The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-02-09

He spoke as if an acquittal were foregone
conclusion. "Find him guilty." said he,
''and there will vail go up that would
drown the thunder of the heavens. Erect
gallows to hang him and the women of this
country would rescue him. All nature
cries out against his conviction. would
like to have verdict to the effect that
when Dukes fell, the act that caused him
to fall was the result of an irresistible i'm
pulse" The whole trial was very we'll
gotten up and a very well acted little
drama, which, after the plea of insanity
was introduced, became a farce. During
the trial every body knew that the ''poor
boy " had always been an imbecile: his
| mother and grandmother had many times
grieved over it. Six physicians, two of
whom, DR.. Ewing and DR.. Wylie, had
practiced twenty years in an insane asylum.
testified to insanity. From every quarter it
was stoutly maintained that the murder WAS
committed by an imbecile. Would the law
hang an imbecile? The jury could not
quite swallow a lie made out of such whole
cloth and, therefore, deliberated some
hours trying to get around the knotty
question. Finally, light dawned UPON
their minds. They saw clearly and forth
with returned the verdict, Acquitted on
account of insanity at the time the act was
committed" SO far, so good. We have
gotten our poor imbecile prisoner &C
qultted-he will not be hung. Alas! how
ever, the Judge remands him to jail. eff
he was insane said he, 81 it will not do to
release him. What a good actor the
Judge was. Not even when convuIsed with
Joy over the acquittal did he forget his part.
The Judge was right. A man who had
always been insane in a noticeable degree,
and was at one time so very insane as to
commit murder, should not be allowed to
roam at large. He should be confined in
an insane asylum where he could harm no
one. The day following the trial, the
last act of the farce was played. The
SIX physicians, the very wonderful in
sanity experts, marched in solemn pro-
cession to the Jail to examine the pris
oner again. Why, what has brought about
such change? Insane? No, not bit of it.
He is as sound and sane as we are. Let
him be released" Ring down the cur
tain. Exit the people. The play is over.
Ear be 1t from me to reverse the deci-
enough under the law, perhaps, and will
never be done with the fortunes of re-
morse, but why clothe the evidence, the de-
fence, the verdict, the whole trial with
falsehood. The act in the eyes of the world
was justifable-no jury would have hung
him-and upon that ground he should have
been tried and judged. The verdict, to have
commanded respect, should have been sim
ply, acquitted.
FRAGMENTS.
Ristori is coming.
We are to have Herdic coaches again.
There are 1911 physicians in Philadelphia.
A Chestnut street peddler was selling Con-
federate notes yesterday, irrespective of
face value, at five cents each.
This year bids fair to equal 1883 in disas-
ters. January not yet passed and four
dreadful ones have been chronicled.
Two ladies dropped dead, one while at
tending the opera and the other the
theatre, here during the last three weeks.
Mr.. Garrison the bridegroom skeleton,
has employed the best counsel, he says, to
help him fight for his bride.
Madame Nilsson declared that the dinner
given her by Mr.. G. w. Childs at the Belle
vue Hotel was the most charming she ever
attended.
Lawrence Barrett closed his engagement
Saturday, and will sail at once for England
where he will appear shortly in Irving Ly-
ceum Theatre.
Miss Ross of New Orleans, q Southern
beauty, was the admired of all admirers at
the last assembly ball given at the Union
League Club.
The crowd thronged around Mr.. Mutt
after his trial, asking his autograph, and
an enterprising exhibitor of living curiosi-
ties offered him position in his museum
on a salary.
Many houses in Philadelphia have mir
rors attached to the second story windows,
which reflect the front door. BY this
means lady can see who calls and deter
mine before the bell is answered whether
OR no she is at home.
GOOSEQUILL.