The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-04-17
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY, APRIL II, 1873
AN ELOQUENT TRIBUTE.


stiffness pervaded the court room,
when the venerable member Of the
bar arose to second tie resolutions
He said: 'The deceased was a re
markable parsonage in the ranks of
professional jurymen. He was an
old liner, patient and steady as; a
clock, determined in opinion, ever
ready to assume the cares and res.
possibilities of the occupation he had
marked out for himself in life. Men
are liable to falter and lie cut of it If
they can, pleading business, measles
in the family, much information and
peejudice in the case. But he never
shirked. When duty called he was
always there, and came up as pure
and unbiased as dove.
IL doubt that we shall ever look
upon his like again. Others may
emulate his example, and by great
experience, devotion to duty, and
through development Of talent, rise
high in the profession, but who shall
take the place Of him whose loss we
mournp knew him long and we'll.
We were friends. Much of my sue
cess in life and pleading at this bar
owe to him. He never forsook q,
friend in the jury room. When !
turn my eyes to that vacant and
well.worn chair at the end Of the
front row, / can almost see him as Of
yore, SO calm, so composed, so like a
Judge himself upon the bench. To
ward the last, in the infirmities of
years, he may have slept much at his
post, and his hearing been pretty
much gone, yet so vast was his expe-
rience aad intimacy with the re-
lquireme It's of his Office that he dis
charged his duties without embar
rassment, and in manner to satisfy
his own conscience and one side OF
the contending factions. What more
could mortal juryman do? He was
not, you may say, popular man
with his colleagues. He hal enc
mics, as every man of decided opin.
ion has. He was, moreover a stick.
err. The bent of his mind was to
wards disagreement. He held his
comrades with a steady hand, ani
either brought them round, or there
+ was deadlock. He was leader O.
+ juries or went alone. Hence he in
Cured disfayor. More than ono,
+ was his life imperiled in tue jury
room, but he calmly looked death il
e the face and hung on to the last
4 When, on one OCCASION, a mob o
e eleven strong men attacked him ant
q hauled him up to the ceiling severa
: times to persuade him to submit, hi
e uncomfortable spirit did not finch
/ And then on another occasion, whe
n a similar mob bucked and gagge
i him, and kept him without food an
!, drink for FIVE long days, he was sti
f. for disagreement, and triumphed q
last. There, lift please the cour
was virtue of the old school. An
all be asked was his per diem.
n "You take jury that has 3.
a through long case of, say, two {
q three weeks, and that goes out to d.
q liberate as constipated in bowels an
u ill-tempered in spirit as sedanter
:. hen; you lock thatjury up in col
and cLeerless room, and let the juds
= swear in his charge that they sha
not get out or have a mite to eat {
Z drink, or change Of socks until this
. bring in a verdict, and you may W
ger strong that they will agree, som
- how, inside of a week. But WHIT
Sc the deceased was among US, this VI
10 not a safe investment. He was wo
H. derfully constructed physically al
1T mentally for protracted hanging.
% a COW case involving $40 he held Il
jury nine days. One died Of priv
q ton, and the other ten emaciat
le and halfinsane, had to be carried
~ to the courtroom. This, he fl
quently remarked, was the proude
ne effort of his life. Disagreement "
AZ the characteristic of his existence
CT in the 'Squire's Office, during 10
az career as Coroner's juror, and til
q for half a century, in the high
walks Of justice. He was born to
% juryman. 1t was his sole aim
H. earth; and now that he, is gone
venture to say that, if opportuni
;. presents, he will offer his services
- similar capacity in the up,
~ court"
Then the Judge ordered the re