The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-05-28
A sEA.COAsT LITTER.
Mostly About Courts and Lawyers
CRpt. ole The Bandit of the
BayOus.
BAY ST. LOUIS, May % 1881.

Nisitois, uHu I'LL tHc inuicueiohS Poino
to full and prosperous season. The
times are good and easy, except with
mercants who have done too much
credit business, and many of them
have been and are still "hard up"
But the wool crop is just coming in,
and also the log crop, and in a few
weeks the merchants will manipulate
much money.
The New Orleans and Meridian
Railroad is dead certainty Of the
near future, and it will carry life and
light, and the busy hum of industry
into wild solitudes that have been I'M
tenanted ever since the world was
made.
The Circuit Court is in session in the
last sea-coast county of the Circuit
Jackson. Nothing of importance oc-
Cured at the Hancock county Court,
except that the State and county OBJ
tanned considerable judgments against
the sureties of the late defaulting
Sheriff, Geo. w. johnson. The State
will collect its judgments but the
county will probably not collect its
money. State officers have way of
doing their duty to the State, in col
Letting its revenue, but county officers
have a jolly, genial, as-you-please
way of excusing payment of clever
fellows and good citizens, who have
been unfortunate enough to go Oh the
bond of a defaulIing officer. They
think it is very hard, and hardly fair,
to make good citizen pay security
debt, when the debt is due the county.
And so, some fellow will be candi-
date for the Legislature, and will be
zealously supported, with the private
understanding that if elected, he will
get through "a little bilP'-you know
only a little local law, which accord
ing to parliamentary courtesy, you
know, will pass uncriticized, because
it is only little local bill, you know
And if such fellow can arrange to
grind enough private axes at the public
expense, he may go to the Legislature,
you know. And this little game will
be tried in many counties, and often
with success, and. dozen or two MEM
bers will get in, who go there only be-
cause of successful bargain with men
Of "inflooence," you know, in the
county, that they will grind private
axes at the public expense.
There were some cases of very skill
full "pleading" at the Hancock Court,
but this will not be comprehended by
the professional idiot, until he gets to
the Supreme Court, and perhaps he
won't understand it then, but his
clients will, soon afterwards.
The Harrison Circuit Court occupied
the full term, and left some claims and
urgent cases undisposed of. The GRIM
inal docket occupied four dreary days,
and yet it was all "small potatoes"
inciuulnS even Tie cahe ot
CAPT. COLE, THE PIRATE
of the lakes, and bayous. Even his
case was a shilly-shally affair, very |
little, If at all, above the case of the |
average "sneak thief" In the police
court. Instead of looking as bold
pirate, or even a dashing Jack the
pard" should look, he is a miserable,
little, bumped up, pitiable speciman of
the genus homo, whose appearance ex-
cites pity or disgust, but no particle of
Though was sitting IN
1ne of the jury rooms, was not at
racted from my books and papers,
more than few minutes to listen to
he trial. 1t seems that he pleaded
not guilty, but took the stand as a
and confessed his guilt. He
peached on" gave away, and tried
% convict several co-defendants whom
he testified against, but the jury az
Quilted all OF them. During the few
minutes that was present, he was
lnder REORGANIZATION, and here,
must say, he was brilliant, cool, and
elf-possessed, and overmatched the
attorney who was sitting him. He
ays that he had extensive transac-
ions with Mobile merchants, who
ought his stolen goods. He also gave
way several members of his sea-
cast gang, but he described them by
nick-names' and pseudonyms, not
Known to honest people. lie handed
he District Attorney black list of
he names of those whom he did not
lame in his testimony. Capt. Cole
rot seven years at Jackson, and will
oon arrive in your city. The man
knows Of large, or
'rganized, and mischevious gang OF
hieves in three States from New Or
cans to Mobile, and his knowledge
nay be utilized, If properly handled,
or the public good. His gang is,
doubtless, the tale-end Of the Copeland
,ang, which flourished here three dec
des ago.
Only one civil case of any interest
vas tried, and that was one of the
Of the romantic FLAG case in
he Supreme court which recently
reated such a stir. Two of Mr..
'laig's ex-attorneys, sued him for ,
I 900 for fees for loseing his case. One
4 the cases was tried, and the defend
mt pleaded, among other pleas in bar,
he revenue law of this State, to-wit: ,
That when the said attorney made
Ils contract for professional services,
nd when he performed the alleged 1
ervices, he was In default to the ,
tate for-the nonpayment of his priv
ege tax as a practising attorney.
Iere came In a scene, altogether sui
eReris, and a flank movement was
tempted which n Il had been done
d military tactics, would have done
redit to the genius Of General Penn
erton. The Plaintiff filed an affi-
avit, and a motion, the substance Of
,hich Was that tsyou are another ~