The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-02-08

QlQOer OrOer u cNiQcuCo Va tuc
will of the voters, than the uncor-
tain memory of those who were
present at the various polls and
heard the result announced. /
charge you, gentlemen of the jury,
that the parish judge is not the
custodian of either the commits
sioners returns or of the ballot
boxes, and the presumption OF law
that all is against the wrong-doer,
cannot be applied to him. 1t would
be different were he custodian IN
der the law of the returns, and did
not produce them, When called on.
Now, l further charge YOU that, if
You find that thu commissioners
returns on the count Of the ballots,
at the various preciucts, Oh the hrst
count, was not more Of mistake
as to the pumber than that ascer-
tanned ON the second count, before
you, then you should conclude that
the commissioners returns were
correct, and I charle yon that, the
commissioners returns, from which
the sheriff g compilation was made.
is presumed to be in accordance
with the ballots caat, until the con-
trary be shown. Now, you are the
judges of the law and tie evidence,
and should decide this case impair
italy, without referencs to politics
or your personal preference for
either plaintiff or defendant. 1t Is
the duty of the plaintiff to make
out his case, and the prepond-r-
ance of evidence that there has
been fraud perpetrated, before you
find in his favor. On the contrary,
If you find that there was fraud and
the result rs now shown, was not
the true result, or the true will Of
the electors, and plaintiff did actu-
ally receive the majority OF the
votes cast, than you should find for
plaintiff. But, should yon come to
the conclusion. that yon cannot de-
eide, from the evidence, from its
conflict, or otherwise, what the true
will of the voters was. and which
one of the candidates received the
free and untrammelled majority
thereof, then it is your privilege
and duty to refer the election back
to the people, and the court will
order new election.
Your verdit will be : We. q ma
jority of the jury. find in favor of
plaintiff. McKight; or. We. a ma
jority of the jury, fnd i'll favor Of
defendant, Raglan; or, We, ~ ma
jority Of the jury, find in fsvcr OF q
new election.
1t took the jury on,y about "ne
hour to come iu a conclusion, when
they returned e verdict in favor OF
A. Y. Raglan, defendant.
| FLETCHER vs. JiTKD.
4 NC ucAt Ceaec WtsS bisht W A'nafscS
Fletcher, Republican, versus X. u.
Jeter. Democrat. for the Office OF
Sheriff, and the evidence and it.
nesses in this case were virtnslly
the same as in the other.
The Judge delivered the same
charge in this case as III the fromer,
except substituting the names OF
Fletcher and Jeter for those o,
Mcknight and Reagan.
After an hours absence the jury
returned a verdict in fcuor Of fletch.
err. plaintiff!
| In face of the facts this was an
astonishing verdict. But we must
give the jury the justice Of saying
that, in view of the evidence a,
shown to them, their verdict was
righteous. But if they had been
aware of the fact that those ballots
by which they were governed in
making their decision had been left
in the boxes for thirty-six bours
in the eroct state in Which they ,oert
left after the experts finished count
ing the pote for Mcknight and Ra'
gan, and that gentlemsn(!) whose
knowledge Of ways that are dark
is acute. unless he has forgot the
cunning displayed by him in Cam
den, Arkansas, nine years ago) had
free access to those boxes, ther
they might put two and two to
gether and account for the mystic