New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-14
Court Items.

On FRIDAY tno case " INC SCdte VS.. conu
Jerrett, on an indictment charging him
with the killing of Martin McC Cormack, was
tried in Carrollton, before Hon. Don A.
Pardee, judge of the Second Judicial Dis.
trict The killing occurred August 5, 1873,
at Hoyt's House, and was under rather Pc
culiar circumstances. Jerrett, quiet man
of about forty-five years, and much re-
spected by his class, the hackmen, had been
beaten few days before by a man named
Martin, and his wounds were not healed.
Mccormack assaulted him at Hoyt's House
about the matter. and after few words
struck him with shovel, breaking his arm
and nfiicting other injuries. Jsrrett then
shot him.
Colonel C. w. Lowell represented the
defense and brought clearly before the jury
the facts in the case which justified the act.
He showed that the pistol which Jerrett
used was carried by him for the first time
that day and that he had never carried one
before. The assault by the deceased was
proved. and the reasonable fear for his lite
which Jerrett entertained and which in
duced him to fire the fatal shot. In his
argument, which was one of his best efforts,
Colonel lowell demonstrated that the kill
ing was iustifiable as having been done in
self defense, and so clearly made out his
case to the jury that in twenty minutes
after leaving their seats they returned
with verdict of not guilty
| The case of Bronson vs.. Ball on Friday
l hot
| called from Judge Cullom some severe re-
| marks concerning it. The defendant lived
| in Illinois, and came to the parish OF st.
| James about four years ago. He purchased
| plantation, tried to grow sugar, and,
| knowing nothing of the business, run the
| whole concern into the sheritfs office. He
| was sold out under the hammer, and the
| creditors got the entire proceeds, less costs.
| While residing in this State he never COM
mitted any act which caused him to forfeit
his citizenship of Illinois, either by register
| ing or otherwise. Bronson sued out ba il
| writ, alleging intention Of leaving the State,
and Ball was arrested.
| On a motion to quash the writ Judge
| Cullom discharged the defendant. He said
| that the arrest seemed to him strange
| proceeding, considering the sentiments of a
| large portion of the community. There
| was a continual expression here of denun-
| Citations of carpet baggers, If any man
| came from the North and settled down to
| work. became citizen, registered as a
voter, served on juries, exhibited an inter-
est in public affairs or took part in politics
| he was Immediately denounced as carpet
Dagger. In the face of this sentiment here
was man who was not citizen and who
| could not be qualified as a juror, who never
| Intended to become one, who had no prop
| erty in the State, for the sheriff and his
| creditors had got it, arrested, and the court
was asked to declare him a citizen. The
law was plain on this point (Code of Prac-
tice, 2l3), and the prisoner must be released.
In the parish of Plaquemines the case of
Courcelle, the tax collector, was tried by a
jury composed entirely of colored men. The
conviction was noted in the REPUBLICAN of
May 81, but since the Bulletin made so
much stir yesterday morning over Cour-
celles plea that if he stole anything, which
he denied, he had done it for the good of
the party, it is well to call its attention to
this fact. The accused was a colored man
as well as the jury, but neither this circum-
stance had sufficient weight in their minds
to prevent their returning a verdict express
ing their honest opinion that it was wrong
to steal, no matter what was done with
the proceeds. In commenting on the i'm
propriety of the plea with severity it would
have been more just to have given credit to
the honest colored men who disregarded it.
In the Sixth District Court the jury in
the case of Honore A. Wood VS.. Pierre Ais,
returned verdict Of nonsult against the
plaintiff and against the defendant on the
unconventional demand, each to pay costs.