The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1875-08-21

THE Doc POISONING CAsE.-Im-
parchment Of the Tom Constable.-By
reading the Council proceedings in
to-day's CHIEF, our patrons will in
form themselves of the action taken
by that body in the Constable case of
Sullivan, charged with obtaining
money from the town under false pre-
lenses. Wednesday evening the Coun-
Gil constituted itself board of inqui-
~, or sort of high court of impeach-
ment, and after going through the
forms of Il trial in which the judges,
jurymen and most important wit
nesscs were combined in the self same
personages, impeached the Constable
Of misdenleanor in Office and adopted
resolution petitioning the Governor
for his removal. The Town Attorney
conducted the prosecution, two well
known local lawyers appearing for
the defense, and the amount of law
and logic that was laid before the
municipal fathers would have done
.DuStIIC W ~ SttSC Vi lbuCl SlcdCCI
magnitude. We doubt if the spirit of
Blackstone himself, possessed of the
eloquence Of an Evarts, could have
saved the accused from conviction,
however, for it was evident from the
beginning Of the tr1l that some of
the Councilmen We're morally con-
WINGED, from the evidence of their
own senses, Of the guilt of the Com
stable, and probably no testimony
that could have been introduced would
have served to change the conviction.
One feature Of this case should be
mentioned in justice to accused he
proved by competent testimony the
killing of at least one-half the num-
Der Of dogs charged for; but he failed
to establish the burial of the same,
and interment forms an essential part
of the work for which he demanded
and received compensation. 1t may
be, as has been the case in one or two
instances heretofore, that the dray-
men intrustcd with the burial of the
defunct CANNES dumped them into
the river or bayou, a wholly illegal
proceeding which the charitably dis
posed can ascribe to ignorance, the
less lenient to laziness, and the un-
relenting to wilful if not malicious
inten ton to contravene the law.
Whether such disposition of the car
casses was made or not, it is certain
there was false testimony given rel
ative to the matter, and the parties
who gave it have placed themselves
in a very serious position, being liable
to prosecution for perjury. The Con-
stable is a young man possessing good
qualifications for his position, and his
service, barring the misdemeanor or
indiscretion with which he is now ar
raigned, has been reasonably faithful
and etfe ctive. He went to New Or
leans Thursday with a written state
ment of his case to lay before Acting
Governor Antoine> and if that official
deems it advisable to overlook the
affair, we are confident young Sui
Ivan will make an excellent Constable
and avoid in the future such mistakes
as the one which has placed his Of
fetal head in chancery. We would
not condone or attempt toscxcuse any
misdemeanor on the part of public
officer, but it may be found beneficial
in some cases-as we think it would
be i'll this one, where the alleged Of
Tense is the first committed and COM
paratively unimportant in results-to
exercise forbearance, trusting to
the warning given the offender to
work wholesome reformation
Many character has been re-
deemed by the pardon of first
fault which would have been IL
retrievably .'sent to the bad" if a
strict construction Of the demands of
unrelenting justice had been insisted
upon. We are all human. venerable
Conncilmen. and all liable to the
wilts Of the ring tailed Mayor Of the
regions internal so let us not sit in
too harsh Judgment nron a fellow
creature yet young i'll wickedness and
not by any means beyond hope Of re-
u