter were put to vote,
even the negroes would oppose it, as it will
absolutely prevent many of them from at
tending court-they having, as rule, no
means Of conveyance. 1t seems that among
| the many outrageous laws passed by the
Kellogg Legislature was one providing for
the division of the parish of st. Bernard
into five wards, giving Kellogg the power to
appoint new police jury, and also provid-
ing for the appointment by him of com
mission to superintend the removal of the
court house to some other point.
The Police Jury now in existence was
elected by the people, and is composed of
persons in whom they have confidence. The
following persons were appointed by Kel-
logg to supersede that Jury: L. Lebeau.
Nath B. Merrill Philip Gutierrez, l. John
son (negro), and Isaac Banks Ignorant ne
gro.)
When notified Of his appointment, Mr..
Merrill wrote letter declining, on the
ground that he could not be party to the
unnecessary expense that must be incurred
| in removing the Court House, and on the
ground that he had not been elected by the
people. Messrs. Lebeau and Gutierrez fol-
lowed the example Of Mr.. Merrill, and de-
clined ALSO
| It is claimed that the parties who are
most active in the matter of the Court
House are interested in the property around
the Slaughter House, and that the whole
thing is private scheme to advance the in
terests Of few men at the expense of the
many.
| The following persons have been appoint
ed Commissioners by Kellogg:
Z. f. Motion, Jno Taft, and Jno. Proctor,
| (cOlored).
On Monday last the keeper of the Chal-
mette Cemetery, one ?. P. Carroll, by the
grace of Kellogg and the Lynch Board Par
ish Judge of'St. Bernard, went down to the
Court House with bodyguard of metro
politan police, and formally took charge
old Judge P. Jordan, Republican, but an
honest man, giving way to the upstart
| claimant.
This man Carroll is the keeper of the
United States Cemetery, and receives a
monthly salary from the United States Gov
| eminent of SIS per month. We wonld rise
to inquire how he can occupy that Office and
| the Office of parish judge Of St. Bernard at
one and the same time. 1t is well known of
Carroll also that he ran in two parishes at
| the last election for the judgeship and was
beaten in BOTH
| He only received about IS votes alto
gether in st. Bernard, both the other two
candidates, who were also Republicans, run
| ming far ahead Of him.
| That wonderful alchymst, Lynch, how
ever, converted him into Judge, and that
disgrace to the Judiciary, the Supreme
Court of Louisiana, Endorsed the finding Of
Lynch and his co-consprators. The people
of st. Bernard desire that Carroll shall re-
main in his cemetery, and not bother live
and honest people.