Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-23
Currle Acquitted.
From the Shreveport Standard, of Sun
day morning last We take the following


telegram:
MARSHALL, Tex, June 10 $3.50.
The Jas Currie case was given Ia the
! Jury at ESQ p. IN. and IL minutes after re-
turned verdict Of not guilty, on the
ground Of insanity.
This We believe is the first criminal case
Of uore than local uuturicty III the South
that has gone of on the plea Of insanity.
The prisoner will. We presume. br remand
I'd Ia the stat" Insane Asylum. where hc
will he discharged.
Ncrdicts Of tins Kind are not uncommon
in the Northern States. The Mcfarland
case il th, one If greatest notorirty That
it will he rcm"r,hcrcd VAS tue trial Of
Mcfarland for ia, murder If Richardson.
Mcfarland, We think. had been divorced
from his wife ~ ho afterwards married
Richardson. "A journalist There seems to
have been no question that the killing was
murder. Insanity was the only plea.
In Stokes case We do not remember wh"th.
er insanity was part Of the defence.
In anticipation of the vituperatve com
mcnt on the South and her institutions
that will follow this verdict il will he
we'll to remember that the insanity dodge
was inaugurated in all its enormity in the
North.
From a strictly legal standpoint there il
| nothing wrong in the plea. II is allowed
for the very best Of reasons and should
always prevail. The wrong seems TO he
that able and INSCRIPTIONS lawyers, by q
sklllful Use of the authorities ON medical
jurisprudence of all authorities on insani.
~ and of the testimony of experts, sue
coed in convincing jurors that bad mau
should he permitted to go free.
The average citizen cannot understand
how il is that a man who transacts all
his business with fair capacity; who differs
in no degree from his nelghbors; who goes
ut large pursuing his own devices; who
moves in society without attracting ob-er-
walton by his ecceutricities, should be adj
punishment that follows upou the commits
sion of crime. The ordinary intellect
is not capable of following a legal and
scientific investigation OF all those intri-
cacirs of medical science which lead to the
conclusion most wished for 10y those con
crrurd IN the acquittal of the party &C
. h..in a.. - 10 RI 10
natural that the popular verdict should
diicr from that of the jury, and that the
trial shrnld from beginning To end, be
called >'upcndous farce.
The lit, of Currie has been spared. II
WAS natural aud proper that those near
aud dear to him. by ties of blood should
have spared no means TO SECURE his acquit.
tai, hut we doubt if the public will agree
with thu jury. For the reasons mentioned
above the public mind will remain unsat-
siicd. and the opinion will be still that he
is murderer.
Ii he WAS insane the verdict was right
aud proper. but here is the trouble The
people have not beard the evidence. the
argument, the legal and medical author-
ties Many who will condemn all the pro-
cee,iings might have acted precisely IA the
jururs did had they have occupied their
place So we feel that the Currie trial
will he characterized rs n farce, and the
Northern journals will hc filed with whole
sale abuse If the South. taking as the
subject and inspiration Of their articles,
The Cnrrlc trial a travrsty on Justice"
Our education and latter training has
laugh, rs to accept verdic, as 6nsl when
no corruption is shown OF alleged. There
arr di Faculties here that stand in the way
Of such feeling by the people. Let rs pre-
pare 70 be sbus-d.