The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-26
CRIME AND CRIMINAL LAW IN NEW
ORLEANN,


The most shocking result OF misrule
Ia Louisiana Is the prostitution OF the
courts and tho utter desuetude OF oil
criminal law. Never In the record OF
any country has there been such an ex-
cess OF open and outrageous crime as
has long continued in New Orleans.
Hardly q week passes without Its one.
two, and often three, homicides.
We have judges utterly unfit for their
Offices, and the jury system has been
converted into mockery In the state
courts.
The worry mon who are put into place
to discharge tho duty Of judges are daily
violators OF the laws. and go into court
and parade the streets loaded down with
offensive weapons.
One OF Kelloggs city judges was in
dicted for murder committed while on
the bench. It Ia only few nights since
another Of his city judges was engaged
at Republican club In melee, In
which he was severely wounded, his son
killed, and one Of his opponents slain.
and no one has been tried In any Of
these cases.
The Chief OF Police and several OF his
chief subordinates. n short time ago.
met at midnight In bar-room, and ex-
changed some half dozen or more com
plimentary shots ut each other. which
ought to have taken effect had these
tr,isty guardians Of tho peace and
watchers Of the night been sober.
But u brief period previously several
other police officers had u street fight
with each other anI shot an unmed-
ding citizcr. The courts thought IT.
needless to notice these pleasant and
harmless freaks Of the police
An unfortunate fellow whether worthy
or unworthy, named J. +. Barrett. who
seems to know too much FOR certain
officials and other parties, has been per
secuted right and left, kicked and
ouffed. flagcllated and fustigated. and
whose life seemed evidently In danger,
thought proper TO arm himself. In
stantly he Is pounced upon by the law
abiding police aud Is hauled before the
Superior Criminal Court. wherc he IL
quickly and terribly tried and convicted.
and admitted to bail to await his sen
tcnce. but is instantly. when II is TO be
presumed he was uuarmed, set upon,
and the friend who stepped forward In
ha defense is shot down. and In self
defense shoots down one OF his slayers.
whilc Barrett took to his heels and ran
away.
We know nothing Of Barrett, and care
nothing for him individually, but his
case Is u representative ease. and serves
to illustrate the terrible condition ofour
they are administered There IL man
who has been denounced, perhaps Just
lv, perhaps not. but in the midst OF
these denunciations he IL entrusted by
the Attorney General OF the United
States with the duty OF searching out
certain frauds. He seems to be II COW
ard who would not resent an insult. at
all events he has been abused. kicked
and slapped. without fighting. His
pursuers beset him on oil
sides. and the worthy Judges
and police stand by and see him beaten
time after time without offering or
afTording. him any protection. No one
is arrested by tho police for beating
Barrett. he can be cuffed with impunity
and immunity, and when n worthy
gentleman steps in to his defense he Is
shot down on tho street, while poor
Barrett had been dsarmed by the law
and solemnly convicted OF carrying
weapons to defend himself
We say again that we do not know
Barrett and care nothing for him. but
there is question OF principle and fair
play involved In Barrett's case. which Is
bigger than Barrett, or thousand Bar
retts. After the hundred charges made
against Barrett by his prosecutors 1t
seems that the only one which could be
substantiatod was an offer to bribe GER
tain judge to give him license to marry
a girl-certainly the most venial and ex-
cusable case Of bribery ever presented
In this State and when arrested under
this charge he was found armed, con
trary 10 law, and he was convicted
therefor.
It was the duty OF the law officers OF
every grade to protect Barrett, or any
other person, against constant and re-
peated outrage and injury. II he was
too timid to defend himself or afraid to
make nflidavits. 1t was the duty OF the
court-the Superior Criminal Court. and
the Grand Jury Of that court-to bring
the offenders and Violations OF the law to
Justice The crime Of carrying con
cealed weapons is terrible offence, but
IL should be impartially enforced
against all.
We want and We must have honest
and upright judges. who will enforce
the law at all hazards, who will punish
both small and great infraotions Of law.
We want no more judges imported and
put into place for corrupt political pur-
poses. We want judges who know our