The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-08-28
"JESTIS."
TRYING HoRsE-THIEvEs IN TEXAS IN TIE
EARLY DAYS.

EARLY DAYS.
Dallas Letter in Galveston News.
There was case OF lorsc-stealiug tried
here IN our District Court, in early days
that was very peculiar There wasn't very
much style and ceremony about trying cases
then, and particularly DEMONSTRATING cases.
And TINS was most particularly so when u
Mexican was accused OF stealing horse.
Pretty much all that was necessary was to
say; "Gentlcmel Of the jury, there's your
Mexican, and they would cry out, Guilty
OF murder in thefrst degree, without leav.
ing their seats May be it was not quite
that unccrcmonOus, but there wasn't much
precious time visited before humping him
OF to huntsville. Well one day, Mexican
named Jose Nara Something -or-other,
was brought into court to be tried for I'M
due recklessness i'll the transfer of live
stock. The cour had appointed leading
lawyer to defend he Mexican, he being
without funds to employ counsel but the
counsel was prevented by more important
business beng on prOtracted spree from
consulting with his Mexican client. In
fact, the lawyer never saw his client until
the Deputy Sheriff brought him INTO court
and dumped him down in his chair along
side OF his attorney. Now the Deputy
Sheriff happened to be new hand, and
didn't know one Mexican from another. and
as the venire had run short, and the Jury
box had to be filled up, he picked up all
the loaters in the court room, and actually
took the prisoner himself and put him in
the jury-boX to try his own
case. The prisoner was unfamiliar
with the way OF courts, so he didn't say
Anything, and as another Mexican strollcd
IN and took the vacant seat Of the prisoner
his counsel was none the wiser, particularly
as he himself had Oeen out in the mean
time and taken sereral more drinks. The
jury was impanellad and sworn among them, |
OF course, the prisoner, who lifted up hi, |
hand with the rest, The prisoners attorney
now turned 10 his client, and not knowing |
Spanish, asked nm in England, if he really !
stole the horse Us charged in the indictment |
The Mexican didn't understand word. and |
as is customary with MeXicans when they
are asked questions they don't understand !
he answered, Isl, senor,' Eyes, sir,) where.
upon the lawyer got up and told the court
that his unfortunate client pleaded guilty, !
but ne, the lawyer, would like to address
few words to the jury. The District At
torncy not ohiccting, the lawyer made the |
noblcst effort Of his life. He made out
that his Client was descended from a noble |
Castilian family that had shed their blood |
like water to hold this country agalns, the
Indians, how bad company had ruined him.
how his family was in distress. and much
more OF the same stuff, until all the jury
were more or less affected, except the pris- |
oner IN the jury-boX, who, being the only |
Mexican, was not much moved. 1t wasn't |
ms funeral, The jury brought in verdict
OF guilty, and assessed the penalty at five
years The jury, among them the real cul.
prlt, were dismissed, while the Sheriff put
handouts on the innocent Mexican in the
chair, and led him off to jail. No doubt
he had been guilty Of some rescaity, for he
went along without murmuring, he also NOT
being very familiar with our legal customs
The upshot Of this was that the guilty Jury.
man got wind of it and made his escanc
IN the meantime the friends of the MISSING
Mexican hunted the whole town over for
him, but in VAN. At last he was discoy.
cred in Jail with hobbies on. As he owned
several carts and oxen, and was man of
wealth and influence among the Mcyicaps,
A lawyer got him out on writ of babeas
corpus. On the examination all these facts
came out, and the lawyer who had defended
the Mexican had a great deal of fun poked
~ nm, Judge Thomas j. Deyinc, before
whom the Mexican was brought on writ Of
labcas corpus, and Judge II. Duncan. citv
attorney of Houston, will chccrfully sub.
'tantiatc the facts contained in the iorcro.
ng,