The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-09
THE HAWKINS IMPEACHMENT
His Friends Deserving Him.
Some of the Testimony and D0cu-
mentS.
Impeachment Assured.

a still at work. and from what we were permit
: ted TO CLEAN from their past labors, it woul
: seem that they have accumulated great dea
8 of testimony bearing upon Judge Hawkins
| fitness for the position he holds. The com
mittee have had before them number O
) litigants who have suffered from his rulings
, and among them Mr.. Z. B. Benton, who wa
President of the Loan and Pledge Association
, a corporation, which was broken up by de
cision of the Judge.
Major J. H. New testified:
! For three years past had not practicad il
, his court and had refused to take cases there
having discovered from my experience in the
case OF Mahan against certain directors OF the
Loan and Pledge Association that he was no!
only incompetent but thoroughly corrupt.
That suit was a suit brought against the di-
rectors of corporation Individually for dam
ages alleged to have been suffered by the
plaintiff on account Of the maladminis.ration
of these directors.
To that suit the corporation was not a party,
nor was any judgment asked against IT, The
| claim against these directors, IN sOidO. was
for $751; 0. Yet Judge Hawkins issued what
he called a Judicial sequestration, and seized
all the property Of the corporation and closed
its DOORS When the corporation applied,
through me, its counsel, to bond the seques-
| tration, Hawkins at first expressed Wiling
ness to fix the bond at $4,000
The following day when presented for
NAL application to bond, he declined to re.
lease the seizure, except Upon the corporation
giving bond in the sum Of $50, 900, although
IT the plaintiff had recovered judgment IN
his suit, execution could not have been issued
against the corporation, for the reason it was
not party defendant to the suit.
From that day to this l declined to take
suits in his court / was informed by a client
that Hawkins justified his conduct in the
Mahan case as a retaliation on the corporation
for employing a rebel lawyer, and in revenge
for my holding him up to ridicuie before the
Supreme Court. 10 state his action to the
Supreme Court and thus to exhibit his entire
incompetency as a lawyer, was the only ridi-
Guile to which he was exposed, for to tell what
Hawkins does is the seyerest possib bic satire
that can be made.
Occasionally have looked into his court,
and in every instance have witnessed his cut
ting such fantastic capers before high heaven
which would make the angels weep.
The Major then enumerated long list of
cases in which Judge Hawkins's rulings
showed bis entire incompetency, ard how his
judgments were absurd.
The following document from the records
Of court was also filed:
The State Of Louisiana, First Judicial Dis
trict, ss.-Parish Of Orleans, First District
Court for the parish Of Orleans. The Grand
Jurors OF the State OF Louisiana, duly en-
panneled and serving in and for the body Of
the parish OF Orleans, in the name and by
the authority OF the said State, upon their
oath, present:
That one Jacob Hawkins, late Of the parish
OF Orleans, on the fifth day of August in the
year OF our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two, with force and arms, in the
parish of Orleans aforesaid, and within the
jurisdiction Of the First District Court for
the parish of Orleans being then and there |
the attorney OF one j. Madison Wells did, |
by virtue OF his aforesaid employment, and |
whilst so acting and employed as aforesaid,
receive and take into his possession, for and |
IN the name and on the account OF the said j. |
Madison Wells, the sum of one thousand
eight hundred dollars in paper currency of
The United States of America and the said
sum of one thousand eight hundred dollars in
paper currency of the United States, in the
possession Of said Jacob Hawkins, by virtue
of his aforesaid employment then and there
being, he, the said Jacob Hawkins, then and
here teloniously did wrongtully use conceal,
dispose of and otherwise embezzle contrary
10 the form OF the statute of the State of
Louisiana in such case made and provided,
md against the peace and dignity of the
anne. And the Grand Jurors aforesaid, upon
heir oath aforesaid, do further present, that
ess tn an one year has elapsed since the fore
,oing crime was made known to a public
fficer having power to direct the investiga- {
Ion or prosecution thereof
[Signedl JOHN McPHELIN,
District Attorney.
New ORLEANS, Nay -, 1873. K
A true bill:
r. Il POOLE, Foreman G.. J.
Filed May y, 1873. a
GEO, HERBERT, Deputy Clerk. 5
Filed April -, 1874. 3
JSo. FITZPATRICK, i
Clerk Superior Criminal Court e
From conversations had with a number of :
romipent Republicans this morning, it is q
7ident that many of Judge Hawkins's friends
g leaving him, for, as some said, "some CT 4
is actions were inexcusable"
1t is assumed now that impeachment will y
'me unless Judge Hawkins avoids the storm Il
7 resigning. II
The inquiry has been relieved of any parti- ;.
n character, and it now resolves itself down !,
the mere issue as to whether be has been O
lilty OF such acts as would make him amen
lie to impeachment. n
lie has been very much surprised at the
stimony of the lawyers, aud fully appre- W
ates his precarious situation. d.
~ in
The New Louisiana Remedy, for coughs, throat
ID lung complaints, which is product Of our =,
lamps, is daily winning golden opinions from y, "
cry portlon OF the community. Zee the state "
ent OF j. N. Hagins, Esq, elsewhere. IN
FLORIDA IN Fx.-At the last election in
orlda an amendment was passed providing
biennial sessions of the Legislature, the L.
st session to be held in 1877 At the same 81
ne the clause providing for annual sessions m
Is expunged; SO there is no provision for OF
'sislature this year. Certain parties are nc