The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-08-01

n EI - - ~ & Z s'1sN IL
II Is a1 IN - kltsmpt ID Defeat the
ef Justice.
r.s .s sSl.', ss:|'St,se s Il the
the colo "a i1en arrested Ia TIE city by
the BatQ4 sR0uBe detuty sherlffs, on the
charge numbering another colored
nan ne 1pd I1Hmes Ellis near Mount
Pleasant m not In tho icast changed
our 0pinl Expressed Ia the matter, but
oontlrne o9r, inpressions that the ia-
q daee9 ettcmre % shield the ac-
ctlsed A. - defeat the ends of Justice.
The clfe netSnces of the affair will
bear ~ ~ 0pr opinion,
Tho IN Rouge officers having
reached clty armed elth a warrant
command ~ the arrest Of Reuten Hell
com, 0@t ne Spears, Dan. Watkins.
Paris Tnuett and Chas. Turnbuii tire
In alp, fosthe murder OF Ellis, hass yery
soon arfnmasd the two last named 10 the
Customho4sc building ard ton the 29fh
inst.) lotlN3d them for safekeeping ia
the ParlahS Rrison, where thsir xarranAss
on dlew 1f!ssfsw hours afterwards there
came from the court OF Police Magis.
trate Staes n commitment ordering the
sheriff to keep Triplett and Turnbull in
his custody to await the further order
OF the court. the commitment being
alleged to have. been issued on the aft
davit OF one John II. Vigers. Hence.
when the Baton Rouge deputies called
for their prisoners, they were informed
by the sheriff OF the new condition of
things and had to Withdraw without
them.
That this attempt to violate the law
la ut,f Ia ah hp q ha. "A ,,i
which Is sworn to by Officer VigerA. OF
the Third Precinct, and IL in the follow
Ing words: ~
THAT, from information received, he
has good reasons TO believe aud does
verify believe that. on Saturday morn
Ing. July 40. 1876, that between the
hours OF two and three o'clock, on Gus
tomhouse. between Dauphlne and
burgundy streets, in this district
and city, one r. Triple aud q. Turnbull
aud tsrve other parties, toh0se names afe
n,lknDMn to dcp0nent, but to be pointed
out, ,sdid then and there wilifuliy and
maliclously assault q party name M
hnoWn by shooting Mt him with intent
to commit murder, contrary to law,
ETC." lfff
Thus 1t will be seen that the affidavit
was not only trumped up to prevent the
deputy sheriff from Baton Rouge TO OBJ
tain possession ofTriplett and Turubul,
but measures are taken in advance to
shield Helc0m, Speals and Watkins, the
three other purties ,Chose names are IN
knOWn TO deJ,one,st"
In 80 far as the legality of the aft
davit is concerne,t, IL will also appear
evident that IL Ia tnot WORTH the
paper upon which it In written,
and would not have beenreceRnized by
Judge Atocha IL he were living. for #
Was notorious that he considered the
arrest OF person on charge made
from information received" to be iIle-
cal aud of~no effect. Further. the docu-
lnent Is also dagrantly invalid from its
failure to Identity the person said to
have been offended against, and making
1t an expressed impossibility TO substlpss
tiate the charge. The police, how
ever, were we'll aware OF the fact,
but as 1t subserved their purposes with
out eDtaiiing any responsibilities upon
them had 1t drawn up in that form,
satisfied as they we're that Triplett and
Turnbull would certainly not attack the
validity OF sn affidavit intended TO save
them from tho gallows, for time at
least. NsFs
S Another person to be censured in this
matter Is Judge Staes, who has permit
ted such document to issue from his
Office over his signature. and
1t shows, at least, negligence on
his part. which, IL it occurred
In other cases, would be seriously inju-
rious to the public welfare. On the
other hand, II such afIiduvits were re-
cognized as legal 1t would lay the foun-
dation for innumerable abuses, for
nothing would be easier for any citizen
IN do towa rds another what Policeman
Vigers has been probably ordered to do
by his superiors.
The entire proceedings are dastardlv,
and exactly what 1t was apprehended
they were determination on the part
OF the Radical police to shield two mur-
derers from the operations OF the law,
because they are party leaders and
members OF the Union Rights Stop.
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