The New Orleans Democrat., 1875-12-29
rao Martini and I.aptiste Ease.

VIZ vi ,ca,,csted an explanation from
is'1. ,..,,aoee companies who had been
''e"s,,unentaI y" in prosecuting the defend
~ ~ M. Rainey. who was the agent
y ,hese companies, being absent. We
rudor Gastinel. the attorney for
.p' ~. rommnies. aud MI " N Ogden,
"ho "a was the counsel for both Bapiistc
VA Martini. MI ogden stated that he
GAS @ appointed some time last summer,
~ fudge I,ra,ighn, to defend Baptiste
,hat while at the Parish Prison and in
= ;otaryjew with Baptisic, that he was
saauested TO represent Martini, and
.hat subsequently, Martini himself en-
aloyed him to act rs his counsel.
Al the time he did not know either OF
.ho acc,,sed hal over before had any
couusel IA The interest Of his clients
n endeayored frequently to have tho
,ase tried by the State, but the District
A,torpev always got n continuance on
n. uround Of Wards absence. He
eaid moreover, that the two accused
having remained IN prison over three
yaa,s. he made motion before the Su-
porIor Criminal Court, calling upon the
Attorney dener,i 10 SNOW ehuSe WY
,hav should not Dc allowed to give bail.
subsequently they were released on
thpir own recognlznnces.
NJ states cmphntically that he never
.uuroarbpd the Attorney General 10
have 4 uolL ptuscgui entered in The case.
NM did not sre the Attorney General
unll The morning the motion to admit
ihem to tail was tried. when Col Field
ihen snd. "You have got your men re-
leasctl. but am not done with them yet
an,iI shall soon have them both when
L vet nv witness Ward. The policies
verp tha property Of Martini alone. aud
oaly flm by the State for evidence. He
Inlcndcd 10 file an action against the
iusIIupce companies on these policies.
md iot heavy damages for false i'm
ufjsonnent. The companies. hearing
| somehow or other or II. their counsel.
] judge Arthur Gastinel. called on him
| and offered ~ pay five hundred dol
4 hrs ID settlement Of Mattini's claim
] against them, provided the policies
/ kbould be given TO the companies.
mi. Ogden then said that although
the policies were tho property Of Mar
tini, YET they had been taken from his
possession by the State. and were filed
ID evidence against him.
The Judge said he would gee the At
lorney General and get his permission
1 % have them Withdrawn. if Mr.. Ogden
would Idvc his consent
Mr. Ogden saw Attorney General
Fields note Of permission, aud he also
signed H. HI then made ~ motion
before Judge Steele to withdraw them.
which was granted That Mr.. Rainey.
The agent Of the insurance companies.
gave him u check for $500. which he
mid 70 Martini. Judge Gastinels s state
lhent was In substance the same as Mr..
Ogdens.
The. claim Of this man Martini had
tsased the Insurance company u great
deal of annoyance and expense, and
uey, although satisfied that they could
drtest I eventually, knew II would cost
more Than TO compromise with him. SO
IVY offered for the surrender OF the
nlcies by Martini $500, which both he
Md hk counsel accepted, and the At
hrney General gave his written per
Mission 10 have them withdrawn by
Judge Ogden that he did not ask the
Attorney General 10 enter u Hoiie pros
sTi From the statement of both gen
ucmcn we sec that there was nothing
Suspicious which their statements do
latiully explain
The counsel for the defendants had q
perfect right 10 demand their discharge
On their own rccognizancc, after the
lapse of three years. If the State had
nVt used due diligence in prosecuting
Mem, and would not 20 into a speedy
Wal when II was demanded. Tho in
sman'e companies had the right un-
Questionebly either 60 recognizes or dis
.@'lh Martini claim on them and to
&c policies, and II they chose TO settle
wuh MN Tor u greater or less amount
was their own business. Moreover,
Me State had no claim on these poll
ses, and Martini's counsel could at any
ame have obtained them hy furnishing
sertiiied copy of them TO tho Attor-
ether object in view which was perfectly
Mndable He knew II once the insur-
ace companies recognized the claim of
!asartini, by compromising that when
hc case came to 4 trial. they would
hhase no interest in assisting the State
" furnishing 1t the testimony of Ward,
S,,v'l.the Ssvn. they got TO work up the ease as u
'IWTr'.se w. ~ Tor them.
.,ss.,, ~. n,alneola also stated TO our repre-
tb'aa'se tba al' that he had been appointed
s wv eouilsel OF Martini, when he
nrst arraigncd, and when
nol,.s;saW saW MN released, and the
s,racm sSsrass Withdrawn, he thought it
ia,ase. X, ~ put referred us to Mr.. Gastinel
iuy Msh'osIlila'lon, INV Mr.. Ogden, on learn
lss,sns M s',ai i, We Intended TO Investigate the
ihs''sa H. ~ ~ y no explanation was given by
mma INSURANCE. companies, voluntarily