The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1875-07-24
NEW ORLEANS CORRESPONDENTS,

J EDITOR CHIEF:
: Last Saturday the trial of Audito,
4 Clinton in the Superior Crimina
Court, on the charge of illegally is
suing warrants Of 1874 500 to Georg,
c. Beniam, was brought to a close 70
the present, by the failure of the jur,
to agree OH a verdict. The Republica,
reports a. conversation with one O
the jurymen who stated that on ont
count all were willing to acquit, OF
the other all but one were for con
yiction. The jury was discharged
and a mistrial entered. On Monda,
the case, by agreement of counsel
was continued to the regular term
Attorney General Field, in alludina
to discussions of his course by the
press, said Let the papers point
out any man and furnish the evidence
and whether he is white, black o,
gray, will prosecute him" The old
veteran of the bar appears to be OH
the war path sure enough, and is
capable Of IN immense amount OF
valuable service to the State, in the
way OF unearthing the plots upon the
Treasury which have caused it's de-
pletion. He appears to be supported
by public confidence, and is creating
lively sensations by court room de-
velopments. The Republican party
will heartily appreciate him if he
pursues these prosecutions uncom-
promisingly and energctically. 1t is
labor too long postponed, but better
late than ever.
Last Tuesday evening DR.. Rochum
Crasto died. He will be remembered
us the Italian who painted the eques-
TRAN portrait of General Grant and
presented it at the White House. l
am told that picture occupies pro-
minent place in the mansion, and
was highly gratifying to the President
and wife.
Colonel James of the Louisiana
State Penitentiary reports 800 con-
victs at work on the Jackson railroad
track, Is OH the levee in Tensas par
lsll, 80 employed on plantations, and
lib inside prison walls. There APP
pears to be little use for the Peniten-
tiary building, taking this statement
as a guide. Punishment for hard labor
IN the Penitentiary is generously linz
tied to the boundaries OF tho State.
and not extended to nei ghboring ter
ritory. Only eight men : three of
whom were recaptured-have escaped
since January lst, 1875, of the rail-
road gang. How many Of the Others
is not stated. 1t is a costly affair to
get men into the Penitentiary many
outside ought to be constructively in
whom the law and sympathetic juries
have LETT out. When the public is
fortunate enough, to witness o success
full prosecution, it should be jealous
of its right to compel the proper pun
ishmcnt of the malefactor. By our
present policy Of prison management,
after a wrong-doer is offered all the
1oopholes of corrupt courts and he
does not succeed in making his cs-
cape, he is given another trial for his
liberty. He is placed on the railroad,
the levee, the plantation and in the
swamps, and he eagerly embraces the
opportunity. For instance, as " Frog"
is reported in the Madison Journal !:
this recaptured convict was engaged
in cutting timber; the tree he was
cutting being about to fall the guards
ran away ; he ran too, but IN q different
direction The fact is, he wanted to
60 home and he went. An increased
to the State places
e Frog" back under this regime, but
what becomes of the dead bodies of /
the convicts murdered by the guard
while attempting to crafty the natural
love OF liberty, inspired by the open
mir and the tempting opportunity
DO the contractors restore them to
life 7? Does their violent death satisfy
the ends Of justice :? Is there not a
fearful responsibility somewhere The
press should be heard from continu-
'usly on this subject, until a reform
3 accomplished.
By invitation Governor kellogg adj
lressed the Colored Baptist Conven-